Please visit the galleries: I welcome your comments and questions.
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I live and work in Santa Cruz, California, where I grow many of the plants I paint in my garden. I have been drawing, painting and studying art most of my life. Since 1994, I have specialized in botanical art and illustration, merging traditions of botanical art with scientific illustration to document the distinctive botanical characteristics of a plant in a clear and pleasing way. I think the beauty of a plant lies in the small details at least as much as in the flower and foliage. I hope to capture that beauty in form, color and detail with botanical accuracy. I always work from live plants, often studying them at different times of the year to observe and portray seasonal changes in their life cycle. I like to create art that will serve the goals of education and conservation. I take a particular interest in documenting rose species and heritage roses, and in portraying native plant species with a view to their preservation. For recent exhibits, publications, classes I have taught, and affiliations, click here. — Maria Cecilia Freeman |