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Observations in Nature

Susan Rubin

An Online Exhibition Series Exploring an Artist's Journey with Nature

Observations in Nature is a new online exhibition series based on my curiosity with how artists select subjects and the origins of thought and inspiration they bring to the drawing table. The goal is to uncover the layers of meaning behind the botanical portrait. Our journey through these questions enlightens us to the plethora of ideas behind the work and to derive a deeper appreciation for the artist and their art. You may click on each image below to view larger versions. Please visit the artist's page after the story for new, available work. Prices upon request.

What were the early influences and inspirations that drew you to botanical art? At what age did this discovery begin?

My mother, a novelist, was a huge influence on my approach to life. She always urged me to tell a story, with words or in art, to “bring people along with you.” Always drawn to plants and nature, these elements figured into all my childhood artwork.

At 17, in a college Botany class, I tried illustrating several plants for the professor. They were published in his guide, Trees and Shrubs of Colorado, by Jack Carter, and my interest in botanical art was launched. By the way, I still teach botanical art with my college friend, Marjorie Leggitt, who illustrated the rest of the book!

Does the country and place you live in influence your stylistic interpretation of botanical art?

I am American, from Colorado in the Rocky Mountain West. I embody and embrace a frontier spirit that pushes me in all things to nod to and then move beyond tradition. In my botanical work, I experiment with modern materials and fresh perspectives.

As you are defined as a botanical artist, what does this mean to you? The categorizations of botanical art as scientific and illustrative force a different conversation, can you speak to contemporary botanical painting as fine art and how this shapes your work?

I am proud to be a botanical artist, linked by history to a specific type of artistic practice; observing intently and rendering carefully to offer information about the plant realm.

My niche in the scope of botanical art falls into a contemporary zone. I work accurately with the structure and habit of the specific plant, but push with composition, adding backgrounds or extra elements to approach the subject in a slightly less easily categorized way. I particularly like to give a hint of the illustrator's process.

What subjects do you return to again and again and why? Do you take risks when choosing subjects?

I always return to plants I experience for myself in places that resonate with me; Colorado wildflowers, the plants in Monet's Garden in Giverny, France, where I taught botanical drawing for 5 yearly tours and plants wherever I travel. Though I use photography for back-up reference, time with the actual plant informs my work most.

What do you want people to think, learn, or know from your work? Do you think it is important for the viewer to understand the context of the subject such as where, when, and how you found, observed, and sketched the work?

Storytelling is at the heart of my work. I am particularly interested in forging a connection between my viewer and my botanical subject. I seek to create more than a ‘pretty picture,’ working with maps, trompe l'oeil elements, and scale to offer clues to the origins and context for the plant. Sometimes, I ask plants to act as stand-ins for human ideas or emotions, as in Freefall, created for an exhibit entitled Political Landscape.

Describe a challenging subject you have conquered, lessons learned, and how it affects future projects.

In 2017, my team of instructors at Denver Botanic Gardens School of Botanical Art and Illustration entered the RHS as a group entry. Our collection, entitled Plants with Altitude, was intended to show Rocky Mountain native wildflowers from a scientific point of view. I chose to depict Lupinus argenteus, which grows near my mountain cabin at 9200 feet. I researched the plant in the Kathryn Kalmbach Herbarium at the Gardens and faithfully drew the entire Herbarium sheet, with notations, labels, and even dots of glue. Then, in the mountains, I drew the living plant in full color and full sun. Back in the studio, the result was the combination of the two drawings into one piece with cast shadows to lift the live plant off the herbarium sheet. I loved the complexity of the idea and combining multiple images into one piece. This resulting artwork helped my team to win a Group Gold Medal. I continue to look for new ways to challenge myself with interesting compositional concepts.

Please visit Susan Rubin's page for new, available work. Prices upon request.

© Susan Frei Nathan Fine Works on Paper, LLC.

Design by: Michael Stewart.