"Botanical artist Hemlata Pradhan... growing up surrounded by the... hills of Kalimpong... she was born into a family that has run a nursery for three generations. She was surrounded by orchids grown by her botanist father, Udai C Pradhan, and keenly studied the field sketches he made.
... she started painting flowers when she was 11. Hemlata began with cymbidiums, and drew single flowers... Udai C Pradhan sent Hemlata's work to the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation... The verdict was heartening... report from Hunt was inspiration and challenge. ... her... first exhibition of orchid paintings in India held at the Habitat Centre in Delhi... Eulophia zollingeri (Rchb.f.) J.J. Sm... exhibition of about 20 pieces is the result of her work over the last six years. It brings to mainland India rare orchids she has seen around Kalimpong... the painting of Diplomeris hirsute (Lindl.) Lindl., or the Snow Orchid, which she tracked for about a year through the various stages of its growth, through the torrential monsoon of the hills, and landslides... She painted it in its natural habitat in Assam, while the rain pelted down... Hemlata painted it in its natural habitat to get the right feel of its habitat and because her father, who is a conservationist, did not want her to uproot it. Hemlata's work has been commissioned by the department of philately of Bhutan to commemorate the 2nd meet of the Indian subcontinent regional orchid Specialist Group. Some of her work is held in private and public collections, most of them at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, England. She has also inspired textile and fashion designer Chhuti Adhikari and done textile designs of orchids for De Alwis Harney Design of London. Her botanical illustrations have been published on the cover of Orchids of Bhutan, published by the Royal Botanic Gardens, and in Tank Magazine, published from London. She has illustrated for the Indian Botanical Gardens near Kolkata... In 1997, Hemlata became the first Asian to win a scholarship to study for a diploma in botanical illustration at Kew Gardens for three months... guidance from Christabel King and... Judy Stone, who taught her pen and ink technique and how to refine her water colours... In 2000, Hemlata won a scholarship to study for her Master's in natural history illustration and ecological studies at the Royal College of Art, London where, for two consecutive years, she won the Princess of Wales scholarship. Hemlata is the first Indian to win the Royal Horticultural Society's Gold Medal and the 18th World Orchid Conference Gold Medal for her renditions of Indian orchids. When the course finished, Hemlata... wanted to live and work near her favourite orchids, in the Darjeeling Himalayas. She is also working on the first institute that will offer a degree in Natural History art, which is "still almost unheard of in India." She goes on frequent forays looking for orchids with her photographer husband, Christophe Jobart, and her father, as the family works together on the next book on orchids. She has already illustrated his book, 100 Beautiful Himalayan Orchids and How To Grow Them." article URL : http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/apr152007/finearts1854202007414.asp see also : http://botanicalart.in/ ************** Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
