Julie Smits @juliesmits - Tumblr Blog

L O N G - B I L L E D W H I T E - E Y E | Rukia longirostra | a species of bird within the Zosteropidae family, endemic to the island state of Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia).

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P O H N P E I L O R I K E E T | Trichoglossus rubiginous | a species of parrot within the Psittaculidae family, endemic to the island state of Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia) and the nearby Ahnd Atoll. Male (pictured) and female birds are slightly dimorphic, males sport an orange beak and yellow-orange irises, whilst females have a yellow beak and light grey irises.

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Digital Mixed Media - mixture of traditional and digital - Photoshop

#illustration #avian #bird #Digital Illustration

T I L L A N D S I A A E R A N T H O S | commonly known under its genus name 'Tillandsia' or simply as an air plant.

The Tillandsia genus is made up of epiphytes. Epiphytes root on other trees/plants/rocks/etc. Though the host plant or surface only offers physical support. Epiphytes don't steal from their hosts, they're autothropic (self-sufficient/self-feeding). This specific species, which holds 'aeranthos' as its specific epithet tells you it's an air plant | aer.anthos | compound word from ancient Greek | aer : ἀήρ : air | anthos : ἄνθος : flower.

I L L U S T R A T I O N | Digital Mixed Media

#botany #botanicalillustration #botanical art #Tillandsia #air plants #illustration #the hungry child

K A R A T B A N A N A | a distinct type of Fe'i banana. Fe'i bananas are known for their yellow to orange flesh, rich in beta-carotene—a precursor for Vit. A. Fe'i bananas (were) developed independent from the cultivars that descend from the subspecies of M. acuminata and M. balbisiana, and the hybrids between them.

Karat bananas grow within the Federated States of Micronesia. There are three kinds of Fe'i Karat banana, the one illustrated is Karat Pwehu. Its fingers—single banana—are rather short, but not small, and on the chunky side.

Karat is also the name of a non Fe'i banana called 'Karat en Iap'. It belongs to the AAB Group of bananas. Karat en Iap bananas are quite large with a stubby end, quite like the end of a courgette.

#Illustration #botany #botanical illustration #banana #karat banana #micronesia #plant illustration #food illustration

PERENNIAL

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Any plant that lives longer than two years. A perennial is recurrent, lasting. Within botany, any plant that lives longer than two years is called a perennial. Known for its ability to though out the seasons the year throws at it. Not all perennials can take the seasons of the world round, so those bred outside of their native region will most often be grown as an annual or biennial. Others, known as herbaceous perennials, will die down for their dormant season—most often winter—giving the illusion of death. But, all they need is for their root structure to remain intact below ground, ready come spring—or any other suitable season—to send up new shoots.

And, that's what many perennials come down to, the ability to keep their root structure intact, and to re-establish plant growth above ground once the weather becomes agreeable. On top of their ability to reproduce by seed or cutting, several perennials have the ability to propagate by expanding their root system. They do so laterally, and this spreading root system will send up shoots near the parent plant. Which can be dug up or cut away and replanted.

Perennial means a plant lives longer than two years, though the actual amount a perennial can cycle through varies wildly from characteristic to characteristic, from genus to genus, and region to region. Perennials can live from a handful of years to several millennia. What eventually causes them to pass is damage and age. Though some plants seem to fall even out of the range of the latter. Senescence—the process of ageing, and therefore breaking down into death—is something a very small amount of organisms are simply not built to do. They can be damaged, physically brought harm to, they can fall prey to negative environmental factors, but ageing or noticeable ageing isn't wired into them. We call this negligible senescence, the absence of measurable signs of ageing. Meaning the organism does not lose in strength, nor increases its chance of dying, or reproductive capacity as it grows older. It simply racks up year after year into a kind of immortality.

R E A D M O R E

#botany #learn #plants #plant love #nature #nature lover

A L O E F E R O X | F L O W E R I N G | Commonly known as B I T T E R A L O E | Aloe ferox, named by Philip Miller, Chief Gardener at @chelsea_physic_garden (#london) from 1722 to 1770.

#botany #botanical art #botanical illustration #the hungry child #aloe ferox #digital art #mixed media illustration #mixed media #plant illustration #illustration

P I N E A P P L E | L E A V E S | did you know that those gorgeous, and utterly lovely air plants, Tillandsia, are related to pineapple.

Pineapple (Ananas comosus) belongs to the Bromeliaceae family, and so does the Tillandsia genus. Their leaves, stripped of its fruit, make it clear just how much they look alike.

Air plants or epiphytes | epi.phyte meaning on or upon plant | are plants that grow on another plant, rock, or another suitable surface. Tillandsia, for example can grow along a wire or string. What's interesting about epiphytes is that they're not parasites, they simply use the plant they grow on as a growing surface, without stealing any of its nutrients. Several don't even have roots, they absorb moisture with their entire body.

E X A M P L E S of epiphytes are MOSSES, FERNS, a great deal of ORCHIDS (the reason for their unusual care), LICHENS (not a plant, but a fungi, still called epiphytes because their growing behaviour falls under the epiphyte definition), and ALGAE.

#botany #botanicalillustration #pineapple #botanicalart #digital art #the hungry child

Banana illustrations | Photoshop + Wacom + Handmade ink, watercolour, and bistre textures

#botanicalillustration #food illustration #plant illustration #banana #tropical #digital illustration #mixed media

Sneak peak of one of the new illustrations I've been working on | Long-Billed White-Eye (Rukia longirostra) | endemic to the island of Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia). 🌸 I know it's been ages since I last posted anything, but it's been rather nice to completely ignore social media for a while and just create new and more challenging work whilst not fussing on how it would be received. More updates to come in the coming weeks, as well as in process shots and making of videos over on @juliesmits. #biodiversity #birdsofinstagram

#biodiversity #birdsofinstagram

Colour key/concept art thing in process - first time doing a colour key, so of course I had to go with purples, pinks, and oranges.

#concept art #illustration #colourful #colour #colour key #visual development

Overview of the full B A N A N A leaf print | Mixed Media: Photoshop + Cintiq + Trashed and glitched up watercolour textures.

Fourth illustration for my interview with Patrick from SIGIL SCENT for the journal | pictured here is FOCUS

www.thehungrychild.com

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FOCUS smells like the transition between spring and summer. Of freshly grown green things, with a weaving of bitter orange guiding you into the warmth—just before the dry heat of summer can weigh it down.

In Patrick’s words: ‘It evokes coffee at sunrise, Mother’s herb garden, and thousands of orange blossoms—vibrant, susurrating, breathing.’ With key notes of juniper (Juniperus communis), neroli (Citrus x aurantium), and rosemary(Rosmarinus officinalis).