Carmel Valley artist publishes wildflower book
August 2008

Botanical illustrator Mary Barnas Pomeroy of Carmel Valley has just released a stunning book skillfully blending art and science in wildflower portraits of the Central Coast. Favorite Wildflowers of the West Coast - Portrayed on the Monterey Peninsula contains 64 full-size color plates of familiar flowers from our local trails and meadows. The illustrations are rendered in pen, ink and watercolor and are accompanied by a detailed description, including the common name, scientific name, where found, and time of year it blooms.

Pomeroy, who was born in Germany, spent many years in her second homeland, Quito, Ecuador, where she worked for the Central University in Quito as an illustrator in the Geology Department. Her love of botany inspired 200 color illustrations of the wildflowers of the jungles and high Andes Mountains.

She immigrated to the U.S. to attend the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Two years later, she moved to the California coast, becoming an illustrator for the University of California's Botany Department at Berkeley. She illustrated a comprehensive volume called A Flora of the Marshes of California containing over 350 line drawings notable for their fine technical detail and artistic execution. Marriage to fellow-artist Frederick Pomeroy brought Mary to the Monterey Peninsula, and for the last 53 years, Carmel Valley has been her home.

Pomeroy's paintings have been shown in international exhibitions and are in the collections of the University of California, Berkeley, and the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Her new book celebrates Central Coast natives, capturing the intricate plant details often useful to botanists. It is a unique volume combining beauty, art and scientific accuracy. Favorite Wildflowers of the West Coast can be purchased for $35 plus shipping by calling 659-2012.

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