Botanical Art Exhibit

October 2-31, 2010
West Porch, Westbury House

For close to a decade the Gardens has offered botanical painting classes taught by Rose Pellicano. A gifted artist, Rose has inspired numerous students--some of whom continue to take classes with her since the Gardens offered them. Her classes have ranged from introductory to advanced. One advanced classed focused on capturing the beauty of white flowers on a white background--a challenge for a botanical artist. She also teaches botanical painting at Brooklyn Botanic Garden and is a member of BBG's Florilegium Society, a group of the country's most accomplished botanical artists, which is reinventing this centuries-old form. Rose has also taught and exhibited at New York Botanical Garden.

What is Botanical Art? The botanical art tradition combines science and art. Botanical artists seek to understand the structure of plants and to communicate this knowledge to their audience in an aesthetically-pleasing manner. Following the centuries-old tradition of botanical illustration, these artworks are realistic portrayals of plants and flowers, created as a blend of art and science. Each piece meets the demands of scientific accuracy, insuring that scale; color and form are true reflections of the plant portrayed. Modern elements of light and depth, composition created by the artist and more three-dimensional form are added. The renderings are exquisitely detailed, able to illustrate far more detail than is possible with a photograph. You can find more about botanical painting at the website of the America Society of Botanical Artist.

For several years Rose and her students have patiently held their classes under less the optimal locations. Now with the acquisition of the complex of buildings at Orchard Hill, the classes are in a brighter, cheerier location.

Meet Rose and the other botanical artists at the Gardens on Sunday, October 3, 2010 at 2pm.