STORY BEHIND THE ART OF LYNNE RAILSBACK

16th Annual International

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

Great Solomon’s Seal

Pologonatum biflorum

Anyone familiar with my work won't be surprised to see my watercolor of the “Great Golden Seal”, depicting the native Wisconsin wildflower as it appears in the fall, after the color has faded. I particularly enjoy plants in fall and winter, with their special character – the interesting designs of their shapes and textures and the range of colors really appeal to me.

 Although I had painted several greener versions of this plant, I always wanted to capture the beauty of the flowing shapes and dark berries contrasted against the wheat colored leaves. I have several samples of the plant in vases around my home, so I made my selection and positioned them on a white board; I always work directly from the actual specimens. My first attempt was of leaves that still had some fresh color in them as well as the golden shades. I felt the composition was just too busy and the brush strokes were not consistent throughout the piece. Some of the leaves looked natural, while others became very stylized. I wanted the whole piece to look natural so that I would get the reaction I often do: “I thought it was the actual specimen mounted in a frame!” So I selected two branches and put them together in a simpler composition. This became my “pencil study”. With the preliminaries done, I mixed the pigments and began to paint. The piece just flowed. I feel that I accomplished my goal - and hope that others feel the same.

Next Story

Back to List