Scanlon consistently paints blueberries in all stages of its evolution.  She masterfully captures the various hues from, as the artist describes, “its early green berries with hints of rose, to slowly growing berries of magenta and violet, eventually showing its ripe blues and indigo.  Heirloom blueberries are cultivars who have been in continuous production for over 50 years, and include many first and second generation crosses made by the original horticulturalists (Elizabeth White, Frederick Coville and Arlen Draper).  The names of some of early heirloom ..read more

Lizzie Sanders (1944-2020) was a master contemporary botanical artist whose talent is world renowned.  She carefully chose specimens that conveyed beauty through form and composed her subjects with the utmost care to show their fragility or regality, no matter its popularity.  Three works to consider for acquisition from a private collection.  All information is included here, to purchase please e-mail susanfreinathan@gmail.com. Passiflora tripartita, 2001 watercolor on paper 18 x 20 inches $5,500   Iris foetidissima, 2004 watercolor on paper 19 x 17 inches $4,500   ..read more

The foundation of master botanical drawing lies in the artist’s passion for the subject.  Botanical artists mostly begin with outlining the plant’s anatomy while infusing the line with the indescribable quotient of inspiration.  Their honed technique brings the plant to life on paper or vellum.  The artist is conversing with the viewer through the line,  a complex discussion of the plant’s structure and beauty, weaving in and out with a master’s attention to efficiency.  The line breathes life into the plant, the use of shading amplifies value and as the artist marries ..read more

Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper is excited to welcome and represent Susan Rubin.        The artist uses maps as her substrate combined with a mylar overlay depicting the specific botanical species to its origin.  This botanical work is inspired and informed by its history.  Rubin recounts,”It was revealed accidentally, in the process of Kosher certification for Coke, that one of the primary ingredients in the ‘secret’ flavor of the soft drink was Nutmeg.  The history of Nutmeg from the Banda Islands, also known as the Spice Islands, begins at least 3500 ..read more

Elizabeth Enders Ranunculus II, 2014 colored pencil, pencil on paper 14 x 11 inches Check out www.sfnbotanicalart.com this Spring for SFN’s first Flat File exhibition. Artists often begin a work of art then put it aside, storing it in their flat file cabinet, designed to store works on paper, hence “flat” file. I am interested in why the artist leaves the work rather than completing it.  I have requested artists revisit paintings started then shelved.  Stay tuned for past/present pieces from Carol Woodin, Victoria Braithwaite and Elizabeth Enders amongst many others.  Together ..read more

Elizabeth Enders spontaneously captured the simplicity of the Rhododendron’s upright leaf structure pointing to the warmth of the air still lingering late into the Fall season of 2020.  She notes the leathery leaf texture with watercolor and includes the bud, a welcome note in its bright green stage of development.  A work full of hope and anticipation for the bloom, a welcome sign of nature’s life cycle. Elizabeth Enders Rhododendron, 2020 watercolor on paper 14.5 x 11 inches   ..read more

  Kelly Leahy Radding Of Winged Things, 2023  Mallard Duck, Blue Jay and Mouring Dove Feathers with a black maple samara Watercolor on calfskin vellum 7 x 5 inches Available now   ..read more

Lizzie Sanders (1944-2020) was a master contemporary botanical artist whose talent is world renowned.  She carefully chose specimens that conveyed beauty through form and composed her subjects with the utmost care to show their fragility or regality, no matter its popularity.  Three works to consider for acquisition from a private collection.  All information is included here, to purchase please e-mail susanfreinathan@gmail.com. Passiflora tripartita, 2001 watercolor on paper 18 x 20 inches $5,500   Iris foetidissima, 2004 watercolor on paper 19 x 17 inches $4,500   ..read more

The foundation of master botanical drawing lies in the artist’s passion for the subject.  Botanical artists mostly begin with outlining the plant’s anatomy while infusing the line with the indescribable quotient of inspiration.  Their honed technique brings the plant to life on paper or vellum.  The artist is conversing with the viewer through the line,  a complex discussion of the plant’s structure and beauty, weaving in and out with a master’s attention to efficiency.  The line breathes life into the plant, the use of shading amplifies value and as the artist marries ..read more

Here, the artist focuses on part of the plant normally hidden under the petal of the rose.  As we explore the painting, we come across a tiny worm munching on leaves, juxtaposing life with its expiration. This awakens us to the story of this plant’s evolution. Walser-Kolar composes the withering plant’s stages of life through gestural movements within the stems.   She adds drama with the variegated vellum, an intentional choice to marry the subject to the substrate. Her masterful ability to capture the leafs structure, building color through a dry brush technique, inventively pulling ..read more