STORY BEHIND THE ART OF AKIKO ENOKIDO

18th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at The Horticultural Society of New York

Goldfish Camellia

Camellia japonica ‘Kingyo-tsubaki’

I have been painting Camellia Japonica since I returned to Japan from the United States in 2012. When I first visited the camellia nursery in Nara, Japan, I was fascinated by the variety of species it has. Camellia cultivation started in the 17th century in the Edo era. Since then, Camellia Japonica has become one of the most prominent species in cultivation all over the world.

I would like to show the variety of the color and shape of this plant, especially old species like this goldfish camellia, which is one of my favorites. Most of the flowers are single layer, pink or white. The foliage is appropriate to its name, and you can see the tip of the foliage split into three to five segments, which looks like a fishtail. The leaves are unusually shaped, really odd, and each leaf is different, showing different expressions and movement. I think the plant is lovely, even when it is not in bloom. 

Calfskin vellum is an excellent material for drawing these thick, glossy, evergreen leaves. I chose one of the enchanting branches with leaves that looked like many fishes swimming and jumping.

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Read more about this artist's work: Wild, Weird and Wonderful