The Art of the Peony
Peony season is here, capturing the creative imagination as they bloom with character and expressive shapes, forming short-lived bursts of beauty. As a striking floral muse, we gave six artists a peony arrangement each as floral inspiration for the artwork featured on the arranging guide. Read on to learn how each artist interpreted the peony, how they formed their unique art style and what’s coming next for them.
LUCY SHERSTON
Could you tell us a little about your background and how you found your art style?
Lucy: I grew up in a very rural village surrounded by nature, so I think the seasons and cycles have always played a big part in my life and my work. My style is founded in a love of drawing, a love of taking in the world, absorbing it and trying to send it out again. I think of my work as a patchwork quilt, little individual elements that when collaged together become part of a bigger picture, trying to evoke a mood or a feeling.
How did you translate the floral peony brief into your artwork? Tell us a bit about your process and your interpretation.
Lucy: One of the things I love most about peonies are their huge round blooms, I wanted there to be a hand gently holding the weight of the bloom. Involving hands felt like a nice way to allude to the act of flower arranging. I wanted the piece to be a really joyous explosion of colour and celebration for peonies.
Do you have any exciting projects or exhibitions coming up?
Lucy: I have an exhibition this coming weekend - the 8th, 9th and 10th of May along with 4 other amazing women artists. It's at ArtDog Gallery near Forest Hill. It's (very fittingly for this project) called “In Bloom” and is a celebration of Spring. I'm also displaying my work in a Brighton Artists Open House (Hygge House on the Fiveways Trail) throughout the weekends of May.
AZRA HIRJI
Could you tell us a little about your background and how you found your art style?
Azra: After exploring a few different paths (from a magazine editor in Toronto to a marketing role at a global media company in London), I eventually found myself deep in the world of art and illustration. My parents enrolled me in art school when I was young and there are doodles from my early days all over their walls. My style over time has been shaped by my family's cultural influences and the cities I’ve called home. So my work often reflects the intersection of culture, human connection and the simple pleasures of everyday life.
How did you translate the floral peony brief into your artwork? Tell us a bit about your process and your interpretation.
Azra: I just knew the bouquet of peonies had to be the centrepiece of a tablescape. A moment you would probably see at my mum's. She’s obsessed with a fresh bouquet and is always having friends and family over, so there’s always chai, coffee, and a suspicious amount of snacks on the table alongside a floral arrangement.
Do you have any exciting projects or exhibitions coming up?
Azra: I'm currently working on a collection of tablescape prints, which will hopefully be ready at the end of the year and I have a few fun collaborations that are due to go live this summer. Exhibiting my work at a gallery is on my list and hopefully will be on my bingo card this year.
NANCY MCKIE
Could you tell us a little about your background and how you found your art style?
Nancy: My dad was an artist and my mum also very creative, so I’ve grown up around art. We also grew up on a beach in Scotland, always outdoors so I think being in nature so much helped my creativity too.
How did you translate the floral peony brief into your artwork? Tell us a bit about your process and your interpretation.
Nancy: I like to keep a real simplicity to my paintings, so with a limited colour palette and style. I like to add lines as I see them everywhere in flowers.
Do you have any exciting projects or exhibitions coming up?
Nancy: At the moment I’m working on putting my designs on T-shirts and bags.
CHARLIE TAYLOR
Could you tell us a little about your background and how you found your art style?
Charlie: I like to bring together my fine art and textile design background to create pieces which are full of pattern, colour and texture. I love to capture special moments away in the sun as well as the everyday, my aim is to bring a sense of joy and warmth into people’s homes through my work.
How did you translate the floral peony brief into your artwork? Tell us a bit about your process and your interpretation.
Charlie: The peony is one of my favourite flowers, I love how there are so many variations and how they change colour as they open. For this piece, I wanted to capture their fluttery petals using light, expressive brushstrokes in vibrant corals and pinks. I pictured them sitting on a vintage printed tablecloth, almost like they’d just been placed in the middle of a family table.
NAY BELLAMY
Could you tell us a little about your background and how you found your art style?
Nay: I’m a botanical artist based in Farnham, and my work has always been rooted in a love of flowers. I like to combine flowers with graphic elements like patterns, stripes or blocks of colour to give the work a bit of tension and structure.
How did you translate the floral peony brief into your artwork? Tell us a bit about your process and your interpretation.
Nay: With peonies, there’s already so much softness and movement in the petals, they almost feel like they’re constantly unfolding and changing. I wanted to keep that sense of looseness and energy. For this piece, I leaned into that contrast that I often come back to in my work. The flowers themselves are painted quite expressively, with visible brushstrokes and shifting tones, while the background is much more structured and graphic.
Do you have any exciting projects or exhibitions coming up?
Nay: There are a few exciting things quietly bubbling at the moment. I’ve recently launched a collection with Heal’s, which includes a small number of limited edition prints alongside original works, and that’s been a really special project to be part of. I also have workshops coming up, including one in London this summer, and some new seasonal pieces that will be released over the next few months. Alongside that, I’m continuing to build out new collections and collaborations, so it feels like a really full and evolving time in the studio.
ELLEN MERCHANT
Could you tell us a little about your background and how you found your art style?
Ellen: I’m a printmaker and textile designer based in East Sussex and honestly, my style has come from just playing around a lot - experimenting with marks, textures, and patterns. I’ve always loved nature, so plants, flowers, and organic shapes pop up a lot in my work. Over time, I realised I love balancing detailed observations with a looser, more intuitive feel.
I’m also hugely inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement; the focus on craftsmanship, decorative pattern, and bringing beauty into everyday life really speaks to me. Hopefully, you can see that in the hand-crafted quality of my work and how I think about pattern flowing across paper, fabric, or interiors.
How did you translate the floral peony brief into your artwork? Tell us a bit about your process and your interpretation.
Ellen: For this piece, I created a stylised impression of a peony using linocut. Peonies are so beautiful - there’s something both structured and wild about the way the petals unfold. I didn’t want a straight botanical study; I wanted to capture the movement and softness through carving and textured print.
I usually start with sketches, then transfer the forms onto lino, carving out layers to create depth and texture. When drawing I think about pattern, rhythm, and how the design flows across a surface, even for a single print. The final piece feels delicate but lively, with that hand-crafted energy I love.
Do you have any exciting projects or exhibitions coming up?
Ellen: I’m currently developing a number of new designs, continuing my exploration of layered botanical forms and natural textures. Alongside studio work, I have recently launched a third collection of lampshades featuring my designs with Pooky Lights and have a few other collaborative projects in development, which is really exciting. I’m also continuing to expand my textile collections and look forward to sharing more new work over the coming months.
Up next...
Calla Lily
- The Trumpet-Shaped Beauty. This season, we want to hero a stem that brings elegance and grace to any arrangement - the calla lily. Distinctive, trumpet-shaped forms and a variety of vibrant shades - what’s not to love about them? Whether as a sculptural accent or a pop of colour, they bring something truly unique to a flower display and are incredibly versatile.