Description
These prints are based on a series of large paintings showcasing the similarities and differences between plants in the same families. These Plant Family Portraits are available as giclee fine art prints, printed by Wendy in her studio on acid-free watercolor paper or canvas with archival inks.
Prints available in three sizes: 11″ x 15″, 17″ x 22″, and 24″ x 32″.
FRAME NOT INCLUDED but can be purchased separately! We recommend these Effortless Wooden Frames for easy hanging of both paper and canvas prints.
“This elegant botanical art work by Wendy Hollender illustrating members of the Coffee Family (Rubiaceae) shows the importance of living collections at botanical gardens. All the plants on this print are growing in the living collections of the National Tropical Botanical Garden and highlight the extent to which this plant family is both diverse and economically important. Rubiaceae are the world’s fourth largest flowering plant family, with some 600 genera and 13,500 species and include coffee, quinine, gardenias, as well as many tropical and subtropical trees, shrubs, and herbs.” -David H. Lorence, Senior Research Botanist at the National Tropical Botanical Garden
Did you know that tomatoes, petunias, potatoes, and tobacco are all related?! Plants are classified by their reproductive structures, so plants in the same family have flowers (and other reproductive parts) that look alike, but otherwise, they are free to be their unique (and delicious!) selves. (Learn more about plant families here.)
My compositions portray as many species and life cycle stages as I could fit on one page to best illustrate where the similarities between plant relatives begin and end. They play so nicely together that their “arms” wrap around each other… just like my family! Each of us is unique in our own way, but we share so many traits in common.
To date (Oct. 2023), I have completed 9 Plant Family Portraits:
1. Onion Family (Alliaceae, sub family of Liliaceae)
2. Nightshade Family (Solanaceae)
3. Citrus Family (Rutaceae)
4. Coffee Family (Rubiaceae)
5. Tulip Family (Tulipa, sub family of Liliacea)
6. Mustard Family (Brassicaceae)
7. Mushrooms of New York April thru July 2023 (Fungi Kingdom)
8. Rose Family (Rosaceae)
9. Magnolia Family (Magnoliaceae)
For a list of shared family traits and a list of every plant depicted in each family portrait, click on each family name above, or visit drawbotanical.com/plant-families/.
I plan to complete 12-24 of these paintings and exhibit them side-by-side. Individually, we can see the similarities and differences between plants in the same family. As an artist, I am also trying to weave together some of my own feelings about being part of a family and the connections I have with other family members. Together, we can see how the families compare to each other. What do all plants have in common? What do we as humans share across our various families?
How do I choose which families to include?
What is my criteria for this series of Plant Family Portraits?
