It only shows once every two years, features
spectacular blooms by the country’s best botanical artists and
it’s free (with admission).
Beginning Sept. 9, the latest works by the Brooklyn Botanic
Garden Florilegium Society will be on display in the Steinhardt
Conservatory. More than 40 artworks made from living specimens
from the garden’s own collection promise to make "Portraits
of a Garden III" one to remember.
Among the "Portraits" will be Carol Ann Morley’s colored
pencil-on-paper rendition of the black pirate peony (at left).
Curator Patricia Jonas told GO Brooklyn that botanical artists
like Morley must overcome unique challenges with "tricks
to keep the plant looking fresh" because they "paint
from life."
"[Morley] wasn’t completely satisfied, because you’ll notice
that the peony is not fully open, and never did open, so she
felt she wasn’t able to show all of the stages of that plant
that she would have liked," said Jonas. "But to our
eyes, it’s beautiful."
Jonas explains the wide appeal of "Portraits": "For
anyone who loves plants, botanical art is a natural."
"Portraits of a Garden III," by members of the Brooklyn
Botanic Garden Florilegium Society, is on display Sept. 9 through
Nov. 5 in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s Steinhardt Conservatory
(1000 Washington Ave. at Eastern Parkway in Prospect Heights).
The exhibit is free with garden admission ($5 adults, $3 seniors
and students with valid ID, and free for children younger than
16). For more information, visit www.bbg.org
or call (718) 623-7200.
