Story behind the art of Yoona Chea
26th Annual International
American Society of Botanical Artists and Marin Art and Garden Center
Korean winter hazel
Corylopsis coreana
Five years ago when I visited my mother-in-law's house in South Korea, her garden was so beautiful. She had wildflowers that you could not easily find anywhere. Her hobby was planting and curating different species of wildflowers. This was the moment when I first met the Korean winter hazel at her garden. I remember it clearly, because it was on a vibrant, sunny spring day. The different shades of yellow felt so warm and elegant. I was drawn to the winter hazel and felt entranced while gazing at it for a long time.
After that I moved to the United States. I was feeling nostalgic and I missed my home country. As I recalled moments from South Korea, I sought comfort through my own drawings to quell homesickness. Three years after moving to America, I went through the photos I had taken while living in South Korea and rediscovered the Korean winter hazel. With this photo I was able to depict and draw the plant as it appeared in nature.
The Korean winter hazel only grows in South Korea. A sudden rise in temperatures made it difficult to find this rare species, and in 2005, this plant was placed on the class II endangered species list. But in 2012, the flowers of the plant were found in Jiri Mountain, spreading down to the southern tip of South Korea, showing that the species had flourished, and it was taken off the endangered species list. Thanks to the people who loved and cared for this precious species, it was able to survive and thrive.
The Korean winter hazel has a shade of yellow that is quite bright and golden, but the deeper shades bring out the expressive, exquisite details of the flowers. I used watercolor pencils and a water brush to give a more vivid color tone that brought out the different shades of yellow.
Being able to express and show the different qualities of a plant through drawing is such a rewarding experience as an artist. In the future, I hope to be able to draw all beautiful plant species. I would love to share these artworks with the world to show how precious each species is.
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