Deer Proof Heirloom Flowers

As much as I look forward to ordering my flower seeds every year, I take my yearly seed ordering duties very seriously. I scour piles of different seed catalogues; and check out countless websites - looking for the most beautiful, new and unusual pressable flowers I can find. And, being the cheapskate I am, I’m always very interested in getting the most for my money. My calculator gets a workout.

All of this takes quite awhile, and when I’m finally done, it’s a blessing. But the other day, a friend of mine gave me a link to one of the most unusual flower website I’ve seen, and despite being a bit “burnt out” from flower ordering, I thought this site was a hoot. Deer Proof Heirloom Flowers is a small collection of age old flowers from old home sites in Appalachia, and the “stories” of the women who raised them. The stories are written in the dialect of the hills, and most of them are hilarious, a few are a bit spicy, and one or two are kind of sad.

What a clever idea for a flower site! I’d love to know if marketing their flowers this way is successful for them. At any rate, I’m thinking that Jane Linscott's flowering onions are a definite maybe. What do you think?

Gallery Reception Part 2

The reception at the gallery last week went great!

Although the majority of the people stopping by were friends, family, and fellow gallery members (as opposed to throngs of art dealers clamoring for my art) both Lisa and I made a number of sales. Of course, we especially enjoyed spending the afternoon mingling and snacking. Here are a few more pictures, if you're interested.

Next Saturday at the gallery is my “Adventures in Handmade Papermaking for Beginners” class. I’ll be teaching my students how to make various types of handmade paper primarily from recycled paper. Some of the different types of paper we’ll be making include: flower petal paper, confetti paper, flax paper, and green tea paper (my favorite at the moment). Specific techniques will include coloration, and incorporating wire embossing and string lamination, among other things. The last segment of the workshop will be a “free for all” where the students will be able to combine all the techniques they’ve learned and come up with their own unique papers.

I’m looking forward to it! I always seem to learn something each time I teach a class – either about the techniques themselves, or from the contagious enthusiasm and fresh ideas my students come up with.

Gallery Reception Part 1

I've been busy finishing up a few last minute details as I get ready for my Artist Reception this Sunday. Lisa Clark and I are the featured artists in the Antioch Fine Arts Foundation's White Room during the month of February,and we are planning quite a (kid friendly) party. A number of my new botanical art pieces will be on display, and well as my pressed flower cards, botanical journals, and samples of my handmade paper. Lisa's offerings include oils, photography, altered art, jewelry, purses and hurricane candles.

Our reception will take place from 2:00 - 4:00 at the Antioch Fine Arts Gallery, 983 Main Street, in Antioch, Il. Please join us if you're in the area!