Story behind the art of Liudmyla Spodin

29th Annual International

American Society of Botanical Artists and the Society of Illustrators

Colors of the Tropics: Pandan

Pandanus utilus

This painting was created for a botanical art exhibition dedicated to rare plants of the world. Among the many species I explored, I was drawn to Pandanus utilis, a tropical plant native to the islands of the Indian Ocean. Since I did not have the opportunity to see it in person, I turned to photographs, video references, and botanical sources to better understand its structure and characteristics.

What fascinated me most was the fruit of the pandan. Its complex geometric structure is combined with an unusual range of colors: bright orange hues gradually transition into purple and then into green tones. This combination of form and color became the main source of inspiration for my painting.

While developing the composition, I wanted the fruit to become the focal point of the work. I was particularly interested in the contrast between the precise geometry of its segments and the flowing lines of the leaves. The lighter image of the pandan in the background allowed me to repeat the plant’s form within the composition in a softer and more distant way. 

One of the main challenges for me was conveying the subtle color transitions while preserving the fruit’s appearance and sense of volume. I worked in a layered watercolor technique to capture the richness of its colors and its distinctive character.

As I worked on this painting, I gradually discovered a plant about which I had previously known very little. The more I learned about it, the more I admired the way beauty and practicality come together in it. To me, it is an extraordinary tropical plant. Yet for people living in tropical regions, it is an ordinary part of everyday life. Its leaves are used to weave mats, baskets, hats, and many household items, while other parts of the plant are used for food and in traditional medicine. Realizing that the plant which amazed me is, for others, an essential part of everyday life helped me gain an even deeper appreciation of the wisdom of nature.

Colors of the Tropics: Pandan is a story of discovering a plant from another part of the world and an attempt to express the beauty of its unique structure through watercolor. I hope this work encourages viewers to notice how complex, harmonious, captivating, and ingenious the forms created by nature can be.

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