You won’t beleaf it!
Enchanting images of garden visitors... with an autumnal twist
From the bejewelled feathers of a peahen to a magpie’s monochrome majesty, this is surely a case of leaf imitating art.
These wonderful autumnal artworks have been created by amateur artist Diana Cotter, who spends up to seven hours carefully selecting hundreds of differently coloured fallen leaves from her garden to create stunning images of birds and other wildlife.
She adds berries, moss and twigs to garden clay bases to create a dazzling final effect and photographs her seasonal creations before they dry out — before putting them in the compost.
Diana, from Salisbury, Wilts, says: ‘The only tools that I use are a wooden plant label used as a drawing implement and a pair of scissors. It’s all about looking for the right colours. I can see what I am going to do in my mind’s eye.’
She adds: ‘It is quite a mindful experience and when I am doing it, I am not thinking of anything else. I have done flower arranging as a hobby before and that doesn’t last either, so I am used to throwing away my creations!’