Marilee Krause in the garden

One of our local treasures is the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden in the foothills above town. It features eleven different native California ecosystems, a redwood grove along Mission Creek, a large meadow that features a riot of native spring blossoms, a conservation center, art gallery, teahouse, bookstore, plant nursery, and stunning mountain and island views.  Marilee Krause regularly visits the garden, not to paint but to walk, see, and study.

By studying the plants, Marilee narrows her focus to singular species. Her sketchbook reflects this. Inspired by Ellsworth Kelly's plant drawings, she elegantly renders the contours, noting the date and details from the moment. "Stone bench," "breeze ahhh." Her paintings echo this tone. She doesn't paint at the garden, but the garden's numen follows to her studio.

The dynamic of blank paper with watercolor in California Sycamore suggests flickering light and rustling wind, the paint recalling her sketchbook's notations.

Krause's greens, yellows, oranges, and reds bleed into one another, flowing across lines, defining the shape and crenellated edges of the watercolor leaves. Serendipity is a visible part of her process.