Art made in Sherwood

Shirley Sherwood, described as an "original" in the preface to this book, is an avid collector of - wait for it - contemporary botanical art. Like most people, I assumed this kind of art was (literally) baroque. Sherwood has also promoted this neglected art form through exhibitions, catalogues and books. Her publisher admits that Sherwood has been exhorting, cajoling and influencing painters all over the world to contribute works for her books! In a sense, then, the art reproduced in this superb volume is "made in Shirley Sherwood". The author also heads courses in botanical painting at her husband's Orient-Express hotels.

That's quite an accomplishment - start a genre and then publish your very own book about it. But then, why not?

"A passion for plants" contain works acquired 1996-2000. A few paintings by the old "Masters" are also shown and compared to modern paintings of the same plants.

People interested in "A passion for plants" might also want to buy an earlier book by the same author, "Contemporary Botanical Artists: The Shirley Sherwood Collection". I haven't had the opportunity to see it myself, though.

This particular book is definitely five stars. I might consider buying it as a gift for my parents.