We're so excited to launch our collection of Floral collage art.
I have to let you know that this collection has been a long time coming, and it really took me a while to talk myself into putting it out there.
Back when I was a wee little girl, I had an art teacher in 6th grade who asked us to paint an image that depicted what we thought "thanksgiving" meant to us.
Naturally, I drew a picture of my cousins and I throwing a football. Like you do on Thanksgiving. I know it wasn't a masterpiece, but I remember adding a lot of details and also being shy about showing off my work to the class.
That teacher took one look at my work and literally said "that looks like a turd," referencing my football- and of course all my classmates laughed because thats what you do when anyone references "poop" in the 6th grade.
Well that was the moment that "art" became a running joke in my life. Whenever I was tasked at visually creating anything, I immediately would let everyone know that I had zero art skills. Creating didn't feel good because I was so worried about how other people saw it.
When we launched our jewelry line, it was super scary. We got a lot of initial support that gave me the confidence to keep going but I when nature is the star of your work, its easy to brush off any credit for design. The flowers are what is beautiful, resin is just a skill I've mastered.
And yall, it still follows me. We've been selling our products for nearly a decade and I still get uncomfortable calling myself an "artist."
Over the last decade I was lucky to get to participate in many summers of adult art camp, where I was introduced to many skills and forms of visual art. I began experimenting with flowers as a medium in other ways besides resin, and it became therapeutic.
I started making these flower collages a few years ago when I was pregnant with my daughter. The pandemic was in full swing and markets were on hold, so I had the free time to make art just to make art. I started with the idea to make a few things for her nursery, but it quickly became so much more than that, It became my late night journal, my nervous outlet.
It took me a while to muster up the courage to share them. They feel so much more personal than our jewelry. I have to tell you, I still feel really nervous before I hit share on my art.
But the response has been really positive, and I have so much gratitude for that. I really can't believe that so many people have something I made hanging on their wall . That's "pinch me" kind of insane.. I still cringe when someone calls me an artist, and I'm still not creating masterpieces, but I do hope they make you smile a little bit.
-Carissa