A group I belong to, Oregon Botanical Artists, was fortunate to have the skilled artist and gracious teacher, Heeyoung Kim, for a 3-day workshop. If you are not familiar with her work, she paints gorgeously delicate depictions of plants native to the increasingly rare prairies of Illinois, where she lives. She teaches at the Brushwood Center […]
Ants & Elaiosomes
October 18, 2014 by · 4 Comments
Dropping crumbs onto the ant trail became our entertainment during picnics last summer, my granddaughter and I. We were entranced by the suspense of seeing whether the ant would be able to lift the massive (in ant terms) crumb by itself or would it go recruit helpers? How would the ant team deal with getting […]
Second Chances
October 4, 2014 by · 5 Comments
I think of botanical art as a kind of collaboration between the artist and nature, at least that’s how it feels to me. But believe me, it is nature that calls the shots…like the time a slug ate the last remaining blossom on a plant that I was going to paint the next day to […]
Wild Ginger
May 29, 2014 by · 4 Comments
“I am always doing that which I cannot do, in order that I may learn how to do it.” Pablo Picasso When I read this quote, it resonated with me regarding my journey in botanical art. Each new project feels like it borders on the impossible because it is yet untried. There is risk involved. […]
Out of the Closet
May 15, 2014 by · 14 Comments
Not many people know that I was a closet artist for many years. Since childhood, one of my favorite pastimes has been drawing and as an adult I often turned to it as a way to relax, renew and comfort myself, particularly when I felt overwhelmed by the bustle of life. I saw it as […]
This blog is about my journey as a botanical artist--what I am learning, what inspires me and what I am currently drawing or painting. My desire is to continually hone my skills to better express my wonder and gratitude for the beauty of the creation around me in the Pacific Northwest (USA).