Amorphophallus titanum — the Titan Arum, or Corpse Flower. The largest inflorescence on earth, and one of the most notorious plants in the world, famous as much for its extraordinary smell as for its size. Native to the island of Sumatra in Indonesia, it also has a cherished place in the Living Collection of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
The Titan Arum flowers for only two days at a time, and does so rarely — which makes each opening an event. In 2015, we had the privilege of witnessing one such occasion at RBGE, and seized the chance to portray this spectacular flower alongside two dear friends and fellow botanical artists, Jacqui Pestell and Sharon Tingey. The plant stood 2.6 metres tall. Working as a team on a single artwork is something I find genuinely valuable — and this was truly joyful, not least because every visitor to the garden seemed just as thrilled as we were. That first painting became part of the Shirley Sherwood Collection.
In 2017, we returned to our sketches and paintings from that experience and decided to create three new works. This time, we chose to depict the full cycle of the inflorescence: growing, flowering, and dying. We set up our studio at Inverleith House, RBGE, and completed the Titan Arum Triptych over two intensive weeks. The paintings are approximately three-quarters of the plant's actual size. And then, in one of those moments of perfect timing, magic happened — just as we finished the final painting, the Titan Arum began to bloom again at RBGE. We were incredibly fortunate to witness and record this magnificent flower and its cycle once more. The three paintings were exhibited at Inverleith House for three months, opening on 29 July 2017.
While we were working, Laura and Serge from Wild Leaf Reels were creating the beautiful videos and timelapses that accompanied the project. We loved them — I hope you do too.
