Final Week of the Exhibition

ASBA's 13th Annual International Juried Botanical Art Exhibition concludes its run at the Horticultural Society of New York this week.  Opening in September in the midst of Botanical Art Week in New York City, proclaimed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a packed house was on hand at the reception to see works from around the world and mingle with many of the artists who were in attendance. 

Awards went to Karen Kluglein (Best in Show), Martha Kemp (ASBA Merit Award), Andrea Wilson (The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Award for Drawings and Prints),  Carol Woodin (New York Central Art Supply Award), Noriko Fujii (Ursus Books and Prints Award), and John Pastorizo-Pinol (Talas Award).  Kathy Folino and Heeyoung Kim received Honorable Mentions.  More Photos

Slipper Orchid

Paphiopedilum hirsutissimum,
Gouache
by Mindy Lighthipe

Mindy Lighthipe specializes in Botanical and Natural History paintings. In 2009 she received a Silver Medal from the Royal Horticultural Society for her series “Symbiosis - Plants and Butterflies”. “Mindy Lighthipe’s work is reminiscent of 18th century artists such as Catesby and Marie Sybilla Merian. Her insects are fantastic,” stated the Royal Horticultural Society Jury Committee. In the fall of 2010 the Florida Museum of Natural History will present a solo exhibition of 25 of Mindy’s “Symbiosis” paintings.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Franklinia

Franklinia alatamaha, Watercolor on Vellum by Karen Kluglein

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Parrot Tulip

Tulipa ‘Blumex’, Watercolor by Noriko Fujii

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Persian Lily

Fritillaria persica, Watercolor by Rose Pellicano

Rose Pellicano began to focus on botanical painting in 1993, and since then her work has appeared in ASBA exhibitions at the Horticultural Society of New York, US Botanic Garden, Washington DC, and the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis. Some recent exhibitions include the Bruce Museum, Filoli Gardens, the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, the Royal Horticultural Society, London, and Losing Paradise? at The New York Botanical Garden. Rose is a member of the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium Society and her work has been published in magazines and in the book Today’s Botanical Artists. She is represented by Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper and Sunflower Gallery.

Bitter Melon

Memordica charantia, Graphite and Watercolor by Eika Okamoto

Eika Okamoto is an award-winning artist specializing in botanical art. She studied drawing at Montgomery College, Maryland, and botanical painting at the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, UK and The New York Botanical Garden. After graduating from university in Japan, she worked at Christian Dior, Japan and at a private Tokyo gallery. A recipient of awards in 2003 and 2004 from the National Museum of Science, her work has been included in many national and international exhibitions, and featured in the book Flower Diary, published in 2005 and in national newspapers. In 2008 she illustrated a card game for children to teach flower identification.

Sea Urchin Hakea Pods

Hakea petiolaris subsp. trichophylla, Watercolor by John Pastori za-PiÑol

John Pastoriza-Piñol is a contemporary botanical artist whose focus is rare and unusual plants, documented through accurate realism. Along with private commissions, John is actively showing his work globally and has secured international venues (both public and private galleries) in London, Paris, New York and Madrid. Numerous public and private collections house John’s work including the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, RMIT University, Melbourne, and the Collection of Alisa and Isaac M. Sutton. A recipient of many awards and recognitions, his work is also part of The Highgrove Florilegium, and he maintains a national and international teaching circuit.

Portobello Mushrooms

Agaricus bisporus, Watercolor by Melinda Pahl

Melinda is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists and the Northern California Society of Botanical Artists and lives in Marin County, CA. She has studied with Catherine Watters and earned a diploma with distinction from the UK’s Society of Botanical Artists. Inspired by nature, she paints from real life to give a glimpse into natural form and color. Her work has been exhibited at Westminster Hall in London, Filoli Gardens, the Huntington Museum in California, and has received awards at the Marin County Fair.

Hellebore

Helleborus x hybridus ‘Havington Red’, Watercolor on Vellum by Annie Patterson

A designer for 30 years, Annie is a plant grower and collector. Deciding to devote more time to painting, she completed a botanical painting course at the English Gardening School in 2000 under the tutelage of Anne Marie Evans. Exhibitions followed in London, the US, France, at the Royal Horticultural Society, and recently in Germany. Now living in the Loire Valley, France, she will continue to paint, exhibit, and grow new subjects. She is a Fellow of Hampton Court Palace Florilegium, with work in the permanent collections of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, and The Highgrove Florilegium.

