STORY BEHIND THE ART OF gaye grossman

25th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and Wave Hill

Before and After

Amaranthus ‘Hopi Red Dye’

The amaranth plant first caught my eye at Wave Hill in 2019. I was intrigued by the jewel-like, deep magenta inflorescences as well as the multicolored leaves. I had never seen this plant in person and when I read the name tag, I remembered eating the cereal for breakfast as a child and loving it.

Amaranth is native to the Americas and was domesticated around 4,000 BCE. The Hopi originally grew it as a natural dye to tint their piki bread, a traditional, unleavened phyllo type of bread. The young leaves are also used as micro greens in salads and the seeds are a healthy alternative to rice or pasta. I never had the chance to taste any of my specimens, but I’ve saved the seeds and plan on trying to grow some myself. 

This painting was truly a meditative and restorative exercise.

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Read more about this artist's work: 23rd Annual