Beauty's Fragrant Glow - Tote Bag

Magnolia flowers have a very special place in my heart. My grandma had a print of a painting of magnolias by artist Vesty Rich on her wall for many years and I would often admire it as we sat to take high tea together and munched away at the abundance of food which she insisted must be eaten up! I was delighted to discover that what used to be called the "Rhododendron Gardens" (now called Dandenong Ranges Botanic Garden" - on the outskirts of Melbourne, Australia - contained a large amount of magnolia trees of various kinds. The flower that features in this chalk-pastel drawing of mine was a bloom that I photographed while visiting the gardens. It seemed to glow with a light from within and I couldn't resist capturing its beauty.