Observe, draw, paint, explore and master the art of botanical illustration. Award-winning botanical artist Isik Guner shares her passion for drawing and painting living plants from around the world. Her work is both artistically accomplished and scientifically accurate, and will inspire you to master the skills you need to produce your own botanical illustrations from life. - Discover how to select, preserve and position your specimens. - Develop your understanding of perspective and composition. - Learn the techniques of drawing and watercolour painting. With the help of Ekin Ozbicer's striking photography and numerous illustrations by Isik and other renowned botanical artists, this visually stunning book bridges the gap between science and art and will inspire artists, illustrators, botanists and plant lovers in equal measure.

Jan Hendrix is a Dutch-born, Mexico-based contemporary artist. His work is all about observation and analysis; nature and its diff erent ways of representing and telling extended stories, often in a non- linear narrative. Based on an exhibition at Kew Gardens, this book is a visual report of Hendrix's multiple visits to the Kamay Botany Bay Area of New South Wales, Australia, made over a 20-year period. Beautiful and thought-provoking works convey his response to the fragile, changing landscape, under constant threat of fi re and destruction. His work also draws on first collections of plants at Kamay Botany Bay documented by botanists Joseph Banks, Daniel Solander and Sydney Parkinson as part of the HMS Endeavour expedition in 1770. Supporting texts by Art Historian Dawn Ades, CEO of the Bundanon Trust Deborah Ely, and filmmaker Michael Leggett contextualise the work of the artist. With a foreword by Kew Director Richard Deverell.

*An exciting approach to botanical illustration featuring exotic and extraordinary plant specimens. *Striking plants, flowers, fruits and vegetables provide new challenges in colour, texture and form. *Stunning finished paintings accompany simple instructions and step-by-step projects for a beautiful book that both guides and inspires.Strange and unusual specimens have never been more accessible - as more and more exotic fruit and vegetables appear regularly in our shopping baskets and our florists fill with flowers from every corner of the globe, this practical and beautiful guide to capturing strange and striking plants on paper has never been more timely. There is something for beginners and more experienced botanical illustrators alike, whether you wish to paint more familiar bananas, pineapples and other exotic fruits that are now widely available, or more complex orchids and even carnivorous plants.Acclaimed artists Rosie Martin and Meriel Thurstan (authors of the bestselling Contemporary Botanical Illustration and Botanical Illustration Course) run the popular botanical painting course at the Eden Project and are thus uniquely placed for this exciting take on the genre.The unusual colours and complex textures of exotic plants present a new challenge to the botanical artist, but this book guides you through each stage of the painting process with plenty of exercises and step-by-step projects. Fantastically illustrated with worksheets, colour swatches, sketches and stunning finished paintings this practical and inspirational guide is a must-have for botanical artists of all levels.

Be inspired to embroider all the elements of an idyllic English country garden. Suitable for beginners as well as accomplished embroiderers, Lorna Bateman's beautiful book includes 12 practical projects for you to make and adorn with exquisite floral motifs. Lorna walks you through a variety of stitches including raised and textured stitches, teaching you to embroider individual flowers with them and how to incorporate these into an original garden motif. For the nature enthusiast, there is plenty to get excited about: an A-Z of English garden flowers and how to stitch them; a section on stitching common garden insects; and how to embroider iconic garden imagery such as birdbaths and garden ornaments. Roses are the archetypal cottage flower and Lorna describes how to incorporate a climbing rose, rose spray and standard rose in your designs. Embroidered Country Gardens is peppered throughout with seeds of wisdom: invaluable hints and tips from the author to help you develop your own skills and unique style. As well as step-by-step instructions, there are also detailed photographs, outline template drawings and a fully illustrated A-Z of stitches.

This is a revised edition of the bestselling book about the life and work of artist and musician Rory McEwen (1932-82). A legend in his lifetime and still admired thirty years after his death, his main legacy is the wonderfully luminous and detailed flower paintings he produced throughout his life, of anemones, auriculas, tulips, fritillaries, and of often battered, dying leaves or mouldering vegetables.

'This is an extraordinary book.' Review of Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours in The Artist Magazine 'It simply dazzles on the page and makes you want to grab your brushes and get going straight away.' Review of Jean Haines' Atmospheric Watercolours in The Leisure Painter Jean Haines is arguably one of the world's most accomplished and inspirational artists, and in this, her fifth book, she explores one of her most beloved subjects - flowers. Taking inspiration from her own beautiful garden in the English countryside where she lives, Jean takes you on an artistic journey that not only teaches you how to create gorgeous paintings, but also shares with you the joy to be gained from the simple act of painting flowers. In this beautiful book, Jean explains with passion and enthusiasm how to loosen up your painting style and include just enough detail in your paintings to portray the essence of flowers, bringing them to life on the paper and infusing them with vibrancy and energy. She shares unreservedly the materials and techniques she uses, provides a wealth of expert tips and advice, and guides you step-by-step through numerous studies and projects. Throughout the book there are many glorious examples of Jean's paintings of a dazzling variety of flowers, providing an abundance of inspiration for artists of all abilities. Jean uses Daniel Smith materials in this book but other materials can be used to achieve similar results.

Botanica Magnifica features two hundred and fifty stunning photographs of rare and exotic plants and flowers by Hasselblad Laureate Award winner Jonathan Singer. Botanica Magnifica features two hundred and fifty stunning photographs by Hasselblad Laureate Award winner Jonathan Singer, representing-in the words of an ARTnews critic-rare or exotic plants and flowers "in large scale and exquisite detail, emerging from the shadows in a manner evocative of Old Master paintings." The original edition of Botanica Magnifica, consisting of five lavishly hand-bound volumes, was limited to just ten copies, the first of which was recently donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The extra-large "double-elephant" format of that edition was chosen in homage to the famous double-elephant folio of The Birds of America, and indeed, Botanica Magnifica is one of the few works of natural history ever to rival Audubon's magnum opus in its scope and artistry. In praise of the double-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica, the Smithsonian's Chairman of Botany attested, "Everyone who has seen the photographs . . . has been tremendously impressed with the power, scale, and depth of the work." Now Singer's remarkable images are available to the public for the first time in this baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica. Like the larger edition, this volume is organized into five alphabetically arranged sections, each introduced by a gatefold page that displays one extraordinary plant at a luxurious size. Each pictured plant is accompanied by a clear and accessible description of its botany, geography, folklore, history, and conservation. With its marvelous reproductions and fascinating text, the baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica is one of the most impressive volumes of natural history ever published. This volume is also available in a leatherbound, slipcased edition.

The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is one of Scotland's most visited tourist attractions and has been cultivating and studying plants for over three centuries. Across its four garden sites, the Royal Botanic Garden's living plant collection contains over 13,500 species from 156 countries, including some that are extinct in the wild and others new to science. The ever-growing Herbarium currently contains over three million dried specimens and the Library houses Scotland's national collection of botanical and horticultural literature, including manuscripts dating back to the fifteenth century. The highlights illustrated in this book provide a personal insight into one of the world's greatest botanic gardens and reveals the invaluable contribution that it makes to the ongoing documentation and conservation of the world's diverse plant life.

Fill your home with gorgeous flowers every day with this beautifully designed book. The Flower Garden brings to life over 50 varieties of flower with exquisite botanical illustrations. The innovative paper design allows you to press each illustration out of the page, transforming your book into a lovely object for you to display. Sunflowers, lilies, frangipani and birds of paradise are brought into your home and described in lyrical detail by botanist Michael Scott. This stunning bunch of blooms is the perfect gift for any lover of flowers to treasure for years to come. To see how your Paperscapes book transforms, check out the video below (just above the reviews) or have a look at the Paperscapes author page.

In this lucid account, Stephanie Porras charts the fascinating story of art in northern Europe during the Renaissance period (ca. 1400-1570). She explains how artists and patrons from the regions north of the Alps - the Low Countries, France, England, Germany - responded to an era of rapid political, social, economic, and religious change, while redefining the status of art. Porras discusses not only paintings by artists from Jan van Eyck to Pieter Bruegel the Elder, but also sculpture, architecture, prints, metalwork, embroidery, tapestry, and armor. Each chapter presents works from a roughly 20-year period and also focuses on a broad thematic issue, such as the flourishing of the print industry or the mobility of Northern artists and artworks. The author traces the influence of aristocratic courts as centers of artistic production and the rise of an urban merchant class, leading to the creation of new consumers and new art products. This book offers a richly illustrated narrative that allows readers to understand the progression, variety, and key conceptual developments of Northern Renaissance art.

This stunning series of pocketbooks from Kew offers a snapshot into the diverse and beautiful world of plants. Each book lavishly showcases choice examples from individual plant groups or collections, and this new title showcases Japanese plants, from chrysanthemums, to cherry blossom, camellia and maples. Published to coincide with the new Japan festival at Kew Gardens in October 2020. The Library, Art and Archives at Kew is one of the most extensive botanical libraries in the world, with the oldest item dating back to the 1370s. In this pocketbook series from Kew, each book presents 40 botanical paintings from the collection, illustrating the variety within each plant group, as well as the diversity of the collection and artistic styles. An introductory chapter by a Kew expert provides an overview of the plant group or theme, and extended captions accompany each painting. The luxury finish on these books make them a must-have gift item, printed on uncoated paper and with a cloth and foil finish.

For over 50 years between the 1760s and the early 19th century, the pioneers who sailed from Europe to explore the Pacific brought back glimpses of this new world in the form of oil paintings, watercolours and drawings - a sensational view of a part of the world few would ever see. Today these works represent a fascinating and inspiring perspective from the frontier of discovery. It was Sir Joseph Banks, President of the Royal Society, who popularised the placement of professional artists on British ships of exploration. They captured striking and memorable images of everything they encountered: exotic landscapes, beautiful flora and fauna, as well as remarkable portraits of indigenous peoples. These earliest views of the Pacific, particularly Australia, were designed to promote the new world as enticing, to make it seem familiar, to encourage further exploration and, ultimately, British settlement. Drawing on both private and public collections from around the world, this lavish book collects together oil paintings, watercolours, drawings, prints and other documents from those voyages, and presents a unique glimpse into an age where science and art became irrevocably entwined.

WILLA Literary Award Winner in Creative Nonfiction 2022 Spur Award Winner 2022 Top Pick in Southwest Books of the Year New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards Finalist in Cover Design Honorable Mention in the At-Large NFPW Communications Contest The Forgotten Botanist is the account of an extraordinary woman who, in 1870, was driven by ill health to leave the East Coast for a new life in the West-alone. At thirty-three, Sara Plummer relocated to Santa Barbara, where she taught herself botany and established the town's first library. Ten years later she married botanist John Gill Lemmon, and together the two discovered hundreds of new plant species, many of them illustrated by Sara, an accomplished artist. Although she became an acknowledged botanical expert and lecturer, Sara's considerable contributions to scientific knowledge were credited merely as "J.G. Lemmon & wife." The Forgotten Botanist chronicles Sara's remarkable life, in which she and JG found new plant species in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Mexico and traveled throughout the Southwest with such friends as John Muir and Clara Barton. Sara also found time to work as a journalist and as an activist in women's suffrage and forest conservation. The Forgotten Botanist is a timeless tale about a woman who discovered who she was by leaving everything behind. Her inspiring story is one of resilience, determination, and courage-and is as relevant to our nation today as it was in her own time.

An exquisitely illustrated volume in celebration of the world's foremost library of botanical works The renowned LuEsther T. Mertz Library of The New York Botanical Garden counts among its holdings many of the most beautiful and pioneering botanical and horticultural works ever created. More than eight centuries of knowledge, from the twelfth century to the present, are represented in the library's collection of over one million items. In this sumptuously illustrated volume, international experts introduce us to some of the library's most fascinating works-exceedingly rare books, stunning botanical artworks, handwritten manuscripts, Renaissance herbals, nursery catalogs, explorers' notebooks, and more. The contributors hold these treasures up for close inspection and offer surprising insights into their histories and importance. The diverse materials showcased in the volume reflect the creative efforts of eminent explorers, scientists, artists, publishers, and print makers. From the rare, illuminated pages of Pliny the Elder's Naturalis historia (1483), to the earliest book ever published on American insects (1797), to lovely etchings of the water gardens at Villa Pratolino in Florence (1600s), the Mertz Library holdings will inspire in readers a new appreciation for the extraordinary history of botany and its far-reaching connections to the worlds of science, books, art, and culture. A co-publication with The New York Botanical Garden

This stunning new series of pocketbooks from Kew offer a snapshot into the diverse and beautiful world of plants. Each book lavishly showcases choice examples from individual plant groups or collections, beginning with the popular plant groups Palms and Cacti. The Library, Art and Archives at Kew is one of the most extensive botanical libraries in the world, with the oldest item dating back to the 1370s. In this new pocketbook series from Kew, each book presents 40 botanical paintings from the collection, illustrating the variety within each plant group, as well as the diversity of the collection and artistic styles. An introductory chapter by a Kew expert provides an overview of palms, and extended captions accompany each painting. The luxury finish on these books make them a must-have gift item, printed on uncoated paper and with a cloth and foil finish.

Rankafu showcases for the first time an exceptional set of orchid woodblock prints from early 20th century Japan. Considered masterworks of botanical art, the Rankafu prints are visually stunning and reproduced here in full colour, showcasing the fine details of this spectacular art form. Accompanying these stunning prints, the authors tell the story of Shotaro Kaga, a pioneering horticulturist whose orchid collection and breeding programme started a craze in Japan that continues to this day. Kaga and his gifted orchid gardener, Kenkichi Goto were highly skilled orchid growers and developed hundreds of spectacular orchid hybrids. Kaga's interest in orchids was sparked by his visit to Kew in 1910 where he first saw tropical orchids in the extensive greenhouses, and visited many famous orchid nurseries such as Sander & Sons, from whom he would buy hundreds of plants over the coming decades. This book is the most comprehensive work to date on Rankafu and is unrivalled in its breadth of information and research. It is a beautiful book that will appeal to orchid fanatics and lovers of botanical art, as well as those with an interest in 20th century Japan and the artistic process of making Japanese woodblock prints. With a foreword by Phillip Cribb, leading orchid expert and author of many orchid books.

The Botanical Illustrator's Handbook takes a closer look at how to accurately portray the riches of the botanical world. It tackles and explains many of the difficulties that artists encounter so they can extend and expand their choice of subject matter. Written by a respected artist and drawing on her wealth of experience, it offers new insights and a fresh approach to the wonders of botanical illustration. Topics covered include: advice on the labelling and quality of paper, and choice of pencils, paints and brushes; techniques for the mixing and handling of greens; chapters on magnification, managing detail and using scale bars; and finally, instructions for using perspective techniques, and painting complex structures such as pine cones and umbellifers, and tricky details such as hairs.

Very little is known about The Green Florilegium. Neither signed nor dated, it is generally attributed to the German painter Hans Simon Holtzbecker and originates from the library at Gottorp Castle in Schleswig, on the border of Germany and Denmark. The album now resides at the Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. Recently the book was painstakingly restored, allowing the delicate illustrations to come to new life in their original colors. This beautiful and affordable volume reproduces the original work of 400 botanical illustrations in its entirety. It also includes an introductory essay and captions with basic information on each flower. This lovely book is a must-have for lovers of botanical illustration and a sublime example of the art of conservation.

You don't need a garden to grow this charming crop of cactuses - just a crochet hook, some yarn and a little crochet know-how! This delightful little book contains 16 patterns for crocheted cactuses that can be used to decorate your window ledges, your table and anywhere else in the home. They don't need watering or feeding, don't have sharp spines and are quick and easy to make. Using simple crochet stitches and widely available yarn, there are diverse varieties to choose from, which are inspired by real cactus species. Some are embellished with beads and others have ridges, flowers, bobbles and look just like the real thing. They make perfect, quirky gifts for friends and family and all they need is a plant pot to sit in. With a short techniques section at the beginning of the book to get you started, you can make a whole display in no time - so pick up your hook and yarn and get started!

Drawing with graphite and coloured pencils enables the artist to capture every detail of a plant, and to enjoy, study and celebrate their wonderful forms. Whether the illustration is a striking monotone or vibrant with colour, pencils give you absolute precision. The book, written and illustrated by an award-winning botanical artist, introduces and explains the drawing skills behind the art. Each chapter concentrates on a different aspect of the plant, working upwards from the root system to include the stem, leaves, flowers and fruit. Fungi have also been included due to their close association with plants. Topics covered include: techniques on using graphite and coloured pencils; practical help on lighting, posture and keeping plants fresh; instruction on composition, colour charts and mixing; advice on portraying texture and hairs, and achieving bloom on fruit and finally, simple explanations of botany to aid the artist's understanding. With tips and advice throughout, the techniques are supported by step-by-step projects, clear exercises and over 300 colour illustrations.

Unattainable North Korean Art curates a collection of paintings from fifty-eight artists from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea ("DPRK"). Centring on the theme of nature, the paintings portray geographical sites and citizens of DPRK. Art and literature feature as a poignant role in inspiring the DPRK people to contribute to the development of DPRK, the collection not only exhibits the artistic skills of the artists, but offers an opportunity to discover DPRK from the people's perspective.

Chickadees amid cherry blossoms, peacocks nestled in wisteria branches, sleeping owls against a moonlit night sky and majestic cranes diving in the ocean waves-these are some of the transcendent pleasures offered in this exquisite collection of plates bound in an accordion style format that honors the Japanese bookbinding tradition. Every major artist of this genre is included-from Keisai, Keibun and Hokusai to Hiroshige and Koson-as the history of Japanese printmaking unfolds in stunning detail. An introductory booklet explores the centuries long role that nature has played in Japanese art, from Chinese influenced works of the Kano school, which depicted the bird as a Buddhist symbol, through to the ukiyo-e, when artists strove to capture fleeting moments of pure joy. Fans of Japanese art, lovers of birds, and anyone who enjoys beautiful depictions of the natural world will cherish this sumptuous, satisfying volume of earthly delights.