A detail of a drawing of a pepper plant

Dr. Jean Andrews, The Pepper Lady

photograph of Jean Andrews
Jean Andrews

FAE is excited to have five mixed media works on paper from the estate of one of Texas’ most interesting polymaths, Dr. Jean Andrews, The Pepper LadyJean Andrews (1923-2010), was enamored with the natural world, and when she saw something in nature that interested her, she would generally become expert enough in the field to write a scholarly monograph on the subject. And, in addition to researching and writing the book, she would often create her own expertly rendered paintings, graphite and gouache drawings, and/or photographs to illustrate them.

Although she authored books on The Texas Bluebonnet (UT Press, 1986), Seashells of the Texas Coast (UT Press, 1972), and American Wildflower Florilegium (University of North Texas [UNT] Press, 1992), she was best known for her books on Peppers. Her most successful being, Peppers, The Domesticated Capsicums, published by University of Texas (UT) Press in 1984. It was considered “THE” book on peppers because, in addition to carefully illustrating each pepper plant so it showed the life cycle of each type of pepper from flower bud to mature pepper, it included scientific, cultural, and historical information. The book was so popular, the publisher produced two subsequent editions. She became known by pepper aficionados as “The Pepper Lady”.

In the Summer of 2010, in issue 86 of the American Botanical Councils publication, HerbalGram, The Journal of the American Botanical Council, Kelly E. Lindner wrote a scholarly memorial to Dr. Jean Andrews, The Pepper Lady titled: Jean Andrews (1923-2010)

The following two illustrations were drawn for Dr. Andrew’s best known book:  Peppers, The Domesticated Capsicums

UT Press, Austin

Image of the cover of the Jean Andrew's book Peppers

 

Mixed media of a pepper plant, one of the illustrations in Peppers, The Domesticated Capsicums

Plate 12  Floral Gem

 

detail of pepper plant from the book: Peppers, The Domesticated Capsicums

The images above and below are details of Floral Gem.  They show Dr. Andrews intention to show the development of the pepper from flower bud to fully developed pepper in a single illustration.   All of the illustrations she made for this book convey this concept.

Detail of Pepper plant from the book:, The Domesticated Capsicums

 

Below is the second illustration

Mixed media of a pepper plant, one of the illustrations in Peppers, The Domesticated Capsicums

Plate 29  Datil

 

Mixed media of a pepper plant, one of the illustrations in Peppers, The Domesticated Capsicums

A detail of Plate 29  Datil

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The next three illustrations are from the book:  American Wildflower Florilegium

Published by UNT Press, Denton

Cover of the Book by Jean Andrews titled: Amercan Wildflower Florilegium

 

Illustration fom the Book by Jean Andrews titled: Amercan Wildflower Florilegium

Broadleaf Aster  Page 23

 

Illustration from the Book by Jean Andrews titled: Amercan Wildflower Florilegium

False Dandelion   Page 105

 

Illustration from the Book by Jean Andrews titled: Amercan Wildflower Florilegium

Wake Robin Coast Trillium   Page 119

Through July of 2022, these beautiful illustrations by Dr. Andrews will be available to view at Valley House Gallery & Sculpture Garden.

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Learn more about the artists whose work you will find on FAE:

LEE BAXTER DAVIS,  A Lifelong Expedition of Discovery
DONALD  S. VOGEL, His Philosophy and Studio Practice
Artist standing in her studioECHERYL D. McCLURE, Freedom through Abstraction
An image of the artistELLEN SODERQUIST & Drawing the Nude
Detail image of an Otis Huband painting, there is a sculpture of a nude female torso in the center of the interior of a studioOTIS HUBAND: A Consummate Artist
Landscape of a farm house and a windmill by William ElliottDallas Painter WILLIAM ELLIOTT (1909-2001)
photo of a young Valton Tyler smoking a cigarette in the printroom at SMUThree Important Early Paintings by VALTON TYLER
Photo of the printmaker working in his studioYUKIO FUKAZAWA: Master Printmaker
A mixed-media work on paper by M. J. LeeM. J. LEE Estate Gifts to the Amon Carter Museum
An early painting of a male deer standing in the foreground of a deep rugged landscapeEarly Career Paintings by JIM STOKER: The Eternal Naturalist
a brush, pen and ink landscape drawing by Everett SpruceDrawings from the Estate of EVERETT FRANKLIN SPRUCE: Texas’ Most Celebrated Modernist
Watercolor and collage of an abstracted landscape by M. LeeMARJORIE JOHNSON LEE, An American Modernist
Photograph of John Albok with his cameraIntroduction to the photographs of JOHN ALBOK, Part II: the Photographic Archives Collection

 

 

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For comments about this blog or suggestions for a future post, contact Kevin at [email protected].

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