STORY BEHIND THE ART OF BEVERLY FINK

18th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at The Horticultural Society of New York

Purple Trumpet Flower

Iochroma cyaneum

Iochroma are found in the forests of South America. However, I found this Iochroma while wandering the conservatory of our beautiful botanical gardens in Buffalo, New York, during the summer. I’ve been painting subjects from our gardens for a few years and wanted to add a large painting to my body of work. The stunning clusters of trumpet-like flowers in full bloom were what initially caught my eye. The fullness of the branches and flowers would be suitable for a large piece. Their purple color and delicate, translucent nature contrasted beautifully with the mid-green leaves. Upon closer observation I became very interested in the leaf network. I loved their shapes and gentle folds, each one having its own character. 

Composition is a challenge for me in a botanical painting. I like to represent the subject authentically without making too many adjustments. In this case I was delighted with the naturally well-balanced composition in this section of the tree. Through careful elimination of a few non-essential background leaves and minor changes to a few existing ones, my composition was complete. 

I began the painting with a few of the smaller leaves. Once I had a feel for them I moved on to the larger more prominent leaves, their detail, highlights and cast shadows. I tried several different methods in an attempt to figure out the best way to paint them and decided on vein details first, then glazing values of light and dark. 

I love the challenge of bringing depth and density to a painting. Such was the case with the large flower cluster. The overlapping of one another was achieved by varying values and much restraint was used when applying thin layers of glazing in an attempt to maintain a translucent quality. The cluster was delicately packed together like a little finely tuned orchestra. If I imagined them playing music it would be a soft, gentle tune attracting hummingbirds to do their pollinating. I hope when viewers look at my painting they might feel the same way.

Botanical art allows me to paint in the finely detailed style that I love. I take great pleasure in scrutinizing my subject and rendering it in an accurate yet aesthetically pleasing manner. I would like people to see the beauty in nature and appreciate the unique and remarkable way botanical artists give life and feeling to their subjects.

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