COMING UP ROSES
Recent weeks have brought hot sun and summer rain – a perfect combination for garden and glen! It feels like flowers are everywhere this time of year, each an invitation to stop and look.
In this post we will follow a colourful path of petals, taking us from Cornwall to Seville via the rose harvest in Bulgaria.
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BRUSH MARKS & BLOOMS
Inspired by the tea roses growing in her garden, Helen Leaver’s latest series of paintings ‘Romantic Reverie’ presents a chance to pause and reflect.
Exhibited in the refined setting of The Square Club in Berkeley Square, Clifton, this group of paintings were made in Helen’s Garden Studio near Truro in Cornwall.
From embodying the shapes of petals to using paint as a way to revisit joyful memories, Helen’s practice also draws influence from Studio Ghibli, the Japanese concept of MA and the poetry of WB Yeats.
In our debut Conversation Piece, Linda Bell joins Helen to discuss these works and Helen’s creative journey – it seems that this exhibition is something of a return to a city the artist once called home!
Click the button below to listen on Kofi!
Helen’s exhibition continues at the Square Club, Berkeley Square, Clifton, Bristol until 29th July 2026.
PENDOUR PICK - ALTEYA ORGANIC'S BULGARIAN ROSE WATER
Breathe in the soft scent of rose,
a gentle fragrance permeating
from the verdant slopes at sunrise.
The rose harvest has come.
The trail of petals now leads to Bulgaria’s vibrant Valley of the Roses with our Pendour Pick of Alteya Organic’s Bulgarian Rose Water.
Here, the sheltered slopes provide the perfect growing conditions for Alteya’s careful cultivation of precious blooms. The rose petals are expertly harvested in the early morning to preserve the delicate oils for distillation, resulting in a pure and uplifting elixir.
A delightful toner for the skin, rose water has been used for centuries to rejuvenate and hydrate but it also has more uses around the home to rosify daily life!
Find out more about this divine rose water with a misting from Pendour Living.
A MUSUEM MOMENT
Next, the rose petals lead to Seville!
Francisco de Zurbaran’s ‘Still Life With A White Cup of Water and A Rose’ may appeal to today’s aesthetic of pared down simplicity, but in seventeenth century Seville this painting may have resonated with viewers in different ways.
From religious to scientific interpretations, take a moment to reflect and ponder this exquisite piece on show in the National Gallery as part of the ‘Zurbaran’ exhibition.
A TOUCH OF ROSE
All Earth Mineral Cosmetic’s three in one rose facial moisturiser is a tonic for skin and the senses!
Enriched with skin loving ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, shea butter and psudo-collagen, this delicate rose infused facial cream is a silky treat for delicate skin. Pamper your face with the rejuvenating power of rose, a dreamy touch of Turkish Delight sure to promote harmony whilst evoking the golden summer light dancing around rose petals.
rOSE WYLIE
Our trail now circles back to London.
A name that fits this rose tinted feverdream, Wylie’s large scale paintings sure hit as bold and beautiful as this veteran artist’s namesake. Flower power in ‘artion’!
PENDOUR PALETTE
~ RHUBARB & ROSE ~
This Season’s palette invites rose gold accessories (think of Bonheur’s timeless chunky pieces) to elevate the rosy hues of All Earth’s Candy Pink Lip Tint and Zao’s natural nail varnish.
Wave Case and bkr join this Summery shade too, with hints of rose flowing from Alteya Organic’s Bulgarian Rose Water. Wild & Stone’s plastic free rainbow hair ties add pops of colour and spark frivolity.
This Summer, we’re in the pink!
Add a hint more hue to this rose tinted vision with The Silk Collection’s Sleep Eye Mask in Dusty Rose for undisturbed slumber during these lighter nights and mornings.
PETALS & PAINT
Our journey of Sumer bouquets leads us on to early paintings by Steve Joy. These works from the 1980s are presented here for the first time side by side with the evocative poetry of RM Rilke.
Ah, and around this centre,
the rose of watching blooms and sheds
its petals: around this pestle, the pistil
caught by its own pollen dust,
brings forth its show fruit,
yet again, quite unawares,
sparkling with surface gloss
of artificiality.
~ R.M. RILKE
From the Fifth Elegy,
Dedicated to Bertha Koenig
COMING SOON IN THE PENDOUR PARLOUR
The first volume of our debut bookazine, PULSE by Pendour, will be released midsummer.
Featuring interpretive writing, painting and poetry, PULSE by Pendour offers a chance to embrace the long days of Summer in a special fold-out format. With tipped-in plates and cotton stitching, Volume I will be a wonderful keepsake for Summer 2026!
Available soon in the Pendour Parlour.
FEEL THE PULL OF PENDOUR
PENDOUR PICKS
Linda Bell
