Bush Mallow. #nature #flora #flower #bushmallow #kimlno (at Pacific Palisades) https://www.instagram.com/p/CWZEtMpBo92/?utm_medium=tumblr

Today I took a break from the home studio to work with some fresh material of this cute new species of Malacothamnus (bush mallow) that I'm illustrating for @keirmorse, a PhD candidate at @californiabotanicgarden. Keir is working to untangle the knots of Malacothamnus taxonomy- a daunting task that puts the challenge of drawing them into perspective! The mass of hairs covering nearly every surface and the complex geometry of the flowering structures make it difficult to render accurate and legible illustrations. I'm so grateful to have live plants to work with (and for the excuse to take a walk in the garden 😁). Using only pressed and dried specimens and photos would have had me cursing these lovely plants. But thanks to the garden's conservation effort and Keir's expansion of the Malacothamnus species in the living collection, I can shower them with the love they deserve. 💚 #Malvaceae #Malacothamnus #mallow #bushmallow #botany #plants #nature #art #science #research #scientificillustration #botanicalillustration  #illustration #plantart #CalBG #nativeplants (at California Botanic Garden) https://www.instagram.com/p/CA3pJsRgnt6/?igshid=619alfk65e91

#bushmallow #chaparral #malacothamnusfasciculatus #mallow #samtamonicamountains #solsticecanyon #californiawildflowers #californianativeplants #flowerlovers #naturelovers #natureheals #beautyallaround #wakeup #lookaround #beherenow #beinthemoment #giftfromaflowertoagarden @josephbrooksjewelry (at Solstice Canyon Santa Monica Mountains) https://www.instagram.com/p/CFKXBUfpaNl/?igshid=1gh48g8xjolvu