STORY BEHIND THE ART OF MERYL SHEETZ

23rd Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at Wave Hill

Teasel

Dipsacus fullonum

Teasel is native to Europe and temperate Asia. The plant can be found in all of North America and is considered invasive in several states. During colonial times the sturdy seed pod was mounted on a spindle and used to comb or “tease out” the nap in the making of wool cloth. The seeds are a favorite of the goldfinch and other small birds who cannot compete with larger wildlife for food on the ground. The v-shaped bracts of the florets offer a perfect guide for tiny beaks to slide along and grab the seeds inside.

My background is in jewelry and metalsmithing. I considered the objects I created in metal to be highly detailed hand scale sculptures. The observation and rendering of these small details for accuracy has a real parallel to the skills needed in botanic illustration. I love to draw and graphite is my favorite medium. There is a clarity in being able to focus on the forms, light and textures without the seduction of color. The silvery tones create an atmosphere of calm. 

I was working towards my certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration at The New York Botanical Garden and had chosen a final project theme of plants with interesting seed pods. I had already completed a milkweed and datura and was searching for my next subject. One fall day I was wandering a small garden within a local arboretum searching downward for any fallen pods. I stopped in my tracks and crouched down to stare at the most amazing leaves  They were large and were drying out into the most unbelievable shapes. Each one was a sculpture unto itself. I thought, too bad I had not chosen leaves as my theme! From my crouched position I looked up three feet and there silhouetted by the sky was the extraordinary Teasel flower spike. I was blown away. The seed pods are wonderous sculptures suspended on the plant’s stems with the beautiful fused bases of the leaves twisting below. The prominent sculptural nature of these plants in the fall season is very compelling to me. The sinuous contours of the leaves with thorny mid-ribs and the perfect floret pattern composing the flower spike were both a joy to observe and difficult portray. 

There were two significant challenges for me in creating this drawing. The first hurdle was the composition: how to make a plant with a distinct vertical habit interesting. Full grown teasels can be between 3’-8’ tall. What to do with all the space between the radial leaves at the base and the fascinating seed pod three feet away? One of my visits to my spikey friends was on a very windy day. I noticed that several of the stems were bent at almost a 90* angle. That was my aha moment for the composition.  I made quite a few negative space drawings before choosing the one that I felt gave a lyricism to my subject that is not really observed. The most bedeviling challenge for me was the rendering of the bracts in Fibonacci order. I certainly doubted that I was up to the task. I re-drew the main seed pod three times. I was surprised and grateful that the 140lb paper held up!

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