Although Margaret Agner was only a toddler when her mother died, her mother’s spirit and memory has continually inspired this local artist for 40 years and influenced her to develop a unique artistic voice.

“Because I was so young when my mother died, there was always a certain mystique about her and her art that fascinated me as far back as I can remember,” she said. “I truly believe that art is in my genetics because of her.”

Having little access to canvases or paints during her countryside upbringing, Agner quenched her creative drive by learning traditional country handicrafts.

“When I was a teenager in the country, everyone was sewing and quilting, so now I can take that part of my past and make art that is sewn: silk painting,” she said. “[Silk painting] allows me to stand out because, while there are a lot of painters around, not every Tom, Dick and Harry can paint silk.”

In her opinion, silk allows her more freedom to create not only wall hangings, but also quilts and clothing, such as the hand-painted silk butterfly top she wore to the Botanical Gardens’ Visitors Center, where her newest exhibit, “Hanging Gardens,” opened Sunday. The exhibit runs until Jan. 26.

According to Agner, color was the primary inspiration behind her “Hanging Gardens” collection and expresses the serenity and dynamism of the natural world.

“It was just my luck that the exhibit opened in the middle of winter when all of the real flowers outside are dead, so, at this moment, these pieces are taking their place.”