Wildflowers seem to embody the untamed spirit of nature. I feel like an explorer when I venture out with my sketchbook to search for each unique plant. The timing of the blooming is never exact; while searching for primroses, I might just as easily come across celandines or catkins instead.

I am particularly drawn to the catkins of willow and hazel trees. It’s always a delightful surprise to see tree flowers so plumed, tasselled and dusted with yellow—the perfect adaptation for wind pollination. I love stroking their silver buds, which remind me of kitten fur. Perhaps you have held the buds of pussy willow or caught the yellow dust on your fingers as you reached out to the drooping catkins.

When I paint or print I remember the Catkin in the hedge and lane. I select colours that feel soft and delicate to evoke the feelings that I have when seeing Catkins or Pussy willow in nature.