ALICE EASTWOOD, World Renowned Botanist

​This is a vine charcoal drawing made in preparation for a life-size portrait painting to be installed into the then proposed ALICE EASTWOOD HALL OF BOTANY to be created in San Francisco's famous Golden Gate Park. The painting was never completed...the ALICE EASTWOOD HALL OF BOTANY was never built. 

A WORLD RENOWNED WOMAN BOTANIST, ALICE EASTWOOD left her small bed to become dressed and have her snow white hair gently combed by an attending friend, only minutes before resting again on the edge of that same warm bed for each sitting of this portrait study... her final portrait, completed three months before her peaceful and endless journey.


ALICE SHARED ALBUMS of PHOTOS and MEMORIES of her many famous naturalist friends and her very personal botanical discovery experiences, as we enjoyed our friendly visits. Alice also mentioned that her favorite flower was the beautiful large red rhododendron from the rhododendron gardens in San Francisco's famous Golden Gate Park, near the California Academy of Sciences, where she spent many productive years furthering her botanical studies and increasingly adding new discoveries and knowledge to the world's science of botany. To Alice's delight, I brought that beautiful large red rhododendron flower to her daily throughout our sittings. In return I always received the warmest of smiles and a very gentle thank you, as she sat again for her portrait study... and knowingly, her final portrait.
Upon viewing the portrait study Alice commented, "What a beautiful portrait, I truly love it, thank you...and also... thank you for bringing to me my favorite rhododendron flowers. They are very special to me."