STORY BEHIND THE ART OF KATY LYNESS

18th Annual International

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

Brussels Sprouts

Brassica oleracea

It was October and I had planned to do a drawing of winter squash. (I had done one the year before, a beauty in yellows, oranges and greens, covered with carbuncles of great character.) With this in mind I headed to the local Jersey City farmers' market to check out the offerings. However, before I even got to the squash section, I spied a pile of Brussels sprouts, not the individual sprouts, but the entire stalks and I thought "That's one good looking vegetable!" My plans changed in an instant.

I was not unfamiliar with the unusual shape of the plant. I had attempted to grow it in my backyard years before, but for some reason I had never tried to draw one. Perhaps I felt its long, slightly curving, somewhat awkward shape too compositionally difficult. Well, that particular autumn day I was captivated. Captivated by its personality, by the way the sprouts looked like little human heads, each one a portrait; by the way they moved up the stalk, spiraling and increasing in size until finally blossoming in a controlled explosion at its head; captivated by the way it embodied the energy of a living, growing thing. In short: I was smitten and decided I had to accept the challenge. 

Even with all this enthusiasm, initially I chickened out, planning to draw merely a section of the plant, emphasizing the "little portrait heads" aspect. But after several sketches I came to the conclusion that I had to draw the whole thing. But how to compose it? I researched other illustrations of Brussels sprouts. Most of the ones I viewed had placed the plant vertically on the page. However because I had envisioned the little sprouts as portrait heads, a horizontal positioning seemed more in order – little heads in a row, forming a queue, going somewhere. I also I remembered the plants in my garden arching toward the horizontal as the heavy head of the plants weighed them down. 

Scaling at life size, it proved to be the largest botanical drawing I had ever done. This of course resulted in all the complications that come with a long term project involving a living thing. Specifically -– a changing, dying plant. I ended up having to return to the farmer's market several times to buy stand-in Brussels sprouts. 

Only recently have colored pencils become my medium of choice. I have always loved to draw using graphite – I enjoy the resistance of the pencil to the paper. There is a muscle to it. (I also like to do wood and lino cuts for the same reason.) A few years ago I started feeling the need to add color to my drawings, so I bought a few good books on the subject and took some excellent classes at NYBG. Now I do a majority of my drawings using colored pencils. 

Looking at my drawing now, I realize I was attracted to the Brussels sprout because of its complex personality. As a whole it has a majestic, gentle curving sweep. Then with the density of foliage at its tip, it's a paint brush or a phallus. But looking more closely at the individual sprouts reveals a fanciful, almost anthropomorphic spirit. With this drawing I have tried to create a work that would convey all these aspects of its personality. Of course whether one sees little heads as rush-hour pedestrian traffic, runners in a marathon, or waiting in line to visit a merry-go-round, nightclub, or guillotine is...up to the beholder. 

Next Story

Back to List