Before the harrowing bushfires in Australia over our most recent summer, Jan Woodman captured a moment when an area of virgin bushland in the Adelaide Hills was flourishing.
Jan recalls, “It was the most wonderful and magical area abounding with wildflowers, orchids, ferns and fungi.”
Sundews and helmet and mosquito orchids were often the first to flower in this area and Jan loved to include them in her botanical paintings.
Jan was heartbroken when this conservation park was decimated by fire but has since returned to see ‘brave little sundews flowering’ but feels the bushland will never be the same.
Jan is one of many artists in ‘The Art of Botanical Illustration’ who reflect their local bushland in their art and following Australia’s 2019/20 Summer fires, this process is even more important to capture species which may be rare, threatened or endangered.
View ‘Early Wildflowers from Porter’s Scrub (before the fires)’ to enjoy Jan’s memory of this special place.
