Story behind the art of Rebecca Davies
Botanical Art Worldwide 2025-A More Abundant Future:
Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field
American Society of Botanical Artists at the Foundry Art Centre, St. Charles, MO
Fall Jewels II
Malus domestica 'Stayman Winesap'
“And when the harvest is over in the fall of the year, we sit and give thanks for all that is here.” (Red Are the Apples, by Marc Harshman and Cheryl Ryan, Gulliver Books, 2001).
Fall is absolutely my favorite season, and, since moving from the UK to New Jersey in 2016, I have been fascinated by the wide variety of apples that can be picked at local orchards. I eat a lot of apples (an apple a day is never sufficient) and for much of the year am limited by what can be bought at local supermarkets. Every year I look forward to the fall with anticipation of what new discoveries I will make.
I first encountered Malus domestica ‘Stayman Winesap’ at a delightful old-fashioned orchard in New Jersey, called Ripple Hill Farm. Ripple Hill is family-owned and only opens for four hours on a Sunday during the season. It is always lovely and quiet. Although small, Ripple Hill has a fantastic range of apples, and my family always thoroughly enjoys visits there.
Stayman Winesap was cultivated by chance from its parent, the Winesap, in Kansas in the late 1860s. It is known for having a sweet, tart, slightly spicy flavor and for being exceptionally crisp, with good longevity, which is very helpful for the botanical artist! It was promoted commercially in the late nineteenth century, but today the Stayman Winesap apple is grown as a specialty variety in small orchards and home gardens, making it a heritage crop.
I work with a variety of media, and it is always my subject which determines the techniques that I choose. I find that a combination of graphite and watercolor is very well suited to depicting fruit, because the contrast showcases the beautiful jewel-like colors of the apples. The greatest challenges to working in this way are maintaining a crisp intersection where the two materials meet and ensuring that there is a harmonious balance between the quantity of monochrome and colored elements. To create a consistent and cohesive effect, I must adjust my method of application of graphite to mimic that of watercolor, meaning that I build up more gradually in layers than I would ordinarily do when working on a drawing with pencils alone. Whilst laborious, the outcome is so rewarding, and well worth the effort to celebrate the beauty of these stunning heritage apples.
As the title of this painting suggests, this is the second in a series. Fall Jewels I depicted two different heritage varieties, Malus domestica ‘Cortland’ and ‘Paragon’, and the more recently cultivated, but still not mass produced, ‘Goldrush’. Whilst I am not the only botanical artist working with watercolor and graphite together, I have created certain signatures which I plan to continue through this Fall Jewel series. One is the alternation between graphite and watercolor within the same element - the top and underside of the leaves next to the apple on the top right, which I think brings a little playfulness to the painting. Another is the scattering of tiny little shiny pencil and watercolor pips in the bottom left corner.
As I continue working on this series, which is fast becoming a labor of love, I know that I will never be short of delicious and beautiful subjects to choose from. For this I am so thankful and will endeavor to highlight and celebrate as many lesser-known cultivars, heritage, and ancient varieties as I can.
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Read more about this artist's work: 27th Annual