Story behind the art of Alice Rosa

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

The Precious Link

Cydonia oblonga 'Aromatnaya'

Quinces have always fascinated me with their golden color, unique shape, and fragrant aroma. I love drawing them as they embody raw beauty steeped in their long history. This particular piece was inspired by a quince tree in a dear friend’s garden, which gives it additional meaning for me.

Quinces have been cherished for centuries, from their role as symbols of love and fertility in ancient Greece to their transformation into delicious preserves in kitchens across the world. Often considered one of the earliest cultivated fruits, they were sacred to Aphrodite and prized by the Romans for their versatility and aroma. Capturing their beauty through art is a way to honor their rich history.

When I draw quinces, I enjoy portraying the richness of their colors. In this piece, I use a mixture of Faber Castell Polychromos and Caran D’Ache Luminance colored pencils to achieve accuracy and vibrancy. Combining the two pencil brands allowed me to obtain great detail on the skin, and depth in the color. The challenge in this piece was rendering the fuzzy hair on the developing fruit. The hair was quite fine, and its color changed depending on the skin of the fruit underneath, and the direction of the sunlight. I approached it by coloring the fruit lightly, I then embossed the hair with the finest embossing tool I own, and went on top of that with a softer pencil, giving the fruit more color and value as needed. This way, I could ensure the fuzziness was following the color and shadows of the fruit.

The drawing aims to represent the life cycle of a quince tree, tracing its journey from delicate blossoms to developing and fully ripened fruit. Foliage plays an important role in my composition. I love how it changes through the seasons: leaves go from a vibrant blue green in the spring, to a rich deep green in the summer, to a warm golden green in the fall. I also find it interesting how the fruit initially develops facing upwards, but as it matures and grows heavier, it bends downward.  At the heart of this piece is the honey bee, playing its essential role in sustaining the plant’s life cycle. To celebrate the bee’s significance, I titled this piece  “The Precious Link.”

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Read more about this artist's work: 26th Annual