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The Mustard Family
The Mustard Family Brassicaceae Fun Fact: All of the plants in this composition are edible! Taste testing is definitely part of the fun. The colors in this family really delight me. Plants in the Mustard Family share these traits: Flowers 4 petals and 4 sepals 6 stamens (4 tall and 2 short) … Continued
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The Coffee Family
The Coffee Family Rubiaceae After I completed the Citrus Family, I knew that the following year when I returned to NTBG, my next venture had to be the Coffee Family. The Botanical Garden is right next door to the largest coffee growers in the US! Not a day goes by that I don’t start with … Continued
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The Citrus Family
The Citrus Family Rutaceae While at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii for our annual workshop, the wide array of citrus fruits next attracted me. I really enjoyed tasting each of them in the process! I sketched them all out and got the basics and colors down, but I added most of … Continued
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Embrace Your Style
If you have ever drawn, painted, sculpted, designed, built, written, performed, cooked, snapped a pic, hummed a tune, whistled while you worked, created anything in any way, I have news for you… You are an artist! Embrace Your Style Each of us has our own unique style, something special we can’t help but … Continued
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Perspective & Measuring: Illusions Revealed
What is the “secret” to realistic botanical illustrations? Accurate measuring from your unique viewpoint! As something tilts away from us, its physical form does not change, but our perception of it does. Botanical illustrations convey depth through the illusion we create based on our perception of the subject. If you were doing a technical drawing, … Continued
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De-stress Naturally: A Path of Meditation and Self-expression
Article by Wendy Hollender, featured by the American Institute of Stress in their magazine, Contentment (Volume 12, Number 1, Spring 2023). View this magazine issue as pages or spreads. I have been taking my cue from plants for 25 years now. Before the advent of cameras, botanical illustrations were the only method to … Continued
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Nature Journaling is Love
Your nature journal is a love letter to the universe. Plants turn sunlight into sugar and magically create the air we breathe. We could literally not exist without them! They deserve our gratitude and love. To show someone that we love them, we give our focused attention. We spend intentional time together, laughing, crying, … Continued
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Kraft Paper: My Favorite Things
When I study and draw from nature, I feel a presence of something that never fails to take my breath away. I “undress” the plant to study the mystery within, exploring flowers and plants on a micro level, almost as if I were an insect. White or Cream paper used to be my … Continued
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The Great Book of Nature is Always Open
If you’re ever in need of inspiration, nature is full of fascinating subjects everywhere you look! Each step outside is a wonderful chance to practice listening with our eyes, reading with our hands, and learning with our hearts to enhance our understanding of the universe’s language. Connect with a plant. Observe carefully. What do … Continued
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Florilegium Art Show 2023
WHAT: 2023 Florilegium Art Show Exhibit WHEN: Every Thursday from March 9-30 from 9 am – 12 pm WHERE: NTBG’s Botanical Research Center (3530 Papalina Road, Kalaheo HI 96741) A florilegium (latin for “gathering flowers”) is a collection of illustrations that vibrantly document plants from a particular region or botanic garden. NTBG’s Florilegium is … Continued
