A gouache study of a single fern frond made over two afternoon sessions with the plant present throughout. The structure of the frond — its bilateral symmetry, the precision of its pinnae — is the subject, approached with the same care a botanical illustrator would bring but without the illustrator's obligation to suppress all personal feeling.
The background was left pure white, a decision made after trying several warm and cool washes that pulled attention away from the plant. The white gives the frond a presence it would not have against a toned ground.
About the artist
Cristina Dobre builds images from unexpected combinations — architectural fragments, botanical forms, and the internal logic of dreams are her recurring materials. Trained as an illustrator and later as a painter, she moves easily between media, choosing acrylic, gouache, or watercolour depending on what a particular image demands.
Her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows in Romania, Austria, and the Netherlands. She accepts commissions for surrealist-inflected works, particularly from collectors who want something that disrupts the expected. She is based in Timișoara and works from a shared studio.
