My last years of high school and first years of college I worked in a floral shop at my local mall. It was one of my favorite seasons of employment. That job taught me so many things, such as the names of plants and how to care for them, customer service, and how seasonally demanding the floral industry can be. While I was there my managers saw my creative skills and allowed me to decorate wreaths and make corsages and boutonnieres. One of the highlights of the job was delivering floral arrangements to a customer’s home. It was often a surprise to the recipient and the expression of joy and gratitude always warmed my heart. That job gave me an appreciation of the fragrance and beauty of flowers.
When it came time for our wedding, my husband and I were fortunate enough to be able to have the ceremony in a beautiful azalea garden that belonged to a family in NC. The garden was breathtaking with a pond, tall pine trees, dogwood trees and azaleas filling the grounds. It was a magnificent place. Our first home had some landscaping done by the previous owners, but we expanded it with plants that would flower throughout the spring and summer. There were also pots of flowers on our deck and by the entrance doors. Our affection for a beautiful garden was apparent to any visitor.
Even though I am very fond of flowers, I’ve shied away from creating artwork about flowers until now. Maybe because the market is full of floral artwork, maybe because I fear not being able to capture their true beauty. I’m not sure the exact reason, but I decided to give it a try and see what comes of it. These flowers are more on the wild side, as if they popped up in a field that hasn’t been mowed. They are whimsical and abstract and have zany names to describe them. I hope you enjoy the release of this Zany collection of wildflowers.