Thanksgiving Flowers II Rectangle Canvas Print

Thanksgiving Flowers II is part of A Walk in the Wildflowers, a deeply personal exhibition by Helen Ansell inspired by the memories she shared with her father, Don Miller. This painting is one of three works created from the native flower arrangement displayed at Don’s funeral, preserving a moment that became an unexpected source of artistic inspiration.

The arrangement includes a variety of Australian native flowers and foliage, including banksias (Banksia species), flowering wattles (Acacia species), paper daisies (tribe Gnaphalieae) and native foliage selected for its distinctive forms and textures. Helen has also included a New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), a small nectar-feeding bird commonly found in the southwest of Western Australia. As they move between flowering plants in search of nectar, New Holland Honeyeaters also play an important role in pollinating many native species.

From Helen

I’ve always loved dried Australian native flower arrangements. Even after they’ve dried, they retain so much of their shape, texture and beauty, and I’ve often admired them as much as fresh flowers.

After Dad’s funeral, I kept the beautiful native arrangement from the service and it remained in my studio. Over time I found myself returning to it again and again, studying the colours, forms and textures. It became the inspiration for three new paintings, all featured in this exhibition, each exploring the arrangement in a different way.