After graduating from college in 1972, Alice Tangerini directly found her plant illustration work for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
Her boss, botanist Warren Wagner, thinks she is now the best illustrator of plants in the United States. S. —
Even if there is only one good eye.
Wagner asked the thin, dark one.
The hair artist did not retire, calling her "irreplaceable ".
"She says she absolutely loves her job: She says time passes when she draws long, smooth lines that capture the nature of leaves or branches.
After nearly 40 years of work, Tangerini is still working to correct the situation.
"Every painting is for perfection," said Tangerini . " He is also the curator of 5 million plant drawings at the Smithsonian Museum.
"Trying to really do what you said, 'that's exactly the way I want it.
"Tangerini's work appears in scientific magazines, such as the guanas flora.
She is a scientist like an artist.
Her office is located on several floors above the museum's exhibits, filled with old pens, delicate brushes, and even surgical tools she uses to dissect tiny plants such as grains --
Sand-paper tree-sized flowers from Guyana.
She worked from Brown dry specimens collected in the 1990 s and sewn on a large piece of acidfree paper.
She had to replenish the flowers and then observe them under a microscope.
She then drew a sketch of her hair on the enlarged flower.
A new way to look at things, but for Tangerini it is becoming more and more difficult to see things.
Her right eye was injured four and a half years ago.
"They didn't have a diagnosis, they just said it was bad luck.
"You have been working for so many years and there is something wrong with one eye," she said . ".
"You can't have any distortion in this field.
You can't stand it.
"Tangerini had surgery but the surgery left her double
The vision of her right eye
So she faces a potential career. End obstacles
Her boss wants to help.
Wagner suggested that she only use good eyes and wear eye masks on the injured eyes.
He said: "I gave her my son's pirate patch so she could cover one eye and still focus on seeing things.
So she came up with a way to overcome disability with her eyes and still do it first --rate art.
"This is not Tangerini's only accommodation to stay ahead in an area that requires detail, skills and patience.
Recently, she began using a large graphic tablet that can be drawn directly.
Photoshop software programs make small drawings larger.
Especially useful for techniques like point painting-
Create a shadow effect using points.
"For me, being able to zoom in the drawings on the display to where I don't really need to pull my eyes is a bit of a relief to the eyes," she said . ". It works.
But wearing a blindfold and using only one eye for up to 10 hours a day is tiring.
So Tangerini is being forced to digitize.
She doesn't mind if it keeps her working.
"As long as my eyes reach out," she said with a smile . "
"As long as I can still use my eyes well, I will still draw here.