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Click on the O to read an article in Oprah Magazine in May 2011.
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Read an article about disappearing wild flowers in New York City with 12
color illustrations by Wendy Hollender in The New York Times.New York City's Extinct Blooms
Only a fraction of the native plant species documented in New York City's history remain. Here's a selection of plants that have vanished.
Click Here to Read the article in The New York Times Op Art Section March 27,2011
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For Immediate Release
Contact: Kim Small
BOTANICAL DRAWING
IN COLOR
A Basic Guide to Mastering Realistic Form and Naturalistic Color
By Wendy Hollender
BOTANICAL DRAWING IN COLOR (Watson-Guptill; July 20, 2010; $24.99 trade paperback) offers a thorough immersion into the world of three-dimensional, scientifically accurate, and artistically rendered natural illustration. Whether you’re an amateur in this unique genre or already an expert, these step-by-step instructions and beautiful examples are an invaluable reference guide, written by one of the leading experts in the field, Wendy Hollender.
Plants and flowers are wonderful subject matter—not only for their natural beauty but also because they are still and easy to observe. Hollender became fascinated with botanical illustration through her work as a textile designer. Attempting to teach herself how to draw plants and flowers, she grew frustrated with the intricacies and challenges and assumed she would have to go abroad to Europe to truly learn the proper techniques. How surprised she was, then, to discover a program for botanical drawing practically in her own backyard—at the New York Botanical Garden!
Toward the end of her first year studying botanical illustration, Hollender was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent multiple surgeries and chemotherapy. During her treatments, she relied on her drawing to focus on something other than her illness. “It was clear to everyone who came into the [hospital] room that this was my way of turning a traumatic time into one of birth and renewal,” she writes in her introduction. She considers being introduced to botany at the same time as being diagnosed with cancer a gift in her life.
BOTANICAL DRAWING IN COLOR offers an easy-to-follow workbook format. Lessons are developed in a basic step-by-step process that builds in complexity as they progress. It emphasizes the deep connections to the natural world that artists can experience by studying plants and their life cycle, and all demonstrations feature the delicate, exquisitely rendered work of the author.
Hollender teaches:
Single light source toning techniques
Principles of perspective for drawing flowers
Understanding the form and function of plants
Colored pencil techniques and color theory of the natural world
Above all, BOTANICAL DRAWING emphasizes the joys of drawing from life. “For me,” Hollender writes, “it is as if I am on my own personal expedition, discovering nature’s beauty for the first time.” With BOTANICAL DRAWING, you can initiate your own process of discovery with the natural world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Wendy Hollender is the coordinator of botanical art and illustration at the New York Botanical Garden. She is also a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium, and the New York Botanical Garden Board of Advisors. She was awarded a Silver Medal at the Royal Horticultural Society of London in 2007, and will have her work included in the prestigious Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation’s 13th International Exhibition of Botanical Art and Illustration at Carnegie Mellon University.
BOTANICAL DRAWING IN COLOR
By Wendy Hollender
Watson-Guptill * July 20, 2010 * Price $24.99 * ISBN 978-0-8230-0706-6
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Hi Everyone,
Read an article about Wendy’s work in the September 2009 issue of the Artist’s Magazine! You can find Artist’s Magazine at Barnes and Noble locations, many newsstands and on their website here.
Wendy Hollender
Real Simple Magazine/Spring Bulbs
wendyhollender@gmail.com
