The Rebirth of the Botanical

Botanicals are all the rage these day but we've come a long way from the framed prints from Redoutes Roses we all had on our walls in the 80's. I must have framed hundreds of those pages for clients in every color and variety. Today, rather than perfect images of beautiful flowers the exotic and more interesting botanicals are getting the spotlight.





Bold colors or subtle hues are fine as long as the composition of the overall print is interesting. www.Panteek.com is a great source for antique botanicals. They have a very diverse selection.



I'm absolutely in love with these fantastic antique griege prints from Gutenburg.org. These would make a stunning statement in any room.


This years Kips Bay Show house was no exception with Bunny Williams placing this pair of vibrant botanical paintings front and center in her space.


The colors in these images are just breathtaking!



I'm in love with this entire artichoke series.

They are very reminiscent of Georgia O'Keffe's paintings


The brilliant mind behind these painting is Scottish born artist Sarah Graham.


She seems to be bringing new life and vitality to an age old art form that dates all the way back to the Egyptian culture. Her huge oversize charcoal drawings and paintings lend themselves to modern and traditional interiors alike. There is a universality to the natural subjects that she paints. I think we will be seeing a lot of her work in the future.



If you're looking for a readily available source for botanicals, purveyor of fine art and blogger extraordinaire Soicher~Marin is the place to go. They have a fresh take on the traditional form with these prints done in a light blue silhouette.



Or, check out my personal fave, these black and white reproductions of traditional colored prints.


If the real thing is more your style take a trip over to Velvet & Linen and read Brooke's post about preserved botanicals.


No matter what your style I think botanicals will always be a staple of the design trade. What amazes me is how one subject matter can be interpreted in so many unique and beautiful ways.