Mist in the Air

Posted in Around the Garden on May 15 2012, by Matt Newman

With the finish line of the Partners in Preservation competition in sight, we humbly ask that fans, Members, visitors and horticulturists alike rally around the Garden in support! We’re holding steady at third place for the moment, but with your help, first place is only a stone’s throw away. Voting for the NYBG each day from now until May 21 will push us that much closer to winning the privilege of restoring the Rock Garden to its original beauty.

As we enter the final week of the contest, those who grew up with The New York Botanical Garden seem better suited to explain the allure of the Rock Garden than we do, both from the perspective of long-time visitors and that of nature lovers. Naomi Shriber is one such person. Her years-long history of exploring Nature’s Showplace gives her a keen understanding of the Rock Garden and its importance as an iconic landscape at the NYBG. In turn, her art–swept with color and light–captures the essence of this garden’s central feature.

Growing up in the city with tall brick buildings and cement sidewalks, the only green things were an occasional tree and the weeds poking out between the cracks. So, after a bus and two subway trains from Coney Island, I arrived at The New York Botanical Garden … the first time. I was hooked from then on.

My senses are inspired by seeing nature in all forms and shapes, from a leaf to a tree in bloom.

At The New York Botanical Garden, I’ve photographed flowers from the Orchid Show and the Rose Garden, and used those references to create paintings.

But it was when I came upon the Rock Garden with the waterfall that I wanted to capture with my brush the contrast between the lush foliage and the rushing water. The water reflects the sky and the color of the greenery surrounding it as it cascades down the rocks. Foam and mist arise and seem to dance in the air.

Naomi Shriber