Mustard

Mustard is mentioned twice in the Qur’ān, both for its seed and for the minuteness of its size and weight: ‘If it be the weight of a grain of mustard, and it be in a rock…God will produce it.’

Black mustard or Brassica nigra is native to South Asia and southern Europe. The name khardal is used for black mustard in southern Asia.

I first saw Brassica nigra or Black Mustard in 2015 growing at the Islamic Botanical Garden in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. I went back in 2017 and saw a very healthy and vigorous plant with fabulous movement in the flower stems. Thinking of the composition , I thought the amazing bend in the flower stem would make a more interesting composition than just an upright one.

I grew the plant on from seed in New Zealand and was intrigued by the tiny 1mm black seeds that under the microscope have a texture of tiny circular indents all over the surface of the seed. I have drawn it up at times 35 to see the detail. The seed has a pitted texture which is interesting to capture. I have drawn diagonal guide lines across the seed to help accurately depict the texture that will accentuate the 3 dimensional form of the seed and to make sure the tiny round pitted texture is in the correct proportion on the surface of the seed.

Painted from a specimen found in Sharjah Botanic Gardens, UAE, and from the plant grown from seed in New Zealand.

Grows at Kew in Edible Science: Kew’s Kitchen Garden.

Completed painting size: 52 x 78 cm
Habit natural size, detail of pod x 5, seed x 30
Watercolour on paper