Each picture is drawn on canvas with charcoal and acrylic paint.

As artist in residence at Furzey Gardens I made large reportage drawings documenting their Journey to Chelsea. The garden was awarded a gold medal.

Furzey Gardens and the Minstead Training Project worked with Chris Beardshaw, to create a garden at Chelsea Flower Show in 2012. It celebrated the 90th anniversary of the gardens and raises awareness of the valuable training for adults with learning disaabilities that takes place at Furzey.

I make drawings as a way of valuing an activity, and as a way of truly ‘seeing’ it. Almost all are made entirely while the activity is going on and I am responding to what I see, feel and hear, usually very rapidly. This process often has a strong sense of ‘shared journey’ – of the draw-er with those being drawn; we are exposed and vulnerable, witness to one another’s struggles and achievements. When the event is over we are left with the traces of my experience; animated marks on a flat surface.

These drawings document my glimpses, just tiny fragments, of the huge effort of preparing Furzey’s contribution for Chelsea.