STORY BEHIND THE ART OF Liz Shippam

25th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and Wave Hill

Blueberries in Transition

Vaccinium corymbosum

Last year I reread a favorite book, Ovid’s Metamorphoses, a narrative poem that connects a series of myths to tell the story of the world, from the beginning of time to Ovid’s day. The link between these myths is the idea of transformation.

Painting plants makes it impossible not to be aware of the shifting nature of things, and my love of blueberries is due, in large part, to their transience and colors that change slightly each day. The fruit starts as silvery green, and then pinks and purples spread from the sepal across the fruit before it turns a powdery blue. The colors are softened by a layer of bloom that covers the surface and protects the fruit, but over time the elements damage this perfect coating.

Following very heavy rainfall, I noticed that this waxy surface had been largely removed on the ripe berries growing in my garden. The berries had been transformed from pale matte blue into richly colored, shiny orbs with just little patches of bloom remaining. Metamorphosis. I liked the idea that each blueberry was a tiny world, and I decided to paint them many times their actual size.

I used a simple palette of transparent primary colors from which I mixed the soft greys for the waxy bloom, and I layered the paints to capture the many rich colors of the skin.

Grapes ‘Madresfield Court’

Vitus sp.

Grapes are beautiful subjects to paint. I am drawn to their dusky blues and indigos and to their soft matte texture. These grapes came from a public garden I often visit, and they are grown in beautiful old glasshouses. The fact that they are protected from the elements means there is nothing to damage their perfect bloom. There are several varieties in the glasshouses. These ‘Madresfield Court’ grapes are my favorite, as the bunches are much longer, and they look so elegant hanging from the vine.

It was a slow process to paint them. The fruit is dark, and building up layers of paint to achieve this intensity of color takes time. Also, grape in shadow needs to be crisp and darker still. I work with a fairly dry brush, which makes it easier to achieve this precision but does slow things down. It’s a labor of love.

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Read more about this artist's work: 24th Annual