“It seemed a logical marriage of impulses to become familiar with the plants [by drawing them],” said Corvallis artist and former environmental scientist Frances Stilwell in a 2019 interview with The Advocate.
All of Stilwell’s 81 botanical landscape paintings are now on display at The Oregon Historical Society in Portland, showcasing the state’s native plants in their natural habitats.
These paintings were originally created for her book, Oregon’s Botanical Landscape: An Opportunity to Imagine Oregon Before 1800 – all organized based on ecoregion – which will be exhibited through May 1.
Coming from an environmental science background, Stilwell includes scientific information and her personal thoughts alongside her artwork. When making these artworks, Stilwell says she “stood or sat where they grow in their native habitats throughout the state [of Oregon].” The exhibit includes her work made in Corvallis, such as ‘Ecstasy in Pink,’ which depicts the native plant, silene hooker.
“I have used the subjects of science and the tools or art to create the volume of air above the lands and waters of Oregon,” said Stilwell.
To learn more about the exhibit, click here. For information about admission costs and museum hours, click here.
By Momoko Baker
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