John Dyer’s original sunflower painting ‘Chatting with Alan Titchmarsh’ is one of the artist’s most unique works, bringing together art, television, gardening and live performance in a remarkable piece of BBC Gardeners’ World Live history.

Painted during John Dyer’s residency for BBC Gardeners’ World Live in 2004, this original acrylic painting captures the colour, excitement and atmosphere of the event. John was invited to be artist in residence for the exhibition, spending several days working on site and creating a series of new paintings inspired by the show gardens, RHS floral displays and the energy of this celebrated national gardening event.

This painting was created live while John Dyer was in conversation with Alan Titchmarsh on the main stage, in front of an audience of around 400 people. As they discussed painting, plants and the creative process, John painted the scene before him, allowing the audience and television cameras to witness the artwork come to life. The result is a rare and highly collectable original painting with exceptional provenance, rooted in both British art and broadcasting history.

The composition is filled with joyful detail. Tall sunflowers dominate the foreground, their bright yellow heads and green leaves creating a bold botanical screen across the lower half of the painting. Beyond them, the stage and audience are alive with colour and movement, with figures gathered among flowers, banners and the atmosphere of a major garden show. John’s expressive brushwork captures not just what he saw, but the excitement of the moment, the sense of conversation, performance and shared enthusiasm for gardens.

In John Dyer’s own words, this is “one of my most unique paintings and a piece of art, BBC and gardening history.” He describes painting it during his residency for BBC Gardeners’ World Live while talking to Alan Titchmarsh, aiming to allow the TV cameras to see the creative process as he captured the essence of the event and Alan himself on the main stage.

As one of Cornwall’s best-loved artists and an acclaimed garden painter, John Dyer is widely collected for his original paintings of gardens, plants, landscapes and environmental subjects. ‘Chatting with Alan Titchmarsh’ stands apart as an extraordinary original artwork, combining sunflowers, people, performance, television and a nationally recognised gardening event in one vivid composition.

This framed original painting would make a striking and meaningful focal point for a collector who loves gardens, BBC Gardeners’ World, Alan Titchmarsh, sunflowers, British art history or artworks with a powerful story. It offers a rare opportunity to acquire a documented original John Dyer painting created live at a major public event, full of colour, energy and cultural significance.

The painting is featured in the book 'Painting the Colours of the World' by Kate Dinn which has a foreword by Alan Titchmarsh.

Item Information

Above: John at work on 'Chatting with Alan'

Above: John was filmed by many journalists and TV crews during the residency and greeted with great enthusiasm from the crowds of gardeners visiting the show.

Above: Alan Titchmarsh and John Dyer held a joint presentation and chat on 'Planting and Painting' for a live audience of several hundred during the event.




Above: Alan Titchmarsh also helped to launch John Dyer's new art range at the exhibition event.