Botanical Illustration Resources: Contemporary Botanical Illustration

Andrews, Jean. American Wildflower Florilegium. Denton TX: University of North Texas Press, 1992. (QK 112.A43 1992 Oversize)
        Fifty-two species are illustrated with color plates from nature and described in detail. Included is a discussion of the imaginative work involved in creating the plates. 125 pages.

Blackadder, Elizabeth and Deborah Kellaway. Irises and Other Flowers . New York: H. N. Abrams, 1995.
        This book features 40 watercolors by Elizabeth Blackadder, one of Britain’s most popular artists. Along with irises you will find poppies, tulips, lilies, orchids and others. Information on the history of each plant and its place in painting and in the garden is provided. 102 pages.

Evans, Henry Herman. Botanical Prints with Excerpts from the Artist’s Notebooks. San Francisco: Freeman, 1977. (NE 1336.E93.A43 – Oversize)
        Linocuts are the medium for botanical illustration in the works of Henry Evans. Wilfrid Blunt provides the introduction. The artist’s prints are in color. 65 pages.

Gordon, Judith and Robert Flynn Johnson. Flowers: Gary Bukovnik Watercolors and Monotypes. New York: Abrams, 1990.
        Reproductions of watercolors and monotypes by contemporary artist Gary Bukovnik. Included is an essay about Bukovnik and the depiction of flowers in art by Judith Gordon. 119 pages.

Grierson, Mary. An English Florilegium; Flowers, Trees, Shrubs, Fruits, Herbs; The Tradescant Legacy. New York: Abbeville Press, 1988.
        Grierson, one of Britain's most accomplished botanical artists, has portrayed 150 plants from the English countryside and gardens, linked by theme of an association with the John Tradescants, father and son, who were remarkable gardeners and plant hunters of the seventeenth century. 52 color plates from paintings by Grierson. 240 pages.

Hall, Bonnie B. and James D. Hall. Ever Blooming: The Art of Bonnie Hall. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press, 2005.

Leet, Judith. Flowering Trees and Shrubs: the Botanical Paintings of Esther Heins. New York: Abrams, 1987.
        Watercolors by an artist who specializes in full-scale watercolors of flowering trees and shrubs. 148 pages.

Lucas, Suzanne. In Praise of Toadstools. Wappingers Falls, IL: Cane Curiosa Press, 1996.
        This work contains a selection of 145 paintings in color plate. 142 pages.

Sherwood, Shirley. Contemporary Botanical Artists; The Shirley Sherwood Collection. Edited by Victoria Mathews. New York: Cross River Press, 1996.
        Sherwood’s collection represents artists from 17 countries. Artists are arranged alphabetically with brief comments on their background. At least one full-color reproduction appears on the facing page, with some additional detail images that allow closer study of the artists’ techniques. Over 100 color illustrations. 244 pages.

Sherwood, Shirley.  A Passion for Plants:  Contemporary Botanical Masterworks.  London:  Cassell, 2001.

Stearn, William T. Botanical Masters: Plant Portraits by Contemporary Artists. New York: Prentice Hall, 1990.
        This book was originally published in Britain as Flower Artists of Kew. Stearn, much respected in the field of botanical illustration, provides an introduction and descriptions for each plate. Included are brief biographies for the artists covered. 56 color plates. 160 pages.

Yamanaka, Masuumi. Treasured Trees.  Richmond, England:  Kew Publishing, 2015.
      Paintings by Masumi Yamanka illustrate the finest trees growing at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, showing the flowers and foliage and sometimes fruit at different stages throughout the year.