CSC grad's precision botanical art to be displayed
The precision art work of a Chadron State College graduate who had great difficulty deciding whether to major in art or biology will open Friday, March 4 in the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center at the college.
A native of Ogallala, Bellamy Parks Jansen had a full-tuition scholarship to study art when she went to CSC in 1979. She loved art, but took a few biology courses and declared that she was a biology major as a sophomore. She recalls enjoying the challenge of her new area of study, but also missed the creativity of art.
Following two years of indecision, she heeded the advice of her primary biology professor, Dr. Ron Weedon, and became a botanical illustrator. She quickly developed into one of the nation’s leaders in her field.
After four years at CSC, she took more courses in both art and biology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was a staff illustrator for the UNL Department of Agronomy from 1986 to 1990. During this period, she completed more than 800 illustrations that were used in five books and 14 other publications.
Her popularity as an illustrator has continued unabated. She has illustrated or contributed illustrations to more than 70 publications.
Now a resident of Longmont, Colo., where her husband is an attorney, Jansen’s recent projects involve producing 540 illustrations for “Field Guide to Oklahoma Plants,” published by Oklahoma State University. Other books she has illustrated include “Uses of Plants by the Indians of the Missouri River Region” and “North American Range Plants,” both published by the University of Nebraska Press.
Nearly 50 of Jansen’s works will be displayed in the Sandoz Center. The show will remain open through much of June. A reception honoring Jansen is set for Saturday, April 16 following the annual meeting of the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society.
“I create my illustrations using a scientific approach to both composition and technique,” Jansen said of her work. “I obtain plants that are either living or have been pressed and dried. Each plant is examined from several perspectives, with attention to the smallest details.”
She said that each drawing takes from eight to 20 hours to complete, depending on the complexity of the plant. A microscope is frequently used to reveal details of a specimen that are not readily seen by the unaided eye. She then uses her art talent to add what she saw to the drawing, producing an illustration more precise than a camera produces.
She prides herself on being able to take “a mangled, dried, crushed specimen with virtually no color left and turn it into a beautiful drawing.”
Category: Campus News