Dahlias – Bursts of Joy on Paper
This month we took our paints out to the stunning Stem and Green flower field, where dahlias stole the show.
We visted the beautiful flower fields at Stem& Green to paint dahlias
With their flamboyant shapes, endless colours and playful textures, they were the perfect subject to explore in paint.
Painting in a flower field
I shared my process for capturing these beautiful flowers with mixed media. Experimenting with a process of layering to build artworks full of character, colour and energy:
Wax crayons for playful lines and a resist effect
Vivid dye-based watercolour for inky layers over the crayon
Punchy opaque acrylic inks to build depth and drama
Fluid acrylics for final detail and character
The joy was in the layering – each stage adding richness and surprise.
A little history: dahlias originated in Mexico, where they were first cultivated by the Aztecs. They travelled to Europe in the 18th century and have been adored ever since. Today, there are over 42 species and 57,000 registered cultivars. Their variety is dazzling – from the giant ‘Café au Lait’ with its dinner-plate blush blooms, to neat little pom-poms like ‘Snowball’, spiky cactus forms such as ‘Bishop of Llandaff’, and the vibrant daisy-like ‘Happy Single Flame’. Colours range from soft pastels to fiery oranges, deep purples and even almost-black velvets.
Fun Fact: In Victorian Britain, dahlias were such a craze that the Stonehenge Dahlia Shows (1842–45) drew crowds of up to 10,000 people. Visitors arrived in their finest clothes, enjoying brass bands, cricket and picnics – dahlias were as fashionable as they were beautiful!
Vase of Dahlias (1883) Claude Monet
Monet’s Dahlias: Claude Monet loved dahlias so much he painted them several times, including Vase of Dahlias (1883) and The Artist’s Garden at Argenteuil (1873).
He also grew them at Giverny, arranging their colours and shapes like a painter’s palette. For Monet, dahlias weren’t just flowers – they were studies in colour, texture and fleeting light, captured with the loose brushstrokes that define Impressionism.
For me, dahlias are personal too – my grandad grew them, and their cheerful presence takes me straight back to carefree childhood summers. That sense of playfulness and joy is exactly what I love encouraging in my workshops.
Huge thanks to James and the Stem & Green team for the warm welcome (and cake!). I’ll definitely be back for more dahlia-inspired creativity.
