Mary LaPatka

Buds, flowers, seeds, pods, leaves, stems bulbs, tubers, roots, and watercolor paint, what more could I ask for?  Botanical Art combines beauty, nature, science and painting into one art form.  My watercolor paintings focus on what I love best: drawing, watercolor painting, science and nature.

Through chance attendance at a lecture at the Minnesota School of Botanical Art, I discovered Botanical Art watercolor painting and fell in love with this historically significant and almost forgotten art form.  I want to express through watercolor, the beauty and form of nature around us.

I work primarily in a limited palette of transparent watercolor paint. The six watercolor paints I use are Cadmium Red, Quinacridone Gold, Cerulean Blue, Permanent Alizarin Crimson, Lemon Yellow, and Ultramarine Blue. On rare occasions, a specialty color may be used.  Any color can be mixed from these six tubes of paint. No black or white watercolor paint is used. 

By using washes, glazes and dry brush techniques, watercolor paint is applied layer upon layer to achieve transparency and luminosity. The slow, methodical work of building up color and painting in the identifying details of a subject are enjoyable and satisfying.

Please check out my virtual art show on this website in the Gallery tab.