I think I have had a nice balance of city life and suburban life, as I was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. I loved the nature that the suburbs had to offer, but I loved the city way more. I have two younger brothers, one kinder than the next. (Even though we spent our entire childhood fighting over nonsense!) We grew up in a beautiful house that my mom filled with gorgeous antiques, vintage finds, and truly unique pieces that made our home so special. I grew up going to antique markets, flea markets, and every garage sale we passed with my parents. I think it gave me my appreciation for anything vintage inspired, the fun of the hunt, and one-of-a-kind items.
My first memory of creating something was a handmade “dictionary” my mom and I made in a black and white composition notebook. On every page she wrote a different letter of the alphabet, and my job was to help identify and cut out images that represented that letter. The fun part was we used family photos, and so all the pages were filled with members of our family and parts of our everyday life. It was the sweetest.
I really found my artistic style after my own wedding, when I pressed my wedding flowers to display in an organic and airy way. I wanted the aesthetic to be minimal, but the medium to hold a sentimental value. From that first frame I crafted for myself, I knew I wanted each frame to be completely unique with a mix of colors, tones, textures, shapes and sizes.
I’ve seen my initial style evolve as my clients seek beautiful new ways to preserve their flowers. From the beginning, I envisioned double-paned glass and handmade frames, allowing the flowers to float in an organic composition where the blooms don’t overlap and are given their own moment to show their natural beauty.
Knowing I’m creating something completely unique and one-of-a-kind makes me incredibly passionate about the art form I work in. Even if I have a bundle of the same flowers, each one has their own unique differences, and will press out looking slightly different than the next bloom. Knowing I can save a feeling, and a moment in time, by pressing flowers gives me the passion to keep creating.
Each commission, while similar in the medium, is always different in terms of the flowers that I use. Clients generally drop their flowers off to me at my studio, or mail their flowers to me, and I disassemble their arrangements. I take all the flowers out, sort through which ones will press best, which ones would work better as dye matter, and begin my process. I layer flowers and greens in between cardboard and paper in my flower press. I assemble the fresh flowers in my press layer by layer, and when full, I close the press up and tighten the bolts.
Weeks, and sometimes months later, I open the press to find dried out preserved flowers. Extracting the water through pressing preserves flowers in the shape in which they were pressed. I then go through with my tweezers, sorting through which flowers, leaves, and stems pressed out the best. The elements that pressed out the best will be used in my design and ultimately framed forever.
Having a creative eye helps me see beauty and optimism in everyday moments.
My art is my work, so it’s important to set personal boundaries. I love it so much I wouldn’t mind staying at my studio until the early morning hours, but giving myself time away makes my work stronger. Also, pursuing personal projects that integrate my work keeps me motivated and creatively fulfilled. Taking time to appreciate other creative mediums like live music, art galleries, or even just sketching at the end of the day prevents me from reaching the burnout point.
My biggest challenge has been organizing my collection of pressed flowers. I’ve tried it all. Over the years I’ve pressed an incredible amount of flowers and greens, and I’d love to find a way to organize them better so it makes it easier to create with them. I’m thinking this might be the year that I organize them all by color.
My studio space has evolved over the years. The thing that hasn’t changed much is how important it is to me to fill my space with inspiring and organic items. That includes dried flowers, other artists’ work, and little special items that make me happy.
I’ve designed the space to keep as much of the mess and materials behind my closet doors, so when I’m working I’m less overwhelmed and I can focus on the natural and organic materials that inspire me.
The world can feel dark and ugly sometimes; especially in the city, where natural beauty is sometimes hard to find. I’m fortunate to have a strong circle of creative women in my world. Working and collaborating together helps us all navigate even the toughest of days.
My biggest accomplishment to date had to be my feature in Vogue. As a self-made businesswoman, it was amazing to have what I saw as a small-scale business highlighted in a huge way. The acknowledgement has meant everything to me and I’m excited that it has brought me so many opportunities.
Surround yourself with items and people that inspire you. Make your space a place you enjoy going to every day, and that invites creativity. I find cleaning up at the end of each day, so that when I arrive the following morning to a clean slate, helps to cultivate the creative process. Pursuing a creative interest should challenge you, teach you, and make you really happy.
“Everyone has a creative impulse, and has the right to create, and should.”
— Patti Smith
One of my most beloved possessions is this vintage cracked glass vase. I found it with my husband (then boyfriend) on a beach out in Brooklyn almost six years ago. It was his birthday, and unseasonably warm for March, and so we went on an adventure to Dead Horse Bay. I found this vase and instantly fell in love with the detail and grit of it. We pulled some tall stalks of pampas grass, stuck it in the vase, and brought it back to our apartment with us. Years later the vase was filled with fresh flowers at our wedding, and years later it sits in my studio serving as a sweet reminder to some of my absolute favorite days.
