Last week, I was invited to create a live watercolour painting of the Addleshaw Goddard: Freedom to Flourish Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show. It was a real honour to be part of such a prestigious event — a dream commission, combining my love of botanicals and watercolour illustration in one of the UK’s most iconic settings.

The garden itself, designed by Carey Garden Design Studio, was inspired by the North Norfolk coast and focused on the benefits of slowing down and reconnecting with nature. It featured naturalistic planting, coastal materials, and soft, muted colours — all of which translated beautifully into watercolour.

I was set up to paint during an evening drinks reception, working on-site as guests arrived. We had anticipated that the lights would fade an hour into the event, which as any plein air painter will know is almost impossible, so I brought small lights and used photo references alongside what I could observe in the moment. After about two hours, it became too dark to continue accurately, so I set the painting aside and enjoyed chatting with guests.

The watercolour landscape was completed in my London studio, where I refined the details and added finishing touches. The final piece was digitally scanned and used in Addleshaw Goddard’s post-event email — a great way to extend the life of the artwork — and the original was later framed and now hangs in their offices as a keepsake.

This project was a great example of combining live watercolour painting with studio work, allowing guests to engage with the creation of the work before using it in communications. Perfect!