Artistic Collaboration with Melanie Choukas-Bradley
Tina’s colorful, mixed media drawing is featured on the cover of Melanie’s book published by Changemaker Books.
Artistic collaborations with author/naturalist Melanie Choukas-Bradley have focused on two beautiful places in the Washington DC region, Sugarloaf Mountain and Theodore Roosevelt Island. Tina and Melanie loved exploring together, and created books that honor and identify the natural history and historical significance found on the Island and the Mountain.
The Theodore Roosevelt Island collaboration brought author and artist together on the Island in Washington DC. Tina drew the island from a shaded shorline perch in Georgetown, then developed drawings in the studio. The Female Belted-Kingfisher is a prominent island resident, and was drawn in graphite and colored pencils. Tina enjoyed working on the project during 2019-2020.
The Sugarloaf Mountain book project spanned ten years, 1993-2003. We hiked, researched and investigated the rich plant community found on this mountain in the Maryland Piedmont region.
We would 'meet at the plant' then pull our field guides and botany books to look up the plant specimen. After we discussed the botanical charicteristics and made notes, I would stay and sketch the plant. Over the years the sketches and botany notes informed the final pen and ink drawings. I created 350 drawings for the Sugarloaf botanical field guide and historical book to bring to life the natural and historical events on Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland.
Illustrated Guide to Eastern Woodland Wildflowers and Trees: 350 Plants Observed at Sugarloaf Mountain, Maryland
Sugarloaf: The Mountain’s History, Geology and Natural Lore
