My name is Anna Garufo, and I am going into my final year at Florida State University as a double major in Studio Art and Literature, Media, and Culture. Over this past semester, I have been immersing myself in the art of botanical illustration for my Advanced Painting and Advanced Drawing classes. More specifically, orchids have been my primary subject. I was initially drawn to their vibrant blooms and unique morphology; but after researching them more, I discovered that they also have a fascinating, yet tragic, history.
During the Victorian-era, an “orchidelirium” emerged, resulting in many brave hunters risking their lives to travel to the tropics in search of elusive orchids. Poaching orchids was a dangerous process, in which hunters faced disease and wild animals, and were sometimes killed by other voracious hunters. The United States quickly caught on to the allure of orchids and also began poaching, especially in the Everglades region. This led me to my choice of destination for my summer project, which is Miami, FL.
In May and June, I will be volunteering in Miami at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, where I will serve in the Orchid Micropropagation Laboratory. There, the “Million Orchid Project” has been established, to grow and plant orchids back into South Florida’s urban landscape, in order to restore from damage caused by poaching in the late 19th and 20th centuries. In the orchid lab, Florida native orchids are grown from seeds in a medium-filled bottle, until they’re mature enough to grow freely in the Fairchild nurseries, and eventually be planted in the wild.
I plan to help with the propagation process in any way that I’m able to, as well as take reference photos, and produce still life sketches of the plants. My ultimate goal is to create a series of paintings, illustrating the growth process of laboratory-grown orchids. This is pertinent, as just about all orchids you’ll see in stores have been propagated in a similar manner. I aim to not only capture the accurate anatomy of the plants, but also the essence they exude. This will involve careful choice of color and linework, as well as attention to nuances among the different plants. This is also why it’s important that I study and create sketches within the laboratory, as I will be able to capture subtle details not always apparent in photographs.
This project will be the stepping stone for my upcoming Honors in the Major project, which will center around botanical illustration and the interconnectedness of flora and fauna. Furthermore, after I complete these projects, I plan to pursue my M.S. in Art Education at Florida State University. Ultimately, my career goals are to be an artist, partake in residencies, and teach art. I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue this project, and I know this will be the start of a lifelong learning process of combining art and botany.
HSF House Blogs 