encaustic allium pounding.
My experiments with flower preservation have been a meandering journey of curiosity and whimsy. It is July in the Midwest and we are in the time of flower abundance. Our yard is filled with beebalm, allium, echinacea, hydrangea and an assortment of other blooms. Over the course of the past six weeks I have honed my flower drying, pressing and pounding techniques. I have photographed flowers and coated said photos in wax. I have pounded flowers into hot press watercolor paper brushed with a wash of alum then adhered these pounding to birch plywood and coated them in beeswax. I have pressed flowers between pages of book and pieces of blotter paper and weighted down cardboard. I've stitched tried and true mending and embroidery stitches onto paper and paired these stitchings with pressed flowers. The results swirl around me now and crowd my studio with ghostly whispers of the flowers that once were. The wax coated poundings seem to echo stories of long ago while the mendings with pressed flowers hold more possibility, like they've been given a second chance, a new opportunity, a chance to explore being from a different perspective.
encaustic photo of drying zinnias.
castilleja two ways: pressed with threaded backstitch & pounded and encased in wax.
pressed daisies & dandelions with basic weaving.
market flowers & mini-weaving.
poppy with basic weaving.
wild grasses & square chain couching.
I'm excited to continue this exploration of giving new life to that which has lost life. There is so much to learn about mending stitches and working with wax. In moments I feel discouraged by the slow pace of my stitching, but remember that the time is what imbues each piece with its new life and energy, gives it a sense of longevity. I also have crushing moments struggling with the uneven and rippled surfaces of wax on substates, but hopefully with patience and time I will find a smoother surface, achieve a more refined actualization of visions dancing in my head. Here's to the imperfection of each piece and the journey of attempting to make bits of beauty and light to share with you.