Artist Fills Her Sketchbook With Vibrant Floral Gardens That Bloom From Her Brush

Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

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Painter Sonal Nathwani creates immersive gardens inside her sketchbooks. Each double-page spread contains a fresh arrangement of flowers, leaves, and stems, which transform the papers into bucolic portals. These romantic illustrations have an incredible energy about them, and they appear to bloom naturally from the artist's brush.

Although she currently resides in Vienna, Austria, Nathwani was born to Indian parents in Africa and grew up in England. She says her exposure to a range of aesthetics is the foundation of her own expressive style that feels effortlessly delicate. “I am infinitely inspired by nature,” Nathwani explains on her website. “My work embraces color, a free spirit, and the beauty of imperfection.”

To transform her sketchbooks into handheld floral paintings, Nathwani assembles a palette that is complementary to the flat colors of her paper, which ranges from neutral tones to vibrant shades of varying hues. Then, the artist crafts her flowers of choice using a variation of brushstrokes and textures, occasionally smearing the paint to create an atmospheric effect. As a result of her skill, each intentional imperfection looks as though it was meant to lie on the page.

Nathwani's incredible artwork is available to purchase via her website and through Minted. You can keep up to date with her latest creations by following the artist on Instagram.

Sonal Nathwani creates stunning floral paintings in her sketchbook.

Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

She paints expressionist botanical arrangements across each two-page spread.

Sketchbook Flower Artwork

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

To create such an atmospheric effect in her artwork, Nathwani uses a range of brushstrokes and textures.

Sketchbook Artwork by Sonal Nathwani

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Sketchbook Flower Artwork

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Sketchbook Artwork by Sonal Nathwani

Floral Sketchbook Paintings by Sonal Nathwani

Sonal Nathwani: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Minted

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Sonal Nathwani.

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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