Wendy hollender

Botanical art or botanical illustration is not a new form of art. Although it is only in the most recent years that it is again gaining popularity, it has been an acknowledge form of art for centuries. Today however, a lot of people are starting to appreciate it again. If you are interested to know more about botanical art, here are three facts that you will find informative and inspiring.

First, botanical art is basically drawings or illustrations of seeds and plants. The earliest surviving botanical art work we have today is the Codex vindobonenis which was created in 512. Over the years more and more botanical arts were created to depict plants and seeds. Since printing and photography were not yet invented during those times, it was necessary to have a realistic drawing of these plants, especially the herbal ones, for references. During the modern times, again botanical art gained popularity. When the printing press was invented, they were used in many reference and text books. Through them it became possible for people to see what a specific plant looks like, what their parts are and what their insides look like and contain.

Second, you might find it interesting to know that there are several organizations today on botanical art. One example is the American Society of Botanical Artists. The organization was formed to increase the awareness of the people on botanical art. For many of these organizations, botanical art is an art form that has been forgotten or did not have the recognition that it deserved. For many of them, now is the time to make the people be aware of this form of art. They want to educate the people about its history and tradition in the same way that many of us are aware of the history, artists and development of other forms of art, such as painting and sculpture. And with the use of the internet, they are successfully launching it to the public. In no time, it is safe to assume that they will have the recognition that they want for this form of art.

Third there are many botanical artists today that have successfully made a career as botanical artists. Botanical artist Wendy hollender is an example. She was initially a textile designer for twenty years until her fascination for the art encouraged her to pursue a career as a botanical artist. Today, she works for different companies that require such illustrations. She also worked for museums and institutions, such as the Moven Garden Museum, the New York Botanical Garden and the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Her success proves that even with the advances in photography and printing, a true art form remains to be the better alternative when it comes to showing the beauty of nature, such as plants and seeds. This can therefore be an inspiration for anyone who is interested in having a career as a botanical artist.