Artist's Statement
I have been interested in botanical illustration since the sixth grade when I had a wonderful teacher who taught our class how to watercolor roses and pansies with considerable success. Since then I have always enjoyed drawing plants whenever I had the chance, but only after I retired have I had the time necessary to develop the portfolio shown here. After graduating from Pomona College in 1959 with a B.A. in mathematics, I worked as a programmer analyst for several organizations including IBM in London and the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. I recently retired from the RAND Corporation where I worked for thirty years providing data management and statistical support for the Health Program. During my last twelve years at RAND I was also an Assistant Director of the Research Programming Department. Botanical illustration and computer programming have more in common than one might expect; both involve problem solving and attention to detail; however, for me botanical illustration is far more fulfilling.
For the past thirty years I have vacationed in the Mineral King Valley , now part of Sequoia National Park. I developed a particular interest in the spring and summer wildflowers along the winding Mineral King Road, in Mineral King Valley, and in the surrounding mountains. My goal in retirement is to illustrate as many of these remarkable plants as possible. The growing season in the Sierra is very short, so in the winter I watercolor the plants in our garden and in Bidwell Park.
THE SUCCESSION OF THE FOUR SWEET MONTHS
by Robert Herrick (1591-1674)
First, April, she with mellow showers
Opens the way for early flowers;
Then after her comes smiling May,
In a more rich and sweet array;
Next enters June, and brings us more
Gems than those two that went before;
Then lastly comes July, and she
More wealth brings in than all those three.