STORY BEHIND THE ART OF ANNA SUPRUNENKO

22nd Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at Marin Art & Garden Center

Ficus retusa bonsai

Ficus retusa

This Ficus retusa bonsai is part of the bonsai collection at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. It is currently one of the largest and best public collections of bonsai masterpieces in the United States, which includes hundreds of different types, styles, and sizes.

I drew this bonsai specifically for the local exhibition of Portraits of Bonsai from The Huntington Collection, which took place in spring 2018 in San Marino, CA. I really wanted to participate and my colleagues from the Botanical Artists Guild of Southern California had provided me with a lot of references and all the measurements. I also found the same ficus in a flower shop and was able to study the color and texture live.

This magnificent bonsai has a well-formed crown of smooth green leaves in different shades: the younger ones have a juicy yellow-green color and the older ones have a cooler green color. I worked on this painting for a long time, about a month. The most interesting part of this work for me was the bonsai bark. It has different shades from grey to reddish, dotted with small horizontal flecks. It turns out that these flecks are used by woody plants for additional gas exchange through the bark.

I worked with dry brushes, strokes, and even dots, trying to convey the texture and shape of the roots and places of wrinkled bark.

My goal was to portray the very essence of bonsai, pleasant branch curves, rich leaves and the overall health of each square centimeter of this amazing dwarf tree.

Strawberry Guava

Psidium cattleianum

During a visit to the Botanical Garden of Ljubljana, my attention was attracted to a low tree with juicy bright fruits, located in the backyard behind the greenhouse. I liked the texture and color of the fruit and the smooth variegated leaves, so I decided to paint a portrait of this magnificent branch.

At first, I wanted to paint the guava on vellum; I clearly imagined how the smooth surface of the vellum would perfectly illuminate the bright colors of this object. But, having examined it more closely, I decided that it was better to choose paper because the smooth leaves with their bright spots and color changes clearly asked to be painted in watercolor in a wet on wet technique.

The fruit is golf ball sized and looks similar to small pomegranates. During ripening, it has a strawberry flavor and changes color from green to mottled: a little green, a little white, a little red. At that stage, the guava is ideal for picking and eating right off the bush as well as for making jams and juices. Completely red and even dark red fruits are considered overripe; in this state the seeds of the fruit can be roasted as a coffee substitute. The leaves of the tree can also be used to make tea.

I enjoyed painting these round glossy fruits which stand out against the mottled green leaves. I hope that when people look at this painting, they will appreciate the depth and color collision in such a small bright subject. Perhaps they will appreciate the pure beauty of the fruits with shades of spring-green and translucent orange, ripening gently in purple-red shades.

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Read more about this artist’s work: 21st Annual