All of Quinn’s flower prints prior to this latest series were fairly large in scale and printed without margins right to the edge of the paper. This was very much in line with his paintings on canvas. For the present set, Charles Booth-Clibborn suggested the use of a different printing technique – etching. Quinn selected six images, each with a different single larger flower in the centre of the composition. The focus on a single flower unifies the format of the series. At the same time, it allows for a better comparison and appreciation of the individual characters of each flower. Quinn also decided on a more intimate scale and for the images to be printed with margins. Landscape background aside, this gives the prints an appearance recalling that of illustrations in a compendium of flowers.

The prints were proofed and editioned by Peter Kosowicz at Thumbprints Editions in London. Kosowicz adjusted the digital files provided by Quinn on the computer for the polymer-gravure process. This involved using specialist software to separate the colours in order to produce individual records for cyan, magenta and yellow. From these individual colour records positive films were made and, through exposure, put onto printing plates. Quinn liked the oversaturated colours that could be achieved through the etching process. After seeing the initial printed proofs, Quinn decided to highlight the stamen of the central flower in each of the prints. Using the digital files, an additional plate was prepared for each print, separating the shape of the stamen. Instead of polymer, copper was used, and the plates left in an acid bath overnight in order to get a deep bite. The additional deep-etched plate makes the stamens stand out in relief, achieving the tactile effect that Quinn had intended. He decided on the title for the series shortly after his return from a trip to India in 2008. Besides linking the prints to a specific time and place, the title also captures the essence of Quinn’s flower pieces – preserving a fleeting moment of bloom long after the flowers have decayed.