I enjoyed reading all the different ways we were pulled to botanical illustration. Like others, many factors have contributed to the evolution of my interest in botanical illustration. I grew up in an area (the rural, western part of New Jersey) full of interesting plants. In my childhood and early tween years, I spent nearly everyday outdoors exploring the weeds and trees and wildflowers on our property and the flowers and shrubs in my parent's flower beds. I walked through a cornfield to get to my best friend's house, and she and I spent time in cow pastures and along rural streams. When I later became a biologist, illustration was a necessary part of sharing one's work, but I studied aquatic invertebrates, although I did make a bit of a hobby of identifying wildflowers while hiking and developed a fondness for mosses and lichens. Later, working at the Natural History Museum at the Smithsonian, I was exposed to the exquisite work of 18th century scientists (and also some very good 20th century contemporaries' illustrations). It was probably then that the seed was planted in me.
It wasn't until retirement that I finally had the time to study botanical illustration and, luckily, found this series of courses. I hope to find a way to incorporate botanical illustration into interdisciplinary work (writing, art, science).
I can't wait to see how you do it! Did you ever get the Illustrating Fungi book I mentioned in the last course? It's great!
Sonja
Sonja
Hi Sonja - I’m getting closer to realizing the idea all the time and when I do I definitely will ask for your thoughts on it. I'm glad you reminded me of the Illustrating Fungo book. Is that the full title? I'm plugging away on this course. Thanks! Carol
PS Typo - I meant to say 18th and 19th century scientists!
What an interesting background Carol! I love the image of two young girls playing in New Jersey farmland! Your science background is really cool. Did you read Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer? I have a new appreciation for mosses. It seems botanical Illustration was a natural journey for you in retirement.
Wow what an interesting background Carol! I started to be interested in botanical drawings from my mother. She enjoyed going to antique stores and shows when I was a kid. She would collect various things, but she enjoyed prints. She found some beautiful botanical prints which she had framed. I love them! Between that and my love of art and gardening led me here after retiring.
In reply to Becky Congdon
Re: My evolving interest in botanical illustration
by Caroline Rushforth -
It is interesting to hear about how others interest in botanical illustration has evolved. I was also influenced by both my Scottish Granny, who insisted we learn the correct names of at least 10(?) flowers when we were on a walk with her, and my mother. The one flower I remember from my walks with my grandmother was Bladder Campion( now considered an invasive in some states?), which we liked to squeeze and 'pop' along with wild snap dragons. After that, as we all grew up, my mother went back to school to study botany and designed and grew a beautiful flower garden along with a vegetable garden. Both these women have inspired me and encouraged me to draw, and enjoy our natural world. years ago, I worked in the Yukon Territory of Canada as an outpost nurse, and remember drawing pasque flowers there...and now I am married to a forester who I walk with often and learn about many trees, and the woodlands. On a recent trip to St. John, US Virgin Islands, we bumped into the author of 'The American Woodland Garden' on one of our hikes, Rick Darke, and had a long visit and chat with him -that was interesting!