Tepuis plants.
The tepuis are rugged plateaus dating back over 2 billion years on the Guyana Shield (Venezuela, Guyana, and Brazil). Their isolated peaks are home to a unique biodiversity, with endemic plant and animal species adapted to specific altitude and humidity conditions.
Among them are carnivorous plants, such as those of the genera Drosera and Heliamphora, have evolved to capture insects due to the lack of nutrients in the soil. Heliamphora, known as pitcher plant, uses its tubular leaves filled with rainwater as a trap that catches and digests insects attracted by the nectar at its edges.
Among other species found here are those of the genus Stegolepis, which has a remarkable adaptation to specific habitats such as poor soils and high rainfall.
These two genera constitute a fundamental part of the plant biodiversity on the summits of the tepuis. For this reason, I decided to illustrate them as a way of representing the diversity of forms and adaptations of the plants that inhabit this unique region of the South American continent.
Tepuis plants at the Green Open Gallery
Both illustrations were selected to participate in the Green Open Gallery of the Exhibition “Ellas ilustran botánica” (They illustrate botany) at the Royal Botanical Garden of Madrid.
This exhibition shows works by current illustrators from around the world and with scientific rigor, more than 300 illustrations were exhibited as part of the exhibition «Ellas Ilustran Botánica», which showcases the work of female botanical scientific illustrators from the 17th century to the present, linking art, science, and gender.
It is based on the book of the same name "Ellas Ilustran Botánica" by the publishing house of Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC), with Toya Legido as coordinator and Lucía Moreno Diz as a designer, it received the Award for Best Art Book published in 2023, by the Ministry of Culture of Spain.
Year: 2023
Technique: Digital illustration.
Illustration type: Scientific.
Type of project/Client: Personal.