Botanical Illustrations
While botanical studies are a year-round source of enjoyment for me, the visual brilliance of flora in the northeastern United States is not something that can be easily ignored. To supplement my material research for my bioplastic studies, I started to create a series of botanical illustrations that reflect the materials I use. All of the drawings I created are based off of historic botanical illustrations found in the libraries at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. In addition to the illustrations of plants I was studying, I also created patterns from plants and flowers that I associate with various periods in my life.
O is for Oryza sativa...of the family Poaceae, otherwise known as rice 🍚. This drawing is based on the Coloured Plate of Oryza sativa from Köhler Medizinal-Pflanzen, Vol. 3, which is on display @kewgardens' Plants of the World Online. Rice is one of the most important cereal grains cultivated in the world.
Since 2002-2003, and my undergraduate days @ucl, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has been one of my favorite places in the world. While the grounds are an extremely gorgeous escape, it's the combination of science, art, horticulture, and naturalist sense of interconnectivity that have given it a place in my heart.
Des Feuilles de la Jungle. Digital illustration created in Adobe Illustrator on iPad Pro, 2017
Citrus limonum (risso.) Family: Rutaceae 🍋🍋🍋
Indigenous to Northern India. Widely cultivated in Mediterranean countries.
Prunus persica Family: Rosaceae 🍑🍑🍑
Native tree to China. According to Huxley et al., Though the scientific name, persica, derives from an early European belief that peaches were native to Persia, the fruit was introduced to the west via the Silk Road approx. 2000 BCE
Originally from Asia, the flowerheads of hydrangea shrubs bloom from early spring through late autumn. The color of the sepals of some species of hydrangea (H.macrophylla and H.serrata) is actually an indication of soil pH--acidic soils typically produce blue to purple flowers, and alkaline soils typically produce red to pinkish flowers.
"When I was just a little girl..." the film Please Don't Eat the Daisies, was a prominent feature in the weekend movie lineup. I love Doris Day films! Whether it's the fun musicals and comedies, the dramatic roles in Love Me or Leave Me or The Man Who Knew Too Much, or just listening to her albums, Day lightens the spirits and provides an escape from the everyday.