Books are a great source of inspiration for me. I’ve devoured books since I was a child and I continue to be fascinated by the beauty of a printed page bound up within its tangible casing. Over the years, I have built up a collection of botanical based books that sit in my studio library, ready for me to grab anytime I’m feeling stuck for inspiration or simply want to be transported to another world for a while. I thought I’d share some of these delights with you- my essentials for any botanical artist or flower lover.
Rosy’s Garden by Satomi Ichikawa is very meaningful to me. It was the very first botanical book that sparked my imagination for the floral world. I remember learning about Lily of the Valley from this one, which remains my favourite spring bloom to this day! It is a fantastic entry point book for the young floral enthusiast in your life.
The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden. What can I say about this book? It is quite perfect- a journal style sketchbook of painted flowers, verse, seasonal notes and observations. Edith Holden was a naturalist in the early 1900’s, writing this particular collection in 1906. It is a joy to read through and is my go to book for seasonal reflection.
Floriography by Jessica Roux is a newer book to my collection. I purchased it, not only for its beauty, but because I liked the simplicity of how it was laid out. Each page highlights a different plant and its meaning within the Victorian Language of Flowers. I have found myself picking it up time and time again in the short time I’ve owned it.
Treasures of Botanical Art by Shirley Sherwood and Martyn Rix. This is one of the books under the publication of Kew Royal Botanic Gardens. Kew is the biggest conservatory of plants in the world, housing 50 000 living plants, alongside an herbarium of some of the oldest collected and preserved plants. I hope to make it there someday, but until I do this book is fantastic source for botanical art inspiration sharing a collection of different artists’ art from around the world.
The Gardener’s Garden by Phaidon is more of a garden inspiration than art inspiration book, but inspiring nonetheless. It highlights public gardens from around the world of all different styles. It has given me ideas of places to visit on future travels to gather ideas from.
I regularly look to poetry within my work as it is an art form that intersects nicely with the work that I do. Blue Iris by Mary Oliver speaks to my soul every time I pick it up. This collection of her poems and essays speaks to the beauty and wonder of plants, which of course feeds the work that I create. She captures feelings with crafted words in a way that I never could.
And of course, I’ve picked up a variety of vintage wildflower guides along the way. Some have been gifted to me and I always keep my eye out for them in used bookstores or yard sales. They are always useful for learning about the scientific information about each plant. I hope to grow this collection further in the future so I have more resources to turn to in my learning.
I hope this inspires you in your own collecting and learning! While these are the books I own, I also have read many books that I have borrowed from the library that have inspired my practice- I may need to do another post to share those ones. I also have a giant list of books I hope to pick up and add to my library in the future and I am always adding new ideas to it. Do you have any books that you think I must look into? What inspires your musings on the natural world?
