Lynne Frailing: Botanical Illustrator

Lynne cultivates. For five years, Lynne cultivated plants as a master gardener, and for twelve, she cultivated her students as an art teacher. She is fascinated by the way things grow and change, always observing, but never passive. She is either recreating these observations of hers in her art, or facilitating another’s growth. 

This love of art, plants, and observation culminated two years ago when she delved into botanical illustration. Lynne deciphers the deep hues in petals and the placement of nodes, bringing them out in her watercolor and inkwork. She takes lilies, blueberries, camellias, and other specimens from her yard into her workspace. Pouring over every detail for hours on end, she discovers something new every session that she had not noticed before – something that had been close by for years, but never realized. 
 
“I want to go out and appreciate them [her garden plants]. So this gives me the opportunity to pick that bud and look at it close and say to myself... how does this grow? Where are the seeds? Who propagated this plant in the first place? If it is a hybrid, did they really plan on having a beautiful stem along with a beautiful bloom? I like to think about it. It is a really great way to contemplate something that’s around you.”

With this artform, her sights can be shared with others, for them to also notice. She is now working on a certification at Lewis Ginter Gardens for botanical illustration in anticipation of teaching it one day, just how she taught years ago.

 Lynne’s Facebook blog: 
 www.Facebook.com/MyVirginiaGarden