There’s nothing as beautiful in this world as Mother Nature and Bridget Collins’ uses it as her inspiration for her botanical artwork. From peacocks to portraits of Frida Kahlo, each piece of artwork from the artist has one thing in common—flowers. While her work looks like watercolor or papier-mâché, the 3D effect is actually achieved from plants and flowers that Collins has foraged.
Known as Flora Forager on social media, the mom of three boys started her work back in 2008 after finding inspiration in her garden.
“I was walking through my garden one day, with my first little boy, who was 1, and saw a goldfish in the flowers. Then, I looked again and realized my brain was playing tricks on me. It was an orange poppy whose shiny petals looked like fins. I brought it inside and put the petals on a page like fins and painted the body. Over the years, I played around with other animals and scenes, started posting on Instagram, and Flora Forager came about,” Collins told Better Homes & Gardens.
Collins’ work isn’t just limited to paintings and artwork, she also incorporates flowers in her baked goods ad DIY flower crowns. She sources the flowers from bouquets, parks, gardens, and other spaces in Seattle.
In addition to her art, Collins has published two books, Flora Forager ABC and The Art of Flora Forager, and two journals, Metamorphosis: A Flora Forager Journal and Flora Forager: A Seasonal Journal Collected from Nature. Currently, she’s working on another book and creating art.
