Mariella Baldwin earned a diploma in botanical art at the English Gardening School fourteen years ago. Since then, she has gone on to earn degrees in fine art and the visual arts. Mariella teaches at West Dean College, at the English Gardening School, and at various venues. Her work can be found in collections at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University, the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, and at Hampton Court Palace.
Mariella is also the author of Botanical Painting, a thoughtfully written how-to book released in the US this past April. We’ll take a look at this book later.
Do you have a copy of Mariella’s book?
Have you written questions in the margins that you wish you could ask her yourself?
Here’s your chance! This month we are fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from Mariella in person.
Join me in welcoming Mariella Baldwin as our featured guest for November!
ArtPlantae Today 
ArtPlantae: What did you do before discovering botanical art?
Mariella: I always had an interest in plants and drawing them, and therefore subconsciously, botanical art. I would love to have studied botany, but for various reasons it was not to be. I trained as a secretary in London and worked mainly in the film and television industry; apart from a short spell in Bermuda working in Government House. Subsequently I married, moved to the country and raised our three children whilst helping by husband with his business in London, Green and Stone of Chelsea, a shop specializing in the finest art materials which they supply to international artists, designers and restorers. The business was founded in Chelsea in 1927 by Mr. Green and Mr. Stone and in 2012 celebrates its 85th anniversary.
Readers –
As always, you are invited to participate in the conversations with our special guests. Feel free to jump in at any time.
What brand name water colors do you prefer?
My preference is for Winsor and Newton. I like the consistency of the paint and the idiosyncratic properties of the colours. I do have some Schminke colours in my paint box, but I find these are generally softer in composition than Winsor and Newton and therefore I find I need to replace Schminke colours much more often.
ArtPlantae:
You went to graduate school after your began your career as a botanical artist. Was botanical art a part of your graduate school studies? If yes, what was the focus of your research?
Mariella: Contrary to the usual career path I seem to have lived my life in reverse! I started with botanical painting – and discovered the joy of teaching through the inspirational and generous tuition I received from Anne-Marie Evans at The English Gardening School in London. It then became apparent to me that I needed to extend the depth and breadth of my knowledge and undertook a part-time BA in Fine Art at Farnham Art College now part of UCCA. Having graduated I went on to study at West Dean College in Sussex, firstly undertaking a Post-graduate Diploma in Visual Arts and finally being awarded my MA in Visual Arts by the University of Sussex.
Due to the way in which undergraduate courses in Fine Art are run, I made a conscious decision to steer away from using botanical art as part of my graduate school studies. To use botanical art as part of my studies it would need to be ironic, subversive or political. Whilst personally I could find nothing much ironical or subversive about the subject, it was rich politically – but I had no inclination to follow that path, especially to the extent that would have been necessary to succeed. However my focus of study was on observational drawing and the process. I examined the impulse to record information through drawing and the significance of the sense of touch.
Which botanical artist, past or present, displays the most creative and unique style, in botanical painting?
A very difficult one to answer. It is all so subjective – and I hate being pinned down, but since you pose the question I feel honour bound to be pinned! My personal favourite is the 17th century French botanical artist Nicholas Robert. Claude Aubriet also from 17th century France is also a strong contender. Their paintings are extraordinary for the time and many could almost pass as contemporary paintings . Their compositions made superb use of the space afforded by the vellum or paper. They are so informative and descriptive of the plant yet so simple.
ArtPlantae:
You offer very supportive words of advice throughout your entire book. I, as the reader, appreciate how you thoughtfully guide readers through the painting process. You explain what is happening with the water, paint and paper and how they interact with each other throughout the different stages. I am sure for you, that all of this knowledge and experience is second nature and that you don’t think about it too much on a conscious level. You know when to stop painting, when to wait and when to make adjustments. How did you slow yourself down enough to write instructions that resonate so well with beginners?
Mariella: Indeed I find it very hard to demonstrate how not to do something as painting has become second nature – this is not to say I don’t make mistakes – but to deliberately make a mistake to demonstrate a point requires tough concentration.
To slow down sufficiently to give clear instructions I believe came through the experience of teaching. I spend much of my time observing students as they work, and through this often discover problems. The object is to try to solve them and convey this in a clear and concise manner. We all learn in different ways and whilst some people grasp an idea immediately, others do not. I learnt quite early on that there is always more than one way to describe and access a process. It is an important point to remember in order to convey information effectively.
Through writing the book I had to consciously slow myself right down so as to describe each step thoroughly. It made me question whether or not I would understand it if I had never picked up a pencil or paintbrush before. I was fortunate also to have had the help of a friend who is not only an artist but a book editor in her previous life. Her advice was most useful, especially when it came to double-checking exactly what I had written. Another important thing to remember is that part of it comes from making the mistakes myself in the first place, correcting these errors through exercises and learning how to avoid them in the future.
