BOTANICAL TREASURES OF SILVER FALLS | AISLINN ADAMS

September 4 -27, 2026 | FOCUS GALLERY

Opening Reception and Artist Introductions: Friday, July 10 | 5:30–7:30 p.m.

Artist’s statement

All my work is inspired and influenced by the beauty of the natural world and a wish to share this beauty with everyone. This is why, in addition to being a botanical artist, I taught part-time in the 5^th-Grade Environmental Education Program at Oregon Gardens from 2013 – 2023. There I shared my passion for gardening, native plants, and the environment with children in a beautiful setting. 

I love growing and illustrating native plants in particular. My plan to create a collection of Pacific Northwest native plant illustrations was greatly enhanced in 2015 when I received a dream commission to illustrate 30 of the native plants growing in Silver Falls State Park. Prints for this project, now getting closer to completion, are on permanent display at Silver Falls South Lodge.

I create botanical art very intentionally, drawing and painting painstakingly so that my illustrations may catch people’s attention, stop them momentarily in their tracks, and make them look twice at some little plant they may not have noticed before. They say that to know something is to love it. Through my work, I want to inspire people to learn about native plants, grow to love them, and thereby protect them. 

I use different media to create my work – pen and ink, watercolor paint, Caran d’Ache watercolor pencils, and Polychromos pencils. For some of my work, I scan my black and white illustrations onto the computer and draw background layers of color – reminiscent of the hand-tinting technique of old sepia photographs. I also combine watercolor painting with color pencils. This allows me to create deep, rich colors in my botanical work. However, my first real love is the simple art of drawing with a pencil; taking the time to really look and see.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Irish illustrator, designer and horticulturist Aislinn Adams has lived in 

Salem, Oregon, since 2000. In Oregon, she has found the perfect environment to combine her love of the natural world, gardening with native plants and her art and design. Nowadays her work is mainly focused on botanical art, particularly the native plants of the Pacific Northwest- many of which grow in her front yard. She is currently working on a large project commissioned by the Friends of Silver Falls State Park to illustrate the native plants commonly found in the park.

To find out more about her work, visit her website, Facebook page or Instagram. 

http://www.aislinnadams.com/

https://www.facebook.com/aislinnadamsdesign

Instagram: aislinnadams_design