"Carolina Cones- Pinus Palustris" Graphite on handmade paper, 15" x 22"
I completed this drawing earlier this year, hoping to enter it into one of the ASBA (American Society of Botanical Artists: http://www.asba-art.org/) competitions, which ended up being cancelled because of Covid. I'll probably include it in my show for the Lewes Studio Art Tour.
My first artistic love is scientific illustration, and has been since I was as young as I can remember. One of the earliest books I ever owned was a text called "The Sea Beach at Ebb Tide" written by Augusta Foote Arnold in 1901. I wasn't even 12 years old, but I begged my father to buy a Dover reprint for me. There are more than 600 illustrations in this very scientific text. I poured over it for decades marveling at the amazing drawings it contained. It's no wonder that later in life, as a geology major, I fell in love with paleontology! The book is no longer in print, but can be viewed as Project Gutenberg scans here:
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/43946/43946-h/43946-h.htm
Scientific and botanical illustration is often not considered fine art, much to my chagrin. A drawing like mine can take hundreds of hours (300 to be exact) to complete. There is a high level of botanical accuracy required. The ASBA recognizes the work of botanical artists, and has helped elevate this deserving art form. My first love is graphite and charcoal, but I also do work in watercolor, and am improving my technique. Watercolor illustration is painstaking work, usually done in dry brush, and also can take hundreds of hours to complete.
I hope you enjoy this drawing as much as I did making it!
If you are able, come see it in person at the Lewes Studio Artist Tour the 18th of September! https://www.lewesartistsstudiotour.com/
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