Botanical Watercolor at The Elizabethan Gardens

A photograph has the ability to capture a moment in time, but an illustration can reveal the most minute details a camera can often miss.

It was a visit to Edinburgh, Scotland in 2008 that really influenced Linda Miller to pursue botanical illustration. She was influenced by artists such as Maria Sibylla Merian, Alexander Marshall, and Mark Catesby.

The Williamsburg native finds inspiration in the nature around her, but she especially enjoys being able to teach others what she’s learned. She is the artist in residence at The Elizabethan Gardens in Manteo, North Carolina and hosts a botanically-centered retreat every year. The students taking her class are able to enjoy the bounty of The Gardens while also receiving individualized instruction from Linda.

She points out that since we’re no longer all actively working the land, we need that time to be connected with the earth around us. What better place to be connected than in the garden?

“Botanical art and illustration is important because it sits us down and allows us to become one with and engaged with the intricacies of nature…”

Linda works mostly with watercolor and oil and she has been able to create phenomenally detailed artworks both small and large. She describes what she’s doing as painting from life.

“I love to paint portraits of nature. Drawing from life speaks to the explorer in me…”

Botanical art has been her way of understanding the greater depths of the plant world. It’s all about the exploration and showcasing the unexpected beauty in nature.

For more information about Linda and her artwork, visit her website at lindacmillerbotanicalarttoday.com 

Also for more information about The Elizabethan Gardens visit http://elizabethangardens.org/