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Cultivating Connection: The Art of Giving Back Through Botanical Illustration
How art and nature intertwine to inspire, heal, and nurture both artist and environment Nature as a Muse and Partner The natural world offers us abundant gifts—fresh air, vibrant beauty, nourishing food, boundless inspiration, and more. How can we, as botanical artists, give back? This question guides not only our creative practices but … Continued
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Unearth the Perfect Gift
Botanical Art Gift Guide for the Nature-Lover, Art-Enthusiast in your life Surprise your loved ones with a gift that expands their love for the beauty of the natural world. Whether you’re shopping for a seasoned artist or more of a beginner art-enthusiast, let us guide you toward the perfect present that will elevate their artistic … Continued
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Practice Patience
Breathe Think for a moment about the timeline of nature. Imagine any natural process – seed growth, blooming flowers, decomposition. Do they happen quickly? Imagine a colorful autumn leaf floating down from its branch and settling in with its siblings on the ground. I like to imagine that this leaf is not in … Continued
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Practice Promises Progress
If you learned to ride a bike, you most likely didn’t learn it all at once. You probably struggled to maintain balance and survived a few falls along the way, but after getting back on your bike again and again, you were ultimately able to ride! You may not have *perfected* bike riding; you … Continued
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Apples: Realistic Botanical Drawings in 8 Steps
Apples are as satisfying to draw as they are to eat! Curl up with your hot mug of apple cider, and create an apple portrait to warm your heart year-round! Learn techniques combining colored pencil and watercolor to render a realistic fruit (that will make a delightful snack when you’re done!). Practice creating beautiful … Continued
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Mushrooms of New York 2 (July thru October 2023)
Mushrooms of New York (July thru October 2023) Fungi Kingdom While my original plan was to complete one fungi kingdom painting, nature had other plans. Halfway through the summer, I ran out of space on my page, but there were still so many magnificent mushrooms growing all around me! I was delighted to … Continued
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How to Tell if your Botanical Drawing is Finished: 8 Tips to Art Evaluation
How to Tell if your Botanical Drawing is Finished: 8 Tips for Art Evaluation When we look at our own work, our first thoughts are often critical, focusing on how we could make it better… So how do you know when your work is complete? Every artist should ask these questions while drawing … Continued
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The Art of Erasing
When and How to Use Essential Erasers Note: This is NOT an affiliated post. We mention specific products that our instructors like to use for the Draw Botanical Technique, and we encourage you to use what you have. Good news about making “mistakes” in art… You can always “fix” them! As Bob Ross says, “mistakes” … Continued
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What You Need to Know Before, During, & After Foraging
Foraging (also referred to as wildcrafting) is searching for wild plants or food in nature. Humans, like many animals, have been foraging since the beginning of their existence. The art of wildcrafting helps us to honor and celebrate food, nature, and each other. It is a great time to explore mushrooms! Not … Continued
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Understanding Flowers
If you’ve ever been fascinated by a flower, this post is for YOU! Check out some of the helpful drawing tips taught in our course, The Practice of Botanical Drawing! A flower is the reproductive part of a plant. Its primary purpose? To attract! How do these alluring seed-bearing wonders do it? Let’s examine … Continued
