Story behind the art of Karen Kluglein
27th Annual International
American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators
João's Paradise
Selenicereus undatus
My family and I planned a trip in December of 2024 to visit our dear friends in Porto Alegre in the southern tip of Brazil. Our hosts organized our itinerary and of course I requested a visit to a botanical garden. My request was met with some skepticism, and I got the feeling the botanical garden might not meet my expectations. To my surprise and delight it turned out our friends have a most magical property with an abundance of tropical flora rivaling any botanical garden!
I felt like I had gone to heaven. Although I saw many new plants, some bearing fruits and flowers new to me, the dragon fruit flower was the subject I was most excited about painting. The dragon fruit cactus had perfect timing, performing each night and into the morning, opening its blossoms for me to study. On one lucky morning I was able to watch bees gathering pollen from the flowers.
I took notes and many photos to work from back home in New York. I also had the opportunity to photograph the mature dragon fruit in various local grocery stores and markets in Brazil, and then followed up with finding some in a gourmet market in New York. Throughout the process, I checked in with our hosts to make sure what I was painting matched the color of the mature dragon fruit on their cactus plant. I learned that dragon fruits can have a pink or yellow skin and a pink or white interior, so I wanted to make sure I was accurate in my portrayal.
The painting itself was a challenge given its large size, puzzle of a composition, and hidden areas of foreshortening. Having many reference photos was helpful to see what was happening in those hidden areas.
This finished painting brings back wonderful memories for me of an enchanting place. During the trip our host would show me various specimens in his garden with a twinkle in his eye and say, “it’s paradise!” to which I would of course agree. Hence the title of this painting, “João’s Paradise”.
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Read more about this artist's work: Curious Allies