Ever Blooming: The Art of Bonnie Hall - Hardcover

Hall (author)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0870711164 ISBN 13: 9780870711169

Publisher: Oregon State University Press, 2005

Synopsis

After a long and accomplished career in scientific illustration, Bonnie Hall turned with wonder and determination to the art of screenprinting. Resolved to "share the privileged close scrutiny of nature" that she had enjoyed, Hall created her first screenprint in 1992 while undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer. Over the next twelve years, she created screenprints of Pacific Northwest wildflowers, ferns, and butterflies--natural history portraits in simple, sharp-edged planes of brilliant color. Inspired by old botanical prints and motivated by a desire to draw attention to "the overlooked, undervalued, or threatened wild things native to our Pacific Northwest landscape," Hall produced scientifically accurate prints that revealed the personality, life stages, and the very essence of her subjects--what a fellow artist aptly called the "gesture" of each plant. Ever Blooming collects the thirty-three large serigraphs and five smaller ferns that Hall created in the last years of her life, along with the artist's own text describing each plant and butterfly. Her narratives are rich in detail and informed by thorough study into plant distribution, life histories, use by Native Americans, taxonomic discoveries, and conservation issues. Taken as a whole, the work is a sparkling confluence of science and art. For botanists, wildflower enthusiasts, gardeners, and artists, as well as anyone who loves the Pacific Northwest wilderness, Ever Blooming offers a singular glimpse of the natural world as seen through the eyes of a gifted and inspired artist.

About this title

Review:

"Bonnie Hall and her exquisite art created one of the loveliest gardens ever grown of our region's floral treasures. From violets to shooting stars, fritillarias to ferns, and a bursting bouquet of irises, Bonnie captured the color, form, and personality of Northwest flowers with the simplicity of Henry Evans and the exuberance of a Dutch Master's still life. As a beautiful bonus, splendid portraits of five special Northwest butterflies linger among the wildflowers they love. Bonnie Hall's wildflowers are her great gift to us all--long may they bloom!"

About the Author:

ROBERT MICHAEL PYLE is the author of fourteen books, including "Chasing Monarchs", "Where Bigfoot Walks", and "Wintergreen", which won the John Burroughs Medal. A Yale-trained ecologist and a Guggenheim fellow, he is a full-time writer living in southwestern Washington.

About this edition

• Publisher: Oregon State University Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0870711164
• ISBN 13: 9780870711169
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 277