Jessie
Arms Botke once
described herself as a
decorative artist with a
flair for birds Born in
Chicago in 1883, she she
studied at Chicago's Art
Institute and in 1911,
Jessie moved to New York
to pursue her artistic
career.
There, she worked in
interior design and also
created tapestries,
friezes, and murals. One
such mural sent her to
the Bronx Zoo to sketch
where she was fascinated
by the form of a
peacock. From then on,
birds became her
specialty.
With their rich
plumage and realistic
renderings, Botke's
birds are brought to
life amongst flowers,
gardens, and still-life
settings. The artist's
work evokes decorative
elegance and style and
her romance with the
winged species is
immediately obvious to
the viewer.
After years of
painting in Paris and
Holland, Jessie Arms
Botke settled on a farm
in southern California
where she worked until
her death in 1971.
