My series of works are based on rare species, but also on the morphology of plants we encounter in everyday life. These two illustrations are part of a series analysing native Hawaiian hibiscus, some endangered. In these two illustrations I show how leaves and petals can grow in differently depending on the environment: light and nutrients, mainly. I painted "Hibiscus clayi" from young plants in my garden where we see the colour and sizes of leaves differ greatly, specially between young and older leaves. In "H. clayi in Kalopa Native Forest" we see older and leggy shrubs with woody stems, darker leaves, and reflexed flower petals. Hawaiian environments have been devastated by foreign plants and animals introduced throughout the decades. Highlighting endangered native species we can learn to create environments to encourage pollinators and deter plagues and "false-pollinator" insects.

Paula de la Cruz lives between New York and Hawaii. Merging science with art has been her passion since studying design at Pratt Institute in New York, which led her to study botany later at the New York Botanical Garden’s School of Professional Horticulture.

Her series of works are based on rare species, but also on analysing the morphology of plants we encounter in everyday life. Paula’s illustrations of Amazon rainforest orchids and endangered Hawaiian birds have been featured in French and US publications, respectively. She has also written about contemporary floral and botanical art for The New York Times, and travel publications. In 2020, she produced a podcast, PALOOLA, which highlights the intersections between botany, culture, travel and health. Above all, her work is driven by questioning the role of botanical drawing and painting in the era of technology.

Her original artwork is in private collections in Hawaii, Europe and South America. Along with her botanical art, she is currently working on a graphic novel.