Story behind the art of Rebecca Davies

 

29th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators

 

Ranunculaceae

Clematis 'Multi Blue', Clematis 'The President', Anemone 'Fullstar Pink', Ranunculus asiaticus, Helleborus var., Aquilegia canadensis, Ficaria verna

 

This painting grew from my fascination with the Ranunculaceae family. I have always been drawn to the elegance of clematis, the understated beauty of hellebores, and the delicate forms of anemones. When I began planning my final mixed study for my portfolio for the Society of Botanical Artists Distance Learning Diploma, I decided to focus on this remarkable family and explore both the relationships and the diversity between its members. Part of my inspiration came from Wendy Hollender's The Album of Plant Families. Her fascinating exploration of plant families encouraged me to think beyond painting individual species and instead consider how related plants share distinctive characteristics. I wanted my painting to celebrate family resemblances as well as the unique personality of each individual.

 

Beginning at the top right and moving clockwise around the painting are Ranunculus asiaticus, Clematis 'The President', a second bloom of Ranunculus asiaticus, Ficaria verna (lesser celandine), Clematis 'Multi Blue', a hellebore (Helleborus species, variety unknown), Aquilegia canadensis, and, in the center, taking pride of place, Anemone 'Fullstar Pink'. If you look closely, you can spot what they have in common: flowers with many separate floral parts rather than fused ones, numerous stamens, and several separate carpels that sit proudly at the center of the flower and later develop into the seed heads. Their leaves vary greatly in shape and range from entire (smooth-edged) to deeply divided. Discovering these shared characteristics hidden beneath such remarkable diversity, was one of the most rewarding aspects of creating this painting.

 

The clematis became a particular focus. I included Clematis 'Multi Blue' in its second flowering, which has noticeably paler, smaller, and softer flowers than its first flush in late spring or early summer. Having painted the early flowering previously, I was fascinated by how different the same plant could look at another stage of its flowering season. The unfurling 'The President' bud appears sleek and spiky, providing a striking contrast.

 

The composition brings together plants that would never naturally bloom at the same time. Hellebores flower in spring, followed by aquilegia, buttercups and ranunculus, while clematis varieties have a range of blooming times, and anemones tend to appear later in the season. Botanical illustration often depicts plants within their natural seasonal context, so combining flowers from different times of the year was an intentional departure from convention. My aim was not to document a single moment in the garden, but to create a botanical portrait of an entire family.

 

When I submitted this painting as part of my final diploma assessment, I lost marks for composition. The feedback was that the arrangement lacked flow and needed more foliage to unify the different studies - observations I completely agreed with. When the work was returned, I revisited the painting, adding an aquilegia, a buttercup and additional foliage around the clematis, carefully reworking the arrangement to create a stronger sense of cohesion. The experience reinforced an important lesson: botanical art is not only about careful observation and scientific accuracy, but also about thoughtful design, and sometimes the most valuable learning comes through revision.

 

I graduated with distinction in 2023, and this painting remains an important milestone in my artistic journey. Its acceptance into this year’s Annual International is particularly meaningful because this work embodies both my love of the Ranunculaceae family and the continual process of learning, refining, and growing as a botanical artist.

 

I hope viewers are drawn first to the beauty of the individual flowers and then begin to notice the threads that connect them—the shared characteristics that reveal them as members of one remarkable botanical family.

 

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Read more about this artist's work: BAWW 2025