Story behind the art of Christiane Fashek

28th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and Marin Art & Garden Center

Lime and Mint, Cordial 5x

Punctelia graminicola, Parmotrema cetratum, Ramalina celastri, Quercus fusiformis

We set out for a quick dog walk in a lull between rolling storms on a steamy Texas summer afternoon. The path was littered with leaves and lichen-covered branches. The typically muted colors of the lichens were aglow, their algal components plump and bright. In the middle of the path lay a waterlogged clump of emerald and cobalt greens. It had fallen from the crown of a live oak and was fragile. I took a few photos, scooped it up with the bill of my baseball cap, and we headed home. The bit of branch disintegrated on the way.

I wanted to paint the cluster as I had initially seen it. But what was it? The resources I referenced showed nothing similar in such distinctive colors, nor did the dichotomous keys. I annotated one of the photos and sent it to a lichenologist, who kindly pointed out that lichens are typically identified when dry. That’s why I struggled to find a color match.

Initially, the leftmost lichen was identified as Punctelia bolliana, but it has since been determined to be Punctelia graminicola, commonly known as speckleback lichen. The white speckles are characteristic of the species. I enlarged the subject five times and used a combination of resist and avoidance to depict the pattern in colored pencil. The apothecia (bowl-shaped fruiting bodies) are acid-green when damp. The blue-green ruffle lichen on the right is Parmotrema cetratum, with curving lobes, cilia, and a dark brown-black underside. The small tuft of strap lichen on the top is juvenile Ramalina celastri.

This view of the lichens contrasts the yellow- and blue-biased greens and the warty versus smoother surfaces. There is enough depth in the one-point perspective to show the overhanging lobes and cast shadows without distortion at the edges. And it allows for a peek at the live oak bark dotted with juvenile specklebacks.

The piece is part of my first series of enlarged, colored pencil Texas Hill Country lichens. The paintings in this series had beverage-themed titles. “Lime and Mint, Cordial 5x” showcases the dominant colors and is a refreshing drink. 

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Read more about this artist's work: BAWW 2025