STORY BEHIND THE ART OF KAY KOPPER

16th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Horticultural Society of New York

Common Milkweed

Asclepias syriaca

The decision to paint the common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca was made in the same way that I usually choose a subject: I paint what I find in and around my backyard. The common milkweed, in particular, is a favorite from childhood. I recall finding the seed pods at this stage with the fluffy seeds ready to disperse in the wind. We helped them along.

This painting is of the milkweed at the end of its season. It caught my attention as I ran past, standing still and tall at the edge of an old cranberry bog. Even at the end of its season there is strength, yet a delicacy to the plant. The colors have softened to beige and gray and the pods have opened and most of the seeds have gone.

The challenge of this piece was to keep the colors and lines soft to portray the delicate stage that the plant has reached. I would hope viewers would see that any stage of life has beauty and a quality that is unique.

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