STORY BEHIND THE ART OF BEVERLY ALLEn

Weird, Wild, & Wonderful

Second New York Botanical Garden Triennial Exhibition

2014 - 2016

White bat flower

Tacca integrifolia Ker Gawl

I finally painted this plant after nurturing it for many years, loving it just for its fabulous leaves. When it finally flowered in a spectacular fashion, well… ‘wonderful’ was the motivation. 

As I explored it in the drawing and painting, ‘weird’ came to the fore. The buds lifted and opened, one each day, then spread their dark petals wide and folded them back, inviting pollination before finally resting lightly on the previous flowers. This daily performance was played out under the protection of the palest green bracts and in front of the long filaments which echo the colors of bracts and flowers. 

‘Wild’? Well, just imagine this theatre happening on the forest floors throughout Asia. 

Wonderful!

Editor’s note: 

In 2011, Beverly Allen was the recipient of the inaugural New York Botanical Garden Gold Medal in the first triennial ASBA-NYBG exhibition, Green Currency, for her painting of Cocos nucifera, Coconut Palm.

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Read more about this artist's work: 15th Annual