The power of precision: Cecilie Geary admires the detailed work of botanical artist Audrey Eagle

摘要

The botanical references in Audrey Eagle's sunny living room in Macandrew Bay on the Otago Peninsula are inescapable. There are numerous books on plants lying about, the mugs from which we sip our lemon and ginger tea have images of fruit on them and the dozens of greeting cards lined up on the bookshelves nearly all depict flora of some kind. The congratulation cards were sent to Audrey by friends and colleagues after the success of her two-volume Eagle's Complete Trees and Shrubs of New Zealand in the recent Montana Book Awards and the Spectrum Book Design Awards. The books won Montana's medal for nonfiction plus the illustrative award and, in the Spectrum Awards, best illustrated book, best corner and best book overall. The magnitude of her winsurprised Audrey who thought she might possibly pick up one award at the most.