Aislinn Adams

TECHNIQUES
Watercolour, graphite and colour pencils and pen and ink.

APPROACH AND INSPIRATION
In Oregon I have found a wonderful environment to combine my love of the natural world (especially plants) with art and design. Nowadays my work is focused mainly on the native plants of the Pacific Northwest- many of which I have growing in my front garden. I believe that nature is all around us; not only in the wild areas, but also in our urban gardens, city parks, and unkempt lots. We need to pay attention to this world and share it with everyone, especially children, and instill in them a fascination and love of the natural world. By creating botanical art I hope to inspire others to become more aware of the plants around them and to be moved by their beauty.

BIOGRAPHY
I am originally from Ireland, but have lived in Salem, Oregon for over 16 years. I graduated with a First class degree in Visual Communications from the National College of Art and Design, Dublin, Ireland, and worked for many years as a free-lance graphic designer in Dublin before returning to college to study horticulture at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin. It was while working as an intern in the Butterfly Garden at the Smithsonian, Washington D.C. that I started illustrating the weekly gardening column, Digging In, for the Washington Post newspaper. I did this work for 10 years.

I am currently working on a commission from the Friends of Silver Falls to illustrate 30 of the native plants most commonly found in Silver Falls State Park (my local state park). I also work as a part-time educator in the 4-6th Grade Environmental Education Program at Oregon Gardens.

EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS

Heritage Irish Plants – Plandaí Oidhreachta- book illustration, ISBA Exhibition at National Botanic Gardens, 2016

Eco-icons, David Douglas Society exhibition, Willamette Heritage Center, Salem, Oregon, USA.

David Douglas,- following in his footsteps, David Douglas Society, Bush Barn Art Gallery, Salem, Oregon, USA.

Aibítir: The Irish Alphabet in Botanical Art, ISBA exhibition at National Botanic Gardens, Derry, Belfast, Limerick, 2014

MEMBERSHIP

ASBA American Society of Botanical Artists

ISBA, Irish Society of Botanical Artists (founding member)

OBA, Oregon Botanical Artist,

PNBA, Pacific Northwest Botanical Artists .

CONTACT

Aislinn@aislinnadams.com