Mihaela Prižmić 

Born in Croatia, in 1996. 

Life in the countryside sparked my interest for nature since the very early age, when I used to go out in the garden and draw everything that I have noticed living and growing around me. Later I've decided to continue pursuing my curiosity for nature by completing a Master's Degree in Environmental Science at University of Zagreb. Upon completing my Degree, I already knew my life path is taking me in somewhat more artistic direction, so, with the intention to merge my passions for both nature science and art, I took RBGE Diploma course in Botanical Illustration. Woodland flora, fungi and fauna are my greatest inspirations. 

Title of the Project:

Berries in my grandma's garden.

About the Project:

Plants with berries that have been growing in my grandma's garden ever since I remember are the inspiration for my Third Year Major Project. I remember looking forward to each spring for the berries to ripen. They were my first real experience with plants so I find a significance in expressing the importance of these species through art. Besides being a great food source, these plants also provide shelter and home to many animals. In the area where I live, all of these plants can be found in forests and fields, while their cultivated counterparts are essential to almost every garden. 

For my project, I wanted to show the unique characters of chosen plants by creating the most fitting composition for each. Observing the growth of each plant throughout the year was an interesting process, watching the flowers slowly turn into ripe berries. And although combining all of these stages on a single composition was quite a challenge, I found the greatest comfort in the process of creating these five pieces. 

Illustrations: