I have always fancied myself to be a botanic illustrator – with a camera.  I know darn well I don’t have the patience or talent to be a illustrator with pen and pencil but I really appreciate that style of portraying a plant, isolated cleanly on white paper, every detail perfectly sharp.holt_2015_0072.CR2

I have begun a portfolio of prints I call PhotoBotanic “extractions” where I isolate a flower on branch in such a way that I can cut it out of the scene to become an illustration.  Unlike an illustrator I want to include the garden setting to emphasize the living plant, to show it’s real self and not as an artist’s perfect construct in a studio drawing.

I am experimenting with various styles that are found in the Plants Illustrated section of the Learning Center, and this Magnolia soulangeana will be the next print there.

For us in Northern California the deciduous Magnolias are a winter treat, and various species have been blooming for a month.  I have just one – Magnolia soulangeana, and it was the first tree I bought when we moved to this property.  It is in a prime spot, just inside the gate, the first thing in the garden.  I could probably do an entire book of photos from just this one tree.  Every year I see something new.

I will go in more detail on this extraction process in the Learning Center, Plants Illustrated.  Here is one part of the process as I begin the extraction process.

Before and After Slider

A print can be purchased in the Store.