Translate

Sunday, March 2, 2008

Check out this book!

I ordered this book on EBAY for a couple of dollars...and it arrived yesterday. What a surprise when I opened it up and found such beautiful full page color illustrations (with each succulents blossom as well). On the opposite side of each illustration is detailed information on that plant! The front of the book gives general information on succulents, their places of origin, how to grow info, their history, the importance and uses of cacti.
I highly recommend this book just for the color plates, and the rest is a delightful bonus! Click on pictures below for more detail:

















9 comments:

Teri said...

OH! AWESOME PHOTO'S!!! You KNOW I LOVE this. Congrats on a great deal!!!

Cindy said...

That's a beautiful book. I have a newfound respect and admiration for botanical illustrators after taking a class last year. You don't just "whip out" a botanical illustration. It takes a keen eye, a steady hand, and lots and lots of time and patience. You have to make yourself look at and reproduce every detail, every line, every shadow. In the end, I couldn't cope with such rigid discipline, and I dropped the class.

Julie said...

OMG...you were able to find a class in illustration...I was just thinking how neat it would be if there were a class offered here...I could try the universities, I suppose. I think I would at least like to try it...although I may be too impatient as well.

Cindy said...

I posted about my experience here and here. (but the pictures got deleted in the second post somehow)

Anonymous said...

Great buy, Julie! I like the layout of the book very well - clear and with fabulous illustrations!

Anonymous said...

It looks like a great book. I must keep my eyes peeled on Ebay for one like it when I get back! Cheers my friend.

Aiyana said...

Cool book, especially if it was only a couple of bucks.
Do you have a local Botanical Garden? Our local garden offers classes in plant illustration, watercolor, etc. Folks in the classes work right in the garden, using the plants there as "models". If I had any talent toward that, I would take one of the classes. Since I don't, I'm taking a macro plant photography class there in a couple of montns.
Aiyana

Julie said...

Aiyana...are you taking your class at the Desert Botanical Garden? That will be fun too. I really haven't ever demonstrated any true artistic talent, but I still think it would be fun to try!!! LOL. I will check with our Botanical Garden called Mounts Botanical in West Palm Beach.

Julie said...

Cindy...I read your posts...thanks for showing them to me! It sounds like she just stripped all the fun out of it...something I could not tolerate either.