It’s harvest season and we’re embracing the transition to autumn with this beautifully illustrated scene by Clare Owen. Commissioned by Genova Private Management, Clare was tasked with creating a commercial orchard bustling with employees and visitors, incorporating vignettes which could be pulled from the main illustration to be used on their own. While this was no small task, Clare doesn’t shy away from a challenge! Approaching the assignment as a sort of puzzle, a series of individual pieces that she would find a way to fit together seamlessly.
The orchard here represents more than just a farm, it is metaphor for wealth. To quote Genova founder Alan Dewling, “To successfully manage wealth, you need to understand the difference between apples and orchards.” Inspired, Clare brings this metaphor to life through each interaction within the illustration.
Intentionally layering the people and elements within her artwork, Clare expertly creates a sense of depth, inviting the viewer to wander through the orchard. The elegant use of shading and texture showcases the different areas of the farm, emphasizing the natural elements, lively sprigs of flowers, full fruit bearing trees, and the stages of growth in the background.
The market in the foreground welcomes us with muted, cool summer hues, while pops of sophisticated red draw us in through the lovely picnic, into the lively family meal and onto the tractor ride through the farm where employees care for the land. Clare thoughtfully crafted each of the vignettes so that they stand strong individually, creating a series of mini stories to be told. Each of these singular elements comes together to complete the quintessential apple orchard, brimming with moments of joy. The boundless wealth that an orchard can bring!
