This is one of the sketches I did for a document I wrote recently (early 2021) about coastal habitats, for the UK National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS). Over the years, whenever I thought of “yellow horned poppy” I had the “yellow” and the “horned” linked together and the “poppy” well separated after them. Like this: “yellow-horned poppy”. Why? Dunno really. I suppose it just rolls off the tongue quite nicely. Emphasis on the “yellow” and again on the “poppy”. Rhythmic. Musical. “Yellow-horned poppy, yellow-horned poppy…”. But then, to my horror, a few weeks ago when writing this document I found it was the other way around! “Yellow horned-poppy”. It requires a wholly changed pattern of emphasis: “yellow horned-poppy”. Don’t like it so much. Well, I haven’t admitted this gross mistake to anyone – until now. I’ve come clean. I’ve learned my lesson. Yellow horned-poppy, yellow horned-poppy, yellow horned-poppy, yellow horned-poppy, yellow horned-poppy…

Details: Coloured pencil; 2021; 14 cm x 15 cm. Unframed: original £30; print £20.

Included in the gallery Other drawings