STORY BEHIND THE ART OF DARIA MIROVOVA

24th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and Marin Art and Garden Center

Plantain

Plantago major

I created an illustration of plantain for an exhibition with a theme of medicinal plants. Such a tiny plant, one that passers-by usually ignore, can become an interesting subject for investigation and painting. It was important to me to show every small detail, so that viewers would pay attention to the treasures growing beneath their feet.

I took endless photographs, dissected roots, and looked under the magnifying glass at every curvature of the weed. At some point, I had to go beyond the technical capabilities of my magnifying glass and study the photographs of other authors to get a good look at the flowers and seeds, because they are so small.

I chose the genre of scientific botanical illustration for a reason: it is a way to generate interest in the study of plants. In a botanical study the author’s or painter’s mastery is inadvertently relegated to the background, giving a leading role to the history of the plant itself and arousing the viewer’s interest in nature. It would be great if my work inspires people to want to know more about nature and to protect it.

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