Wild Blackberry

Rubus allegheniensis, Watercolor by George Olson

 
Born in Minnesota, George Olson taught art at the College of Wooster in Ohio until his retirement in 2000. Olson’s exhibitions include the British Museum (Natural History), Seventh International Exhibition of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Missouri Botanical Garden, Chicago Botanic Garden, and the Royal Horticultural Society in London. His work has been included in many juried exhibitions in New York, San Francisco, Minneapolis, St. Louis, and Seattle. Olson’s book, The Elemental Prairie: Sixty Tallgrass Plants, (University of Iowa Press) was published in 2005 and he contributed a number of medieval plant illustrations to C. Paul Christianson’s The Riverside Gardens of Thomas More’s London (Yale/Mellon).

Bull Thistle

Cirsium vulgare, Graphite and Watercolor by Derek Norman

Born and educated in England, where he developed a lifelong love of wildflowers, Norman brought his skills as a designer and draftsman to depicting wildflowers. Today the principal of The Midwest Center for Botanical Documentation, he is devoted to graphically documenting the native flora of the Midwest. Among his many awards is a gold medal from the Royal Horticultural Society for his pen and ink drawings of urban Midwestern flora. He also produces watercolors and oils of a broad range of botanical and horticultural subjects. He is represented in the collections of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh and Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium Society.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Giant Sequoia

Sequoiadendron giganteum, Watercolor by Sherry Mitchell

Living and working on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, Sherry Mitchell has painted for almost forty years. Her botanical subjects include the cultivated and native flora of British Columbia. She is a published botanical and children’s book illustrator, a Senior Signature Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, a member of Botanical Artists of Canada, ASBA, International Guild of Realism, and Island Illustrators Society. She has participated in and received awards for her work shown in exhibitions throughout North America.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Hibiscadelphus

Hibiscadelphus distans, Pen and Ink by Lesley Randall
 

While a landscape architecture student at Cornell University, Lesley became interested in botanical illustration. Working at a botanical garden in Hawaii, she found the plants fascinating to draw, and started illustrating professionally after moving to Davis, California in 1986. Her work, mainly pen and ink illustrations, has appeared in numerous scientific journals as well as a few floras. She enjoys graphite drawings and has recently started exploring colored pencil techniques. In addition to botanical illustration, Lesley makes leather masks and glass mosaics.

Orchid Tree

Bauhinia purpurea, Watercolor by Julie Sims Messenger

Julie is a designer and artist with special interest in the botanical world. She graduated from Boston College, the School of Fashion Design, Boston, and Rhode Island School of Design. Her work is featured in Sophisticated Surfaces, Rockport Press, 1999, and Today’s Botanical Artists, Schiffer Publishing, 2008. Awards include the Talas Award at the Ninth International ASBA/HSNY Juried Exhibition, Honorable Mention at the Eighth International ASBA/HSNY Juried Exhibition, and Best in Show at the Native Flora of the Atlantic Seaboard Exhibit in 2005. Julie is also the founding Vice-President of the New England Society of Botanical Artists.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Golden-flowered Century Plant

Agave chrysantha, Ink and Watercolor by Joan McGann

Focusing on lithography and drawing, Joan McGann received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1974 from Wichita State University. In 2008, she received a Certificate of Excellence from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Art Institute Nature Illustration Certificate Program. She works with her husband in their landscape architectural firm that specializes in natural resource management planning, park planning and design, and urban design. Joan works almost exclusively on paper with graphite, colored pencil, and, more recently, watercolor and pen and ink. Current works in botanical illustration have an emphasis on plants native to the Sonoran Desert.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Purple Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea, Watercolor and Tinted Graphite by Patricia Luppino

A self-taught artist, Patricia was introduced to botanical painting by Rose Pellicano. After a long career in information technology, Patricia developed an enormous appreciation for this low-tech, slow-paced, art-science genre and is delighted to finally use both sides of her brain. In 2008 she earned a Diploma with Distinction from the Society of Botanical Artists in London, UK. Her work has been exhibited on Long Island at Old Westbury Gardens, and in juried exhibitions at the Mills Pond House Gallery, Smithtown, and the Long Island Museum of American Art.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Queen of the Night

