An Alphabet of Native Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania: A Botanical Art Exhibit

Experience a new, collaborative exhibit by Phipps Botancial Art and Illustration program and Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society.  

On display here and in the Phipps Welcome Center Gallery, An Alphabet of Native Plants of Southwestern Pennsylvania is part of the Flora Project, a collaboration between Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Botanical Art and Illustration Program and the Allegheny Highlands Botanical Art Society. This year, the Flora Project combined the letters of the alphabet with botanical portraits of plants native to Southwestern Pennsylvania. Native plants play an important role in our ecosystem, having evolved complex and specific relationships with insects that, in turn, play an essential role in our local food chain.  

Flora participants met the project’s design challenge with 26 distinctly different styles and scale of lettering for the native plant botanical portraits.  Some letter forms were subtly created from the native plant’s organic forms while others were boldly rendered as architectural letters or in the style of illuminated manuscripts.  The alphabet as an integral component of the native plant portraits is a strong compositional feature that complements the native plant and pollinator portraits.

Learn more about Phipps Botanical Art and Illustration program.
 

A

Allegheny serviceberry, Amelanchier laevis
Colored pencil
Melissa Fabian
 

B

Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis
Watercolor
Terry Smith
 

C

Coral bells, Heuchera  americana
Colored pencil
Marguerite Matz
 

D

Dutchman's breeches, Dicentra cucullaria
Giclée print of watercolor and colored pencil
Catherine Park
 

E

Eastern white pine, Pinus strobus
Pen and ink, graphite aquarelle, gouache
and gold watercolor
Stephanie Lind
 

F

Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida
Giclèe print of a watercolor
Mary Reefer
 

G

Greek valerian, Polemonium reptans
Colored pencil
Gloria Rogulin Blake
 

H 

Hackberry, Celtis occidentalis 
Giclèe print of colored pencil and watercolor
Sue Ralston
 

I

Ilex opaca, American holly
Watercolor and colored pencil
Michele Farrell
 

J

Joe-pye weed, Eutrochium fistulosum
Watercolor, ink and gouache
Pamela DeSimone Romeo
 

K

Kalmia latifolia, mountain laurel
Colored pencil and graphite
Robin Menard
 

L

Lyre-leaved sage, Salvia lyrata
Colored pencil
Raana Flemm
 

M

Marsh marigold, Caltha palustris 
Watercolor, graphite and India ink
Jessi Cramer
 

N

Northern blueflag, Iris versicolor
Watercolor and egg tempera
Tena Chiarchiaro
 

O

Opuntia sp., prickly pear
Watercolor
Linda Hykes
 

P

Purple trillium, Trillium erectum 
Gicleè print of colored pencil and pen and ink
Jim Hansotte
 

Q

Quercus rubra, northern red oak
24k gold leaf, gouache and watercolor, and pen and ink on vellum
Weldon Doran
 

R

Red mulberry, Morus rubra
Gicleè print of colored pencil and graphite
Autumn Secrest
 

S

Skunk cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus
Watercolor
Beth Skwarecki
 

T

Trumpet honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens
Watercolor pencil and micron pen
Janet Wilson
 

U

Ulmus americana, American elm
Colored pencil and graphite graphitint
Teresa Bradley
 

V

Virginia bluebells, Mertensia virginica
Watercolor and colored pencil
Elsa Arce
 

W

Wild hydrangea, Hydrangea arborescens
Colored pencil, graphite aquarelle and graphitint
Betty Yee Yates
 

X

Creeping phlox, Phlox stolonifera
Colored pencil
Brenda Nemeth
 

Y

Yellow harlequin, Corydalis flavula
Colored pencil
Sara Eve Rivera
 

Z

Zigzag goldenrod, Solidago flexicaulis
Colored pencil
Gordon McLean

Artwork © Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens’ Botanical Art and Illustration program students as listed