Planning and Planting

I recently finished 15 illustrations for the book The Complete Kitchen Garden, written by garden and food writer and consultant, Ellen Ogden. It was great to collaborate with Ellen, as we developed her concepts for individually conceived culinary compositions.

You go through the same process whether you are composing a building, a painting, or a garden. Aside from the practical aspect of program (in this case the cultivation of specific crops) issues of scale, proportion, color and texture all combine to provide a controlled experience. Added to the mix was the sense of aroma, something I rarely consider in my usual work.

While the illustrations stand alone as artistic elements, they are part of something larger. These renderings are like seeds intended to inspire the readers’ imagination, as they apply these compositional concepts to their own built gardens.

I only hope to have the opportunity to see one of these plans executed.