Arts encore
Flowering Career
Precision, detail and beauty in botanical artist’s work Adam Rayes
Brian Powers
by
Many artists can draw a flower, but Kristina Spitzner’s flowers are both
scientifically accurate and beautiful. Spitzner, who has a small studio in her Plainwell home, specializes in botanical art, producing extremely detailed representations of plant life. It’s an art form that is in demand for scientific illustrations but can also be appreciated as decorative art. Spitzner says she is one of only three such artists in Michigan. The 51-year-old watercolor artist says she prefers to use real-world specimens in their natural environment to create her art so that she can capture details such as the subtlest shades of color in a plant’s leaves. Michigan’s frequently changing weather, however, makes that difficult.
34 | Encore SEPTEMBER 2017