Hylocereus undatus, Gouache by Karen Kluglein

Karen Kluglein was born into an artistic family. Her mother was a watercolorist and her father a woodworker.  After graduating from the School of Visual Arts she worked as an illustrator primarily of food packaging. This transitioned into botanical painting after having seen an ASBA show a few years back and realizing this was where she belonged. She enjoys finding that special subject and being inspired to paint it. Karen has won awards in ASBA shows and has exhibited at Filoli Gardens and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation. She teaches for The New York Botanical Garden and on Long Island.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Red Potato, Peanuts, and Raffia

Solanum tuberosum, Arachis hypogaea, and Raphia farinifera, Watercolor by Esther Klahne

The desire to capture the beauty and individuality of plants has led Esther Klahne to pursue a Certificate in Botanical Art through the Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture Botanical Art Program. Esther studied art at Cape Cod Community College and graduated from Rhode Island School of Design in 1984 with a degree in Apparel Design. Living in Lancaster, Massachusetts, Esther is a member of the New England Society of Botanical Artists, ASBA, and TWIG, a group of Worcester County botanical artists. Esther’s paintings are exhibited and sold throughout New England.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Cardinal Flower

Lobelia cardinalis, Graphite by Heeyoung Kim

Heeyoung Kim has studied botanical art with mentor Derek Norman, Director of the Midwest Center for Botanical Documentation, since 2007. She loves to paint or draw easily overlooked wildflowers, the most fundamental elements in human life. She uses watercolor, graphite, pen and ink, colored pencil, or oil depending upon which best fits the subject, hoping to share their beauty and inspire people to protect them from extinction or decrease. Heeyoung’s work has been featured in numerous national and international botanical exhibitions in the US and Australia, and will be included in the permanent collection of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in 2010.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Eight Walnuts

Juglans sp., Graphite on Vellum by Martha G. Kemp

Martha G. Kemp enjoys the challenge of using graphite pencil to create lively portraits of botanical subjects. She has exhibited widely in the US and has received many awards, including the Bouchier ASBA Founder’s Award for Excellence in Botanical Art (1999) and five Gold Medals from the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society, most recently in 2007. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium Society, the Dr. Shirley Sherwood Collection, and the Collection of Alisa and Isaac M. Sutton. She currently serves on the ASBA Board of Directors.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Slipper Orchid

Paphiopedilum cv., Colored Pencil on Film by Eliza Jewett

Growing up in a semi-rural setting in the San Francisco Bay Area, Eliza was inspired to explore, draw, paint, and write about nature from an early age. As a biology major in college, she painted and drew plants as a largely selftaught hobby. Although her interests in science and art once seemed to be in conflict, they are now combined through work that communicates science visually. Currently working as a staff illustrator at scientific publisher Annual Reviews, Ms. Jewett also produces botanical art, freelance illustrations, and graphic designs.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Red Angel’s Trumpet

Brugmansia sanguinea, Watercolor by Ann S. Hofenberg

Ann currently lives and works in New Jersey, teaching General Biology at Rider University, and drawing and painting as much as time allows. She received a Certificate in Botanical Illustration from The New York Botanical Garden and has since exhibited her work in many shows in the Northeast, including the Twelfth Annual ASBA/HSNY Exhibition, the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show, and Focus on Nature X in Albany, NY. A member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and ASBA, she works in watercolor, colored pencil, graphite, gouache, and pen and ink, striving for a pleasing blend of aesthetics and scientific accuracy.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare, Watercolor by Asuka Hishiki

Asuka Hishiki holds a Master of Fine Arts from Kyoto City University of Arts in Japan, where she studied oil painting. Plants and nature are always her inspiration. She painted wildflowers while she was in Japan, but after moving to New York City, she transitioned to illustrations of colorful and uniquely shaped vegetables and fruits, many of which were new and exciting experiences.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Kudu Lily

Pachypodium saundersii, Watercolor by Cherie Ann Gossett

As a freelance botanical artist, Cherie specializes in portraits of plants native to Western North America and
arid regions. Because she is also a landscape designer, she particularly enjoys subjects that can be cultivated
successfully in ornamental landscapes as well as found in the wild. Cherie comes to botanical art with diverse
professional background in architecture, planning, landscape design, and floral design. In 2002-03 she attended the Botanical Art Institute of San Diego, and went on to display her work at several ASBA juried exhibitions and other shows. Cherie maintains a studio in Saddlebrooke, Arizona.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Cotton

