Story behind the art of Karen Kluglein

29th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators

Deep Purple

Iris 'Ozark Rebounder'

In Greek mythology, there is a goddess named Iris, who is believed to have traveled on a rainbow to deliver messages from the gods to mortals, colorful flowers growing wherever she stepped. It is no wonder that the common German iris, or Iris germanica, which is presumed to be the father of most modern bearded iris cultivars, is a showy flower with large, ruffled petals, that splashes dazzling colors in our spring and summer gardens. 

As many gardeners are aware, breeding new irises can be a painstaking and time-consuming process. From the time that gardeners hand-pollinate, collect seed pods, and plant the seeds, it takes two to three years to see the first bloom, and then several more before the rhizomes are large enough to divide. As a result, the iris can be a relatively costly garden specimen in comparison to other bulbs. 

Iris ‘Ozark Rebounder’ is a 2002 award-winning cultivar, with midsummer bloom and re-bloom. It has the potential to flower almost the entire summer season. The dramatic royal purple hue of this cultivar, which looks almost black in its shadows and can feel like velvet, is what first caught my attention. I knew for certain I wanted to paint this flower when I saw the subtle shifts of color in the reflected light and highlights. While the underlying pink, yellow and aqua - reflective of the rainbow Iris traveled on when delivering messages from the gods - were challenging to paint, I believe these colors are part of what makes this portrayal special. 

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