Three Trees of Knowledge: Art, Surf, and Biology

There’s a fun new series of work by Anastasiya Bachmanova at Wallflower Santa Cruz, a chic boutique and studio located in downtown Santa Cruz. The series features a variety of animals surfing different waves with style and form. Each painting is a masterful example of watercolor technique, an insider’s look at different ways of surfing, and a botanical illustration of an animal. You can appreciate these paintings on all three levels.

Range, Threats, Adaptations

The descriptions of each canvas include the animals common and scientific names, where they are located, what is endangering their existence, and how they are designed to cope with the ever changing and always precarious natural world. This level of care and detail gives the work another dimension. They are incredibly cute animals surfing, but they are also a record of our biological world.

Surfing Styles

Another level of specificity in this series can be seen in how the animals are surfing. There are a variety of different kinds of waves, including: wedging cliff refractions, perfect A-frame beach breaks, a heaving shallow reef pit, and slow rolling longboard waves. There are party waves and waves of consequence with true to form surfing that only someone who knows the culture well could invent.

Watercolor Wonders

These paintings are wonderful executions of watercolor technique and style. They have illustrative detail and painterly charm. The water shimmers and the animals pop. These paintings exhibit a level of difficulty that shows up with ease. Check out Anastasiya‘s awesome work at Wallflower Santa Cruz for the rest of the month and add something great to your art collection.