The Friends Botanic Art Essay writer Helene Wild visited the TABI Exhibition and was inspired to write her next Variations on a Theme essay - you may see these paintings at the exhibition - details at rbgfriendsmelbourne.org No. 24: BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL In every The Art of Botanical Illustration exhibition, the majority of works are delicate and precise watercolour, graphite or pen and ink renditions of flowers – some species are familiar favourites, others not so common. However, in every exhibition, there are always a few works that demand viewers stop in their tracks. They are the attention-seekers that scream “Look At Me!”. For this essay, I have chosen to feature three bold and beautiful works that were displayed at the 2014 exhibition. They took my breath away. Botanical Illustrators love the resplendent Telopea speciosissima, the New South Wales Waratah, so this species has been well represented in our exhibitions. The big bright red flowers (Telopea means ‘seen from afar’) is always a show-stopper, but few interpretations have been as striking as Kerriann Indorato’s entry in the 2014 exhibition. The intricate flower is faultlessly rendered with just a few cropped leaves acting as a foil to the magnificent bloom. Pam McDiarmid started her Monstera deliciosa (Fruit Salad Plant / Swiss Cheese Plant) during the Whirlybirds weekly meetings, so I saw it at its inception – from the time that Pam began working on her composition. At that stage, I could see that this work held great potential. Then it disappeared and I assume Pam must have completed her watercolour at home. Coming face to face with this work in the exhibition was a revelation for I had not expected it to be quite as arresting. Monstera deliciosa is an audacious species with giant leaves, large creamy white spathes, and segmented fruiting bodies that taste like a combination of pineapple, banana and mango. Setting this composition against a black background was inspirational – a bold decision! Gastrolobium spinosum (Prickly Poison) is a complete contrast to the other two works, for it does not have large leaves or flamboyant flowers; but the little orange blooms are certainly cheerful – tiny splashes of radiant colour in the Western Australian bush. Delma White’s interpretation differs from the usual botanical illustrations that show the subject life size. She opted to paint in oils, which is also an unusual choice for a botanical work, magnify the species, and set her subject against the merest hint of its surrounding habitat. EXAMPLES: Kerriann Indorato. Catalogue No. 59. Telopea speciosissima. Watercolour. Pam McDiarmid. Catalogue No. 88. Monstera deliciosa. Watercolour. Delma White. Catalogue No. 133. Gastrolobium spinosum. Oil.
Posted on: Tue, 28 Oct 2014 06:58:46 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015