Gossypium hirsutum, Watercolor, Colored Pencil, Graphite by John Gist

Having graduated from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia with a BFA in Illustration, John taught at Moore College of Art, University of the Arts, and Woodmere Museum, all in Philadelphia, and at the Maryland Art Institute in Baltimore. His work has been included in three ASBA Annual International Exhibitions, the Twelfth International Exhibition at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Philadelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators’ juried exhibitions at the Philadelphia Flower Show, and at Woodmere Art Museum, Chestnut Hill, PA.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

White Spruce

Picea glauca, Graphite by Nancy Gehrig

Nancy grew up in a small Wisconsin town, exploring the surrounding woods, ponds, and fields. She loved drawing from early on, which led to a degree in Fine Arts, and her career began in medical illustration and graphic design. Living on a small hobby farm developed her passion for botany and the natural world, and she is currently taking classes and workshops at the Minnesota School of Botanical Art. Her work has been shown at the Phoenix Art Museum, at Filoli, Woodside, California, and regionally in Minnesota.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Strawberries

Fragaria x ananassa, Watercolor by Noriko Fujii

A graduate of Kyoto City University of Arts, Noriko earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Art specializing in Ceramics. After working as an industrial designer until 1991, she studied Ceramics at Columbus College of Art and Design in Ohio. While living in France from 2002-2007, she studied porcelain painting at Musée National de Céramique Sèvres, France, Manifacture of Meissen, Germany, and Museo Richard Ginori della Manifattura di Doccia, Italy. Her studies in painting began in France, which led to studies in botanical art after returning to Japan. The Thirteenth International Exhibition at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation will include her work.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Lichens, Seaweed, and Bittersweet

Ramalina sp., Physcia stellaris, Fucus vesiculosus, Celastrus orbiculatus, Watercolor by Kathy Folino

Kathy Folino’s work illustrates a fascination with the details of a natural world not apparent in casual observation. Most at home with plants in the habitats of her native New England, she also takes an interest in the occasional exotic. After attending Massachusetts College of Art she began a thirty-year career in medical photography. She is currently enrolled in the Botanical Art Program at Wellesley College Friends of Horticulture.  Kathy is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the New England Society of Botanical Artists, and the Ophthalmic Photographers Society. Her paintings have won several awards and she has exhibited in numerous group shows.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Oriental Poppy

Papaver orientale, Oil on Paper by Ingrid Finnan

Ingrid turned to botanical art in 2006 marking a shift from her former career in decorative textile design.  Inspiration for her current botanical artwork comes from her continued admiration of the Dutch flower painters of the 17th Century. Their remarkable ability in capturing the depth and luminosity of flowers and fruits remains a challenge to any contemporary botanical artist choosing to work in oils. Botanical illustration totally captivates her and she finds the work to be absorbing and satisfying.  She lives in the Bronx, close to the glorious flowers and plants of Wave Hill and The New York Botanical Garden.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Jackfruit

Artocarpus heterophyllus, Watercolor by Julio J. Figueroa

A graduate of the School of Technical Drawing and the National School of Design in Havana, Cuba, Julio Figueroa has been a Scientific Illustrator at the University of Havana and at Cuba’s National Botanic Garden.  His work was exhibited at the 2008 World Orchid Conference, Miami, 2009 Tamiami International Orchid Festival, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden’s Orchid Festival, and was used in Fairchild’s first Palm and Cycad Festival in 2008. He has participated in numerous scientific symposia held in various parts of the world, and his illustrations have been published in Cuba, Germany, Great Britain, and Spain. Mr. Figueroa teaches botanical illustration at Fairchild’s Williams Grove.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Floss Silk Tree

Chorisia speciosa, Watercolor by Akiko Enokido

Akiko studied various art forms in Kyoto, Paris, London, New York, and now in Southern California. While living in England for three years, she fell in love with English gardens, and has decided to focus on botanical art since. Having obtained a Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration from The New York Botanical Garden in 2004, she joined ASBA in 2005, and is an active member of Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California. Her work has been featured in Filoli Botanical Art Exhibitions and the Thirteenth International Exhibition at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in 2010.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Hibiscus

