Botanical Habit Studies
See archives of past botanicals on page 1,
page 2 and flowers currently for sale
if a particular flower interests you, let me know.
I can make one for you on commission.
03.028
Indian paintbrush |
Here in the high, dry regions of the Rocky Mountains,
we have a brief but glorious summer. I
spend much of it in the mountains, on my belly, in the grass, making watercolor
habit studies of wildflowers. I
also paint the blooms from my own perennial gardens. My botanical studies are always made from live plants.
Working from photographs just doesn’t provide enough information.
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01.046
Sego lily |
01.041
Columbine |
I have always wanted to be an
artist but when I went
to Indiana University I decided to major in botany.
I thought botanical illustration would be a great career. Larry Burns, my Biology teacher at Shortridge High School in Indianapolis,
was a genius and an inspiration. He
challenged me and encouraged my interest in science while putting up with the
fact that much of my class work was more fully-illustrated than well-researched. By my sophomore year at IU I had switched to the art
department but remain compelled by things that grow, especially if they flower.
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01.043
Columbine |
01.025
Wild iris |
Until recently, I did most of the botanical habit
studies on hot pressed (smooth) paper. In
2001 I made a few on skin parchment (the actual skin of sheep, goats or calves)
and was thrilled with the amount of detail afforded by the
surface of the skin.
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01.038
Glacier lilies |
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