I Balance Twigs And Flowers To Create Intricate Portraits Out Of Mother Nature

Nothing taped, nothing glued, just Mother Nature balancing delicately on itself. The actual act of creating each original piece, for me, is therapeutic, spending lots of time outside walking and foraging, truly in the moment, my eyes scanning every square inch of my surroundings.

A fallen leaf goes into the bag, later it may become an eyebrow or dog ear. I pick up thin twigs, hoping they’ll work as a cheekbone or chin. The possibilities seem endless!

Once back in my studio, the twigs go down to form the face. Sifting through fresh rose petals, I’m in search of the perfect pair of lips. Next, being very careful not to sneeze, I use my tweezers to place the white petal of a German Statice as the finishing highlight in the eye. There’s a freedom in knowing everything I’m doing is temporary.

After I finish the piece, I document it with a photograph, being very careful not to bump the table and Mother Nature’s house of cards. The last step is to recycle it all back into the earth or into my next piece.

Everything you see in these portraits came directly from the earth. It's my way of paying respect to Mother Nature in a sustainable way. Anyone can try this at home! Forage your neighborhood for fallen bits or do some snipping from your own garden, find a flat surface, and see where it takes you!

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