Hibiscus cv., Watercolor on Vellum by Jean Emmons

Residing on an island near Seattle, Emmons is currently interested in painting members of the genera Sarracenia and Arisaema, along with many Pacific Northwest mushrooms. Recently, she had four paintings included in the Royal Horticultural Society’s “Gold Medal Showcase”, a display of previous gold medal recipients purchased by London’s Lindley Library. In 2005, she received the prestigious Bouchier ASBA Founder’s Award for Excellence in Botanical Art. Her work is held in numerous collections including those of the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh, the Alisa and Isaac M. Sutton Collection, and the Dr. Shirley Sherwood Collection.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Peaches

Prunus persica, Watercolor by Rosemary Donnelly

Rosemary has a passion for plants and the natural world.  Studies in horticulture led to an interest in botanical art, which she has pursued at Geelong Botanic Gardens since 2004. She exhibited in the 8th and 9th Royal Botanic Garden Biennial Art of Botanical Illustration, Melbourne, Australia, and in 2008 her painting Solanum melongena was selected for inclusion in the Illustrated Garden.  Collection and 2010 RBG calendar. Diospyros kaki ‘Hyakumo’ is included in the Thirteenth International Exhibition at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh. Rosemary is inspired by tutor John Pastoriza-Piñol, artist colleagues, and the wealth of plants in Geelong Botanic Gardens.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Woolyhead

Craspedia ‘Kaitorete’, Watercolor and Acrylic by Rebecca Brown-Thompson

Born in the US, Rebecca earned a BS in Horticulture with a minor in Art from Purdue University. Now living in the US and New Zealand, she focuses on endangered and unusual native plants. A founding member of the New Zealand Botanical Art Society, she has taught botanical illustration workshops in Christchurch.  Rebecca’s work has been exhibited at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation and the Queen Victoria Museum, Tasmania. A member of ASBA, Botanical Art Society of Australia, and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, her paintings are in private and corporate collections. She received a Highly Commended in the Margaret Stoddart Award Exhibition.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Paperwhites

Narcissus papyraceus, Watercolor by Elizabeth Barta-Koraus

Elizabeth, a native New Yorker now living and working in Connecticut, is an artist, naturalist, and a horticulturist.  She knew from an early age that art would be a strong influence in her life. Her background as an illustrator and floral designer laid the foundation for her botanical art. Using watercolor, pen and ink, graphite, or colored pencil, the meticulous attention to detail in her botanical painting is accurate and informative as well as artistically pleasing. Elizabeth is currently working toward a Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration from the New York Botanical Garden.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Apple Blossoms and Fruit

Malus pumila, Watercolor by Milly Acharya

Beginning with a blank sheet of paper beside a robust, thriving botanical specimen, Milly takes her task into hand: accurate documentation, detailing phases of botanical development while preserving the vitality and immediacy of the ever-mutable living plant. Dipping her brush into clear water and following the direction of growth, she applies the first faint traces of paint, without preliminary sketches or drawing, entrusting the plant’s natural design to determine composition and communicate its own aesthetic power. Living in Ithaca, NY, her work mainly portrays local flora of the northeast; but during its long, monochromatic winters she yearns to document tropical plants of India, where she grew up.

A catalog of the artwork and profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA for $20 plus shipping & handling. http://www.amsocbotartists.org/ASBA-Catalogs.html

Exhibit Opens September 15th

(C) ASUKA HISHIKI, Foeniculum vulgare, Fennel, watercolor

As part of Botanical Art Week in NYC the American Society of Botanical Artists and the Horticultural Society of New York present the 13th Annual International Juried Botanical Art Exhibition with an opening reception on Wednesday, September 15th from 6-8pm.  The exhibit  includes 41 contemporary works of botanical art by preeminent artists from 13 states across the U.S. and 5 other countries around the world.  Media include watercolor, gouache, oil, acrylic, colored pencil, graphite, pen and ink, and copperplate etching.  The exhibit runs through November 24th at the HSNY Gallery on West 37th Street in New York.

Can't make it to New York?  A 56 page catalog illustrating artwork included in the exhibit along with profiles of the artists is available online from the ASBA.

Also, artwork and excerpts from the artist's profiles appearing in the catalog will be posted on this blog every few days during the run of the show.  Subscribe to this blog to recieve notifications by email of new artwork posted to the site.