STORY BEHIND THE ART OF KAREN KLUGLEIN

Botanical Art Worldwide: America's Flora

Rose Mallow

Hibiscus moscheutos

A favorite spot of mine on the eastern end of Long Island is a remote beach in Montauk that few people know about. It has purple tinged sand and stands of weather beaten trees. Large blossomed rose mallow grows in the dunes. Over the years, a snowy owl, a loon, and an eagle have all been spotted there. On this isolated beach it feels as if you are one of the last people left on this earth.  

When I was thinking about potential native subjects to paint I thought back to the mallow that grows in the dunes, as I did not think anyone had planted it there. After researching I found that indeed mallow is a native flower. I returned to what has come to be known as our “secret spot” in Montauk to see the mallow again. I also found, to my surprise, that a hybridized mallow was being sold in the local nursery, giving me a lot of reference material to work with. 

In spite of the wonderful reference I had at my disposal, this was one of the more difficult paintings I have worked on. I believe this is due in part to the vellum not being as white as I would have liked it to be. Right from the start I was at a disadvantage, as this made the large white petals especially difficult to paint. I was painting white petals on a cream colored vellum while trying not to use white paint. In the end it all came together. I suppose some paintings are just easier than others! 

Next Story

Back to List

Read more about this artist’s work: 20th Annual