STORY BEHIND THE ART OF BEVERLY SIMONE

Botanical Art Worldwide: America's Flora

Milkweed Pods

Asclepias syriaca

Mostly, I like to paint plants that are native to the northeastern United States Some I’m familiar with, others are discovered as I’m hiking or walking, and research as to their identity. For the majority of my paintings, I rely heavily on pictures for details, and try to photograph each potential subject 360 degrees around, from far and very close up. 

One native plant I happened upon was a huge milkweed, bustling with insect life, its heady fragrance wafting in the summer sun. I knew I had to paint it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have my phone – for photos - at the time. Since then, I’ve photographed several stands of Milkweed in various stages.

Lovely as it is in bloom, I felt an end-of-season plant would be a more interesting subject, its prickly pods swelling with seeds, its veined leaves showing the signs of having hosted a myriad of insects and larvae. I composed this life-size portrait mainly from one plant, which I thought had the beautiful characteristics I’ve come to appreciate in fading flora.

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