Margaret Shipman
Paintings of Wild Plants, Medicinal Herbs, and Plant Folklore
Growing in the cracks of sidewalks, along roads, in between train tracks, and in the carefully tended gardens of our grandmothers, grow plants with whom our ancestors had relationships.
They gave them names based on what they observed about them; coffeeweed, scotchbriar, white man’s footprint, and bloodwort are a few. They boiled them into teas, applied them to wounds and rashes, added them to stews, placed poultices on the chests of sick children, and learned which plants were helpers.
Our ancestors recognized the significance of these “weeds” and wildflowers, understanding how they signaled the health of the land and marked the passage of seasons. This deep relationship with plants is echoed in the songs and poetry of cultures worldwide.
Yet, in modern times, our attention is often elsewhere. For many of us, simply identifying a wildflower is a challenge. I, too, once overlooked the resilient plants pushing through neglected soil, dismissing them as signs of forgotten spaces.
Now, I find myself captivated by these overlooked plants. I paint them, finding beauty and mystery in their forms. As I paint, I am not only identifying them but delving into their stories and sharing them through my art. In doing so, I honor our ancestors’ wisdom, passing their knowledge on in the best way I know how.
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Bio
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Margaret Shipman is a painter whose work explores the deep connections between plants, people, and place. Inspired by wild plants, medicinal herbs, and the folklore that surrounds them, she creates vibrant, intricate paintings that honor ancestral knowledge and the enduring relationships between humans and the natural world.
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With a background in both art and anthropology, Margaret holds degrees in Studio Art and Cultural Anthropology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She has spent two decades working within arts organizations in Southern Vermont and is now a full-time artist, painting in her home studio, surrounded by the wildflowers, woods, and beehives that influence her work.
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Margaret’s paintings have been exhibited in solo and group shows throughout the Northeast and are available through galleries, art fairs, and directly from her studio. She is the co-creator of The Wayfarer Tarot and is currently collaborating on a second deck. Her work is held in private collections and is regularly featured at The Harmony Collective in Brattleboro, Frog Hollow Gallery in Burlington, and TAG Gallery in Boston.
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Press:
CanvasRebel, October 2024, Stories and Insights: Meet Margaret Shipman
Brattleboro Reformer, September 2020, Adding Something Different, Kris Radder
Vermont Winter Vacation Guide 2017, Love Where You Live
The Commons, February 24, 2016, Drawing a Crowd, Richard Henke
The Commons, February 10, 2016, Shipman Paintings on Display at Amy's
Southern Vermont Art & Living, Winter 2013 - 2014, The Art/Life Balance, Arlene Distler
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Award:
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photo by Kris Radder of the Brattleboro Reformer.
Underpinning my art is the need to establish a connection with the land.
I'm seeking to understand the workings of the ecology of the landscape as well as human history with nature.
My paintings are of wild plants, herbs, and pollinators. They are also about folklore and the interrelationship between nature and humans. Small bits of wisdom, poetry, and practical advice are written among the busy-ness of my designs.
Respect for the interconnectedness of the natural world as well as our own relationship with it is important to my own journey, and grows for me with every painting.