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As a native Californian and third generation American of Japanese ancestry, I have spent my life in a variety of careers including a Law Librarian, Non-Profit Program Director, Teacher and College Counselor before realizing I always had art and plants in my blood. My maternal grandfather was an artist and poet who had to make his living as a farmer. My father was a nurseryman who could name any plant by
its botanical name. Growing up I wish I had paid more attention. I started my college prerequisite courses with art classes but finding I had no portfolio to apply as an art major, I turned to social sciences in order to graduate in four years. Over forty years later I finally took my first watercolor class where the instructor told me I had a “botanical style” to which I replied, “what’s that?” |
An online search found botanical art classes at the Los Angeles County Arboretum where I met a group of artists studying with Cristina Baltayian. They quickly introduced me to the American Society of Botanical Artists and the local chapter, The Botanical Artist Guild of Southern California (BAGSC). I have been very fortunate to have access to workshops by artists around the world including Anne-Marie Evans (UK), Elaine Searle (UK), Asuka Hishiki (Japan), Denise Walser-Kolar (US), Jenny Phillips (Australia), John Pastoriza-Pinol (Australia), Carrie Di Costanzo (US), Vincent Jeannerot (France) and Heeyoung Kim (US). I have been fortunate to exhibit some of my work in BAGSC group displays in the Brody Botanical
Center at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, St. Petersburg Botanical Garden in St. Petersburg, Russia and with the South Bay Watercolor Society and South Bay Festival of the Arts! in Torrance, California. The Rudbeckia hirta, state flower of Maryland, is part of my personal project to illustrate all 50 state flowers and the District of Columbia. Covid-19 has temporarily halted my travel to find real live botanical samples and observation. With the resourceful adaptation of online classes by the wonderfully thorough and talented artist Heeyoung Kim and her generosity of taking any reference photographs from her neighborhood, I am working to check Maryland off my list
Center at The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, St. Petersburg Botanical Garden in St. Petersburg, Russia and with the South Bay Watercolor Society and South Bay Festival of the Arts! in Torrance, California. The Rudbeckia hirta, state flower of Maryland, is part of my personal project to illustrate all 50 state flowers and the District of Columbia. Covid-19 has temporarily halted my travel to find real live botanical samples and observation. With the resourceful adaptation of online classes by the wonderfully thorough and talented artist Heeyoung Kim and her generosity of taking any reference photographs from her neighborhood, I am working to check Maryland off my list
Rudbeckia hirta, Watercolor
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Rudbeckia hirta - Detail, in Progress, Watercolor
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