I think I have had a nice balance of city life and suburban life, as I was born in Brooklyn and grew up on Long Island. I loved the nature that the suburbs had to offer, but I loved the city way more. I have two younger brothers, one kinder than the next. (Even though we spent our entire childhood fighting over nonsense!) We grew up in a beautiful house that my mom filled with gorgeous antiques, vintage finds, and truly unique pieces that made our home so special. I grew up going to antique markets, flea markets, and every garage sale we passed with my parents. I think it gave me my appreciation for anything vintage inspired, the fun of the hunt, and one-of-a-kind items.
My first memory of creating something was a handmade “dictionary” my mom and I made in a black and white composition notebook. On every page she wrote a different letter of the alphabet, and my job was to help identify and cut out images that represented that letter. The fun part was we used family photos, and so all the pages were filled with members of our family and parts of our everyday life. It was the sweetest.
I really found my artistic style after my own wedding, when I pressed my wedding flowers to display in an organic and airy way. I wanted the aesthetic to be minimal, but the medium to hold a sentimental value. From that first frame I crafted for myself, I knew I wanted each frame to be completely unique with a mix of colors, tones, textures, shapes and sizes.
I’ve seen my initial style evolve as my clients seek beautiful new ways to preserve their flowers. From the beginning, I envisioned double-paned glass and handmade frames, allowing the flowers to float in an organic composition where the blooms don’t overlap and are given their own moment to show their natural beauty.
Knowing I’m creating something completely unique and one-of-a-kind makes me incredibly passionate about the art form I work in. Even if I have a bundle of the same flowers, each one has their own unique differences, and will press out looking slightly different than the next bloom. Knowing I can save a feeling, and a moment in time, by pressing flowers gives me the passion to keep creating.
Each commission, while similar in the medium, is always different in terms of the flowers that I use. Clients generally drop their flowers off to me at my studio, or mail their flowers to me, and I disassemble their arrangements. I take all the flowers out, sort through which ones will press best, which ones would work better as dye matter, and begin my process. I layer flowers and greens in between cardboard and paper in my flower press. I assemble the fresh flowers in my press layer by layer, and when full, I close the press up and tighten the bolts.
Weeks, and sometimes months later, I open the press to find dried out preserved flowers. Extracting the water through pressing preserves flowers in the shape in which they were pressed. I then go through with my tweezers, sorting through which flowers, leaves, and stems pressed out the best. The elements that pressed out the best will be used in my design and ultimately framed forever.
Having a creative eye helps me see beauty and optimism in everyday moments.
My art is my work, so it’s important to set personal boundaries. I love it so much I wouldn’t mind staying at my studio until the early morning hours, but giving myself time away makes my work stronger. Also, pursuing personal projects that integrate my work keeps me motivated and creatively fulfilled. Taking time to appreciate other creative mediums like live music, art galleries, or even just sketching at the end of the day prevents me from reaching the burnout point.
My biggest challenge has been organizing my collection of pressed flowers. I’ve tried it all. Over the years I’ve pressed an incredible amount of flowers and greens, and I’d love to find a way to organize them better so it makes it easier to create with them. I’m thinking this might be the year that I organize them all by color.
My studio space has evolved over the years. The thing that hasn’t changed much is how important it is to me to fill my space with inspiring and organic items. That includes dried flowers, other artists’ work, and little special items that make me happy.
I’ve designed the space to keep as much of the mess and materials behind my closet doors, so when I’m working I’m less overwhelmed and I can focus on the natural and organic materials that inspire me.
The world can feel dark and ugly sometimes; especially in the city, where natural beauty is sometimes hard to find. I’m fortunate to have a strong circle of creative women in my world. Working and collaborating together helps us all navigate even the toughest of days.
My biggest accomplishment to date had to be my feature in Vogue. As a self-made businesswoman, it was amazing to have what I saw as a small-scale business highlighted in a huge way. The acknowledgement has meant everything to me and I’m excited that it has brought me so many opportunities.
Surround yourself with items and people that inspire you. Make your space a place you enjoy going to every day, and that invites creativity. I find cleaning up at the end of each day, so that when I arrive the following morning to a clean slate, helps to cultivate the creative process. Pursuing a creative interest should challenge you, teach you, and make you really happy.
“Everyone has a creative impulse, and has the right to create, and should.”
— Patti Smith
One of my most beloved possessions is this vintage cracked glass vase. I found it with my husband (then boyfriend) on a beach out in Brooklyn almost six years ago. It was his birthday, and unseasonably warm for March, and so we went on an adventure to Dead Horse Bay. I found this vase and instantly fell in love with the detail and grit of it. We pulled some tall stalks of pampas grass, stuck it in the vase, and brought it back to our apartment with us. Years later the vase was filled with fresh flowers at our wedding, and years later it sits in my studio serving as a sweet reminder to some of my absolute favorite days.
