Near and Far

WENDY HOLLENDER
"Near and Far"
Botanical Drawings in Colored Pencil and Paint

ARTIST STATEMENT
As an artist, I am fascinated by the wonder and complexities of nature. My background in textile design trained me to look for the patterns in nature both for inspiration and to unlock the key for drawing specimens. Nature is a perfectionist when it comes to the arrangement of color and pattern.

I often travel in the hope of finding unusual and exciting blossoms to draw and paint. These plants may be common place to the locals of an area, but in my eyes the common weed can be exotic and interesting. I choose to find a plant and spend days studying and drawing it. This keeps me grounded in one place, so I am able to experience the smell and sounds of the area.

At the end of my work on a particular plant, I am left with an image burned into my mind of the time I spent in this one spot working intensely. The drawing of the plant now exists for myself and others to experience the wonders of nature over and over again.

I collect the pieces of a plant's life cycle and let them dry out on my windowsill. Month's later I am often surprised by the results. I arrange them and draw in colored pencil on paper. Sometimes I add in a man-made element for comparison.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Wendy Hollender is the coordinator for Botanical Art and Illustration at the New York Botanical Garden. Having designed textiles for more than 20 years, she developed floral designs for clients such as Wedgwood China and Westpoint Stevens and became increasingly intrigued with the complex beauty of plants..

Wendy has a certificate of Botanical Art and Illustration and has focused her work in this area full time since 2002. She is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and leads workshops in exotic locations such as Trinidad, Block Island and Hawaii.

Her work has been exhibited at the New York Horticultural Society and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Recent solo exhibits include the Royal Horticultural Society of London where she was awarded a silver medal, Wellesley College and at The Interchurch Center.

She has also painted the walls of two New York City restaurants, Cesca and Accademia di Vino as well as a villa in Tuscany and homes in New York and Connecticut.

In January of 2008 Wendy published,"Botanical Drawing, A Beginner's Guide, a workbook for anyone who wants to learn Botanical Drawing. It has been selling steadily at the New York Botanical Garden, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Getty Museum, the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and on the artist's website.

Wendy is a member of the American Society of Botanical Artists, the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Florilegium Society. She is also a member of the New York Botanical Garden Board of Advisors.

See artist's website - www.whartdesign.com