Story behind the art of Hyojung Kim

29th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators

Yellow and Pink Frangipani

Plumeria rubra

My family and I have made eight annual visits to Guam, in the western Pacific Ocean. Tumon Beach there feels like my second home. Each time, I would drive along the coast, pull over to the side and walk around the neighborhoods, taking pictures, and studying the plants growing in every corner. Plumeria can be seen everywhere on the island, from hotel gardens to random streets, in a wide range of vibrant colors, as well as white. However, this specific yellow and pink frangipani, blooming at the edge of a quiet alley, caught my eye. Every year I visited, it was there with its seamless beauty. I promised myself that one day, I would put its beauty on paper. On our most recent visit, I wanted to find a plant that could truly capture the spirit of Guam, and this was the one.

Plumeria belongs to the Apocynaceae family and is native to tropical regions. Plumeria rubra's origin ranges from Mexico to Venezuela, but it has been widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, one of them being Guam, and it has become an iconic plant that represents the landscape and the culture of regions like Guam and Hawaii. It is a small tree or tree-like shrub with woody branches and a branching structure. The yellow and pink frangipani that captivated me has a complex spiral shape, with five petals that slightly overlap starting from the center and turn in a pinwheel shape. I chose to depict it in black and white only because its colors are soft, and graphite allowed me to express the gentle transitions of the colors. I have also painted a vivid red Plumeria, and in that one, I emphasized its vibrant color using colored pencils.

The strong sculptural beauty of the Plumeria leaves adds an aesthetic appeal to the elegant flowers. Growing to a height of around eight to 16 inches, the bold shape of the leaves gives them an exotic volume. The leaves have an even arrangement of veins, which forms a rib-like pattern on their surfaces. The leathery texture and deep green color are a striking contrast to the softness of the flowers. One of the greatest artistic challenges of this piece was harmonizing the two opposing textures using only black and white: the subtle shades of the flowers and the weight of the leaves. I applied layers of pencil strokes ranging all the way from 4H to 6B. I also paid close attention to precisely depicting the light and shadow contrast of the flowers and leaves.

The yellow and pink frangipani blossoms in that same place every year, welcoming my family with its unchanged beauty. I hope everyone can feel the subtle warmth of that Guam alley and my gratitude for nature.

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