STORY BEHIND THE ART OF INGRID FINNAN

23rd Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists at Wave Hill

Fan Leaved Boophone

Boophone disticha

I discovered this unusual bulb with its glorious fan-shaped crown in 2012 at Wave Hill. The potted bulb sat on a narrow ledge at eye level in the conservatory. I was immediately captivated by it and returned a number of times with pencil, paper, and camera to fully capture it. (Wave Hill is about one mile from my home, and I was—before Covid-19—a frequent visitor.)

My references were set aside until this themed show renewed my interest in the Boophone disticha as the perfect specimen to turn to.

The only possible view to paint was frontal, as it was positioned on the ledge in the conservatory, to capture the round bulb crowned by the “flat” fan of leaves. I painted it to scale, but in its natural habitat in tropical and sub-tropical Africa, the plant can grow much larger.

Boophone, roughly translated from Greek, means ox-killer, because the juice in the above-ground bulb is poisonous. In a controlled setting the juice also has medicinal uses.

I’m not sure if or how this piece relates to my body of work, other than that my work is eclectic—I paint whatever catches my eye.

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Read more about this artist’s work: 22nd Annual