Delphiniums Part of Kelly Higgs’ Popular Work
By Jill Brooke
Kelly Higgs has attracted a global following for her airy beautiful whimsical drawings that are turned into paintings, fabrics and wallpapers.
A botanical artist using watercolors, she’s been passionately obsessed with “flowers and chinoiserie and interiors” her whole life.
One of her favorite flowers of this South African-based botanical artist turns out to be the delphinium. This is also the flower of July.
“The soft periwinkle blue and the flimsy, delicate, layered petals make my heart sing with happiness,” she says. “I particularly adore delphiniums in a blue and white chinoiserie pot, the combination just works perfectly.”
However, she really hasn’t used it as often as she’d like.
“A client had delphiniums as part of her wedding decor and wanted a large painting,” she recalls. “The second is the piece I worked on for Pierre Frey.”
As far as her most popular flowers that pop up in her work, they include orchids, peonies which are her “absolute favorites.”
Although primarily a fine artist, she has collaborated with other brands over the years such as creating fabric and wallpaper for Zoffany, and currently a panoramic wallpaper for Pierre Frey.
Her botanical drawings are exacting as any of her predecessors but have that extra something that elevates it to a form of contemporary art.
“I am apparently considered the rebel of the Botanical Artist’s Society, as I break their stringent rules by representing flowers with all manners of rock n’ roll decorative elements, instead of sticking to the old-fashioned scientific format,” says the mother of three. “This I love, as anyone who knows me will testify to my goody-two-shoes personality!”
However, she is very grateful to be an artist who cannot keep up with the demand for her work and to have the opportunity to make her passion into a career.
“The decorative style of my work adapts beautifully onto interiors products so it’s a match made in heaven,” she says.
And she expects even more work to come post-coronavirus.
“Flowers are a universal symbol for beauty, happiness and uncomplicated pleasure,” she explains. “I think the world is craving those attributes more than ever right now.”