One learns as much from one’s mistakes and one’s triumphs – if not more. During my studies I have read around the subject of drawing, painting, materials and process. I have also had the fortunate advantage of being involved in the art supply business for a number of years.
ArtPlantae:
I like that the images in your book come straight out of your sketchbooks and notes. They support what you describe in the text by showing each step of the painting process as a process and not as almost-finished polished paintings, like what is often seen in instructional books about watercolor, regardless of their subject matter. Why did you decide to use only pages from your personal notes?
Mariella: I made the decision to use pages from my personal notes for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I believe they are helpful to come to understand that the finished painting doesn’t just happen due to the miracle of facility, but comes from minute observation and constantly referring to notes made whilst having access to a fresh plant specimen. Mistakes and corrections can be made in the sketchbook which also becomes a wonderful reference tool for future projects; always there and useful to refer to at any moment. Success, more often than not, is hard work and not down to ability alone.
Secondly, I believe that the sketch book, whilst very personal and intimate, can reveal much about the artist. Sketchbooks usually remain quite a private place and I thought it would be helpful for other artists as well as beginners to see some of the work behind the scenes. A blank sheet of pristine white paper can present itself as a daunting prospect. Therefore the use of a sketch book can be a liberating experience because there is no expectation of success; it is a place for experimentation, for the running through of ideas, trials and errors, and corrections. After such time spent coming to understand the subject a certain degree of confidence is inevitable.
ArtPlantae:
You state that your primary objective for writing your book is to help build confidence with drawing and to create an enjoyable painting experience for anyone interested in botanical art. Drawing upon all of your years of experience explaining the drawing and painting process to beginners…
How do you think individuals new to botanical art learn drawing best?
How do you think individuals new to botanical art learn painting best?
Mariella: The answer to both these questions is continual and ongoing practice. One never stops learning.
When it comes to drawing I recall a couple of sound pieces of advice I have gleaned over the years. “Draw what you see, not what you think you see”, and “If you haven’t drawn it, you haven’t seen it.” I would recommend drawing something every day – no matter how small – and make it simple. It is very easy to be carried away with the complexity of detail. It is easy to have a sketchbook and a pencil to hand at all times – they take up little room and are easily portable. I also recommend not using an eraser. Just drawing and making corrections as errors present themselves. Filling a page with loose sketches and gradually honing in on the subject makes for an interesting page. Any errors fade into the background as the page becomes an interesting study in itself – the demonstration of a learning process.
With painting, take time to do exercises. When taking ideas of exercises from a teacher, book or the Internet, carry them out personally and keep a record of them. Learning to control the paint and understand colour mixing is half the battle. Consider these exercises as a musician practices scales. A concert pianist doesn’t just come to the piano and play like an angel, much work has gone on before the performance, no matter much raw talent, ability and experience the musician has.
I remember well one particular exercise at the English Gardening School when we were given a pansy to paint in order to convey the feeling of velvet in plants. My first, and indeed second and third, attempt resulted in complete failure. I was determined to crack the exercise and resolved to paint a pansy day after day until I mastered the skill. Through sheer frustration – and many tears – I eventually succeeded. Although the exercise was painful I was duly rewarded with a new confidence; it was my break-through.
Reading is an excellent way to find information, discover and develop fresh ideas, but absolutely nothing beats practice! Attending a class or meeting with like-minded people is helpful as everyone attending brings their own strengths and weaknesses to the group. This always presents a forum for discussion, development and trouble-shooting. The ‘group-crit’ of peers is a very useful learning tool.
What are your favourite painting subjects at the moment?
Since moving to Arundel close the coast of West Sussex in England I have taken to walking along the beaches. My attention has been drawn to the masses of sad seaweed left by the high tide on the foreshore. In the depths of the water they dance and float in gorgeous patterns and I am enjoying the challenge of researching these marine plants; trying to give them their sense of life and lightness in watercolour on paper. I am tutoring a class on the subject at West Dean College near Chichester in Spring 2013.
How do you think budding teachers teach botanical art best?
I think the best way to teach is through patience and enthusiasm as well as good preparation. A deep and thorough knowledge of the subject as well as the more technical aspects of the materials is essential. Also to remember that as a teacher one is always learning and developing too.
Thank you for your good advices!
The first thing I have learned with my students was that enthusiasm is the key for learning. When a student says” Now I see so much more in nature!”I am happy and try to give my best.
I also like what John Ruskin says in his book “The Elements of Drawing”: “….I would rather teach drawing that my pupils may learn to love Nature, than teach the looking at Nature that they may learn to draw.”
Evelin, thank you for sharing the Ruskin quote. He summed it up nicely.
Yes, Ruskin is great – I’m always turning to him for wise words and observations.
As someone who’s hoping to teach classes in botanical art in the near future, I’m curious to know the answer to this question too! And I think you’re right that practice is the fundamental tool. Always looking, always drawing.