Behind the Design: Spring Dunnock and Blossom

Spring Dunnock and Blossom: The Story Behind the Design

I’m beginning our “Every Design Begins With a Meander” series with the story behind one of our most-loved designs, Spring Dunnock and Blossom. Designs for me don’t just drift into my subconscious, they are almost always the result of something I’ve observed, sketched, or photographed. This is why I love being outdoors; it’s a constant source of inspiration. I don’t just record the obvious picturesque scenes, I more often notice the colour combinations, and the more intricate details: the layering, patterns, and textures of nature.

This is why I can be such a pain to walk with. I’ll delight over some pattern in the undergrowth or hedgerow, and out comes the camera and I’m suddenly taking pictures from every angle. My friends have learned to carry on without me, knowing they’ll be seeing whatever I captured that day on a design sometime in the future.

Where the Inspiration Started

Sometimes nature’s colour can take your breath away, this is what happened with Spring Dunnock and Blossom.

Spring last year, I was out on an early Sunday walk in Ellesmere, Shropshire, with a friend and all our dogs. Just as we were about to enter the woodland, the sun caught the blossom on a particular tree, and right in front of me were the most vivid colours I think I’ve ever seen. Whilst there was such delicacy in the shades of the blossom itself, the buds held all the vibrancy of deepest reds and magentas, and the mustard and greens of the lichen. I remember thinking that you really can’t beat nature for the truest colour.

Designing the Dunnock

When it came to creating the illustration, I didn’t want a colourful or remarkable bird competing with the blossom. It hardly seems fair calling a dunnock unremarkable, easy to overlook, maybe, but lovely in its own right and I thought its muted tones would sit well against the blossom.

I think it works. The dunnock isn’t the star of the show; it blends into the background, camouflaged slightly, letting the blossom take centre stage in all its glory. After all, isn’t that how it is in nature? At least now its short-lived, spring-time beauty is captured and preserved in our fabric design, greeting cards, stationery and homeware.

SHOP SPRING DUNNOCK & BLOSSOM