Botanicals

For many years, I did most of the botanical habit studies with watercolors 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. Since then, I have more often worked with oil paints on paper or panel prepared with a gesso ground.

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.

If a particular flower interests you, let me know. I can make one for you on commission.

Lupine

Raspberry

Trillium

Wild Rose

Apple Blossoms

Columbines & Poppies

Wild Iris

Thunder Sparks

(Paintbrush)

See archives of past botanical watercolors or oil paintings
If there are currently available botanicals, they can be seen at work available for sale.

Botanical Habitat Studies

Here in the high, dry regions of the Rocky Mountains, we have a brief but glorious summer. I have spent much of it in the mountains, on my belly, in the grass, making watercolor and oil paint 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.

Botanical Archives

I have made hundreds of small habit studies from local wildflowers and garden plants. I always paint from the flower itself because, for my purposes, there is not enough information in a photograph (and certainly not in my memory). The paintings below are done with oil paint or water color on either a gessoed surface or calfskin parchment.