Lavender in the Leaves
Well, I found myself a little space to make magic outside of my studio rooms in my slow takeover of the entire building in which my Inspirational Parlor and Atmospheric Workshop are housed, Loring Corners. It is a tiny nook right off the elevator where I come in to work every day. The building manager and I have been discussing some installations for the building and he was kind enough to hang a vintage looking light above the little enclave for me.
I’d been daydreaming about what to do in this tiny brick surround and landed on the idea of a little Victorian setting for two. To be honest, I don’t think that two people could actually sit there comfortably for long, but just go with me on this.
What I love about the table is that it has an inset for a vase. I thought it might be fun to play around with the melding of furniture and foliage by having the abstraction of a tree grow out of the table. Hanging branches was great fun until it wasn’t.
Wiring the branches downward to land in the vase was a shifty activity. The branches and the table were having a fight for dominance and in the end, the leafy branches won out and there the table with the inset vase would stay. Let’s just say that adding the brass teapot was about as eventful. I do love this messy process, though, because it keeps me learning and trying new things.
The hero flora in this creation were full of fragrance. As Lavender Tea was served up, pouring with blossoms from the brass teapot, I surely needed to work that in. Along with that, bits of Kent Beauty Oregano and Herrenhausen Oregano made for a fine purple oregano duet! All three of these dried elements were tied together into bundled together by a handy helper in my studio, Ellen Murphy. New to dried flowers, she did a lovely job making each little bouquet unique in movement, size, and scale. Tying them in was a lot of fun until it wasn’t.
The entire installation had a mind of its own. There was a lot of literal twists and turns. I know that I could have secured everything from a few anchor points, but I really love how the natural elements flow together with minimal tacking down. Maybe my opinion will change as I get attacked by my creations over time.
All went much more smoothly as I added the final elements of lavender toned dried roses, silk ribbon and the teacups. Vases of additional lavender brought a lovely top note of aroma to the vignette. And that is all he wrote!
I do love coming to work each day and being greeted by this lavender labor of love. I know it has brightened up the days of my studio neighbors and visitors to Warmhouse Story. Pop by this Autumn and see it for yourself if you happen to be in the neighborhood. I’ll be sure to make you a fresh cuppa!