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(Margaret Shipman
Vermont-based painter exploring folklore, ritual, and plant knowledge through contemporary botanical painting.
(Uneasy Bloom)
36" x 36" oil on canvas with mixed media collage
This painting is the first in the series A Bouquet of Rage and Grief.
I am borrowing the old, half-forgotten Victorian language of flowers, once used to say the things society would not allow to speak, to say the truths that weigh on my heart now.
New work and information will be added as completed. Please follow the link to learn more.
This painting is the first in the series A Bouquet of Rage and Grief.
I am borrowing the old, half-forgotten Victorian language of flowers, once used to say the things society would not allow to speak, to say the truths that weigh on my heart now.
New work and information will be added as completed. Please follow the link to learn more.
(Medicine Series)
Tea Blend for Healthy Sleep
26"h x 36"w
oil on canvas with oil on paper collage
These paintings are visual recipes for healing teas and tonics, ranging from "A Tea to Heal a Wounded Heart" to "A Tea for a Healthy Winter."
Some paintings depict the plants themselves, while others are accompanied by notes on folklore in the spaces around them. I’m particularly fascinated by medicinal lore and the use of herbs in charms and spells; you’ll also find poems and songs from a time when familiarity with plants was part of everyday life.
Please follow the link to see more from this series.
26"h x 36"w
oil on canvas with oil on paper collage
These paintings are visual recipes for healing teas and tonics, ranging from "A Tea to Heal a Wounded Heart" to "A Tea for a Healthy Winter."
Some paintings depict the plants themselves, while others are accompanied by notes on folklore in the spaces around them. I’m particularly fascinated by medicinal lore and the use of herbs in charms and spells; you’ll also find poems and songs from a time when familiarity with plants was part of everyday life.
Please follow the link to see more from this series.
(Land Secret Series)
Old Guilford Road
48" x 48"
oil on canvas
All land holds stories, spanning from distant eras into the present.
This series explores places like the woods behind my home, where an ancient road winds through maple trees once tapped by the local Abenaki people. Early spring maple syrup was essential for sustaining those whose diets relied on the land, a story I include within the artwork.
Other paintings reflect sites that are now wildflower fields but were once a rural airport, a colonial battleground, or the encampment of an 18th-century army. These works honor the layered histories and celebrate their present-day role as sanctuaries for wildflowers cherished by pollinators and those knowledgeable in herbal lore.
48" x 48"
oil on canvas
All land holds stories, spanning from distant eras into the present.
This series explores places like the woods behind my home, where an ancient road winds through maple trees once tapped by the local Abenaki people. Early spring maple syrup was essential for sustaining those whose diets relied on the land, a story I include within the artwork.
Other paintings reflect sites that are now wildflower fields but were once a rural airport, a colonial battleground, or the encampment of an 18th-century army. These works honor the layered histories and celebrate their present-day role as sanctuaries for wildflowers cherished by pollinators and those knowledgeable in herbal lore.
(Specimens Series)
Jewelweed and Poison Ivy
36" x 36"
oil on canvas with oil on paper collage
Specimens Series:
These paintings feature cultivated and wild plants that spark my curiosity.
One painting includes all the wildflowers that grow along the border of my driveway and the woods, with text detailing each plant’s folklore. Other works highlight common roadside weeds or herbs frequently used for wellness. In many, I incorporate text, weaving folklore snippets around and between the plants.
Please follow the link to view more from this series.
36" x 36"
oil on canvas with oil on paper collage
Specimens Series:
These paintings feature cultivated and wild plants that spark my curiosity.
One painting includes all the wildflowers that grow along the border of my driveway and the woods, with text detailing each plant’s folklore. Other works highlight common roadside weeds or herbs frequently used for wellness. In many, I incorporate text, weaving folklore snippets around and between the plants.
Please follow the link to view more from this series.
(Mandala Series)
Yule
20" x 20"
oil on canvas
Mandala Series
For a year, I created one mandala-inspired painting each month using bits of plants, mushrooms, and other natural elements from my land.
I gathered materials on walks, arranged and photographed them, and then returned to my studio to paint them, leaving the mandalas outside as offerings to the land.
Please follow the link to view more from this series.
20" x 20"
oil on canvas
Mandala Series
For a year, I created one mandala-inspired painting each month using bits of plants, mushrooms, and other natural elements from my land.
I gathered materials on walks, arranged and photographed them, and then returned to my studio to paint them, leaving the mandalas outside as offerings to the land.
Please follow the link to view more from this series.
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