Story behind the art of Steve Morris

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

Golden Beets

Beta vulgaris

Why Beets?

One day I was talking with my mother and telling her about the upcoming exhibition A More Abundant Future and its criteria. I said I was considering painting squash, Indian corn or perhaps melons. She suggested I do beets instead, one of her favorite vegetables.

After doing a little research I discovered beets’ important role in history as a food source and in Greek mythology. Legend tells us that the secret to Aphrodites’ ageless beauty was that she ate huge amounts of beets! The Oracle of Delphi decreed beets to be worth their weight in silver because of their deep mystic potency.

Whether or not we care to believe history, today we know that beet greens and beet roots provide many health benefits because of their rich nutritional profile. Beets are not only nutritious but incredibly delicious and can be eaten in many ways, in salads, as juices, as soup, roasted or eaten raw. 

So I went to the farmers market and I couldn’t help but notice the golden beets, their vibrant color and the flowing nature of the leaves. I knew I had found my subject.

Now how to paint it. My first concern was composition. How to capture the flowing motion of the leaves that draw your eye to the beets. After taking several photos, I arrived at the composition I was looking for. Once I had the layout, I started painting by building up layers of yellows and oranges until I achieved that golden color. I added darker tones for shading to create dimension. Unlike many botanical artists, one of my favorite things is shadows. I used a purple for this that worked well with the orange and green to enhance the sense of depth. Lastly, I framed the painting offset to the right, creating visual movement.

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Read more about this artist's work: 27th Annual