Story behind the art of Deborah Dion
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
Beet
Beta vulgaris
When I learned of the theme for Botanical Art Worldwide 2025, A More Abundant Future: Diversity in Garden, Farm, and Field, I was excited. It’s a theme close to my heart. My mother influenced my interest in locally grown and sustainable food. I grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia and have strong memories of my mother’s passion for serving healthy meals. She bought dairy, meat, and vegetable products from “Farmer Bob,” a local Lancaster County farmer who came by in his truck once a week. She bought fresh fish from a store in the Germantown section of Philadelphia, or she cooked fish caught by my father whose hobby was fly-fishing. I have tried to support this tradition in the food I buy as well as with my art.
But what subject could I choose?
Beets remind me of my Eastern European grandmother who made beet borscht. The beet plant, Beta vulgaris, was domesticated in the Mediterranean region. Although beet leaves have been a food source since ancient times, the root did not become a popular food until the sixteenth century. Beets are also grown for sugar production, livestock fodder, and as a leaf vegetable. Today, beets are available at local farmers markets as well as supermarkets.
I decided to revisit a beet that I had started to draw some years back. I originally did the drawing in graphite and revised it several times. Thinking that it would be better in color, I had two choices: start over and paint the beet in color or see how the combination of graphite and watercolor would work. The details of the beet and the secondary roots were well-suited for graphite, so I was reluctant to abandon the graphite drawing. But I also had the practical consideration of meeting the deadline for submission and thought that graphite and watercolor would be the better choice.
Watercolor over a graphite layer can be tricky as often the result can be muddy especially when using softer leads like HB and B. I typically use Schmincke Horadam watercolors and although the colors are vibrant, many are not transparent. I obtained some samples of the reformulated Sennelier watercolors at the ASBA conference in Mobile in the fall of 2023. Five of the seven colors I acquired were rated as transparent and the other two as semi-transparent. With a great degree of anticipation, I started to add my new Sennelier watercolor over the graphite layer. I was pleased with how the color washes allowed the graphite to show through. Also, I was able to add multiple layers of color and blend easily without losing the transparency.
I am delighted to witness the resurgence in cultivating the foods that have been feeding us for many, many years. I am honored to be included in this exhibition, A More Abundant Future and its predecessor, Abundant Future, as part of ASBA’s endeavor to educate the public about crop diversity.
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Read more about this artist's work:Abundant Future