Botanique

For the past several years, almost all of my 1:1 students have wanted to learn how to create light, airy designs with unique and compelling movement. A question that has come up over and over is how to balance the visual weight in a design- How do you create ample substance, but not too much to the point where designs start to feel chunky and cumbersome? How do you create that light and airy feel, where the flowers seem to dance so gracefully, in just the right places? How do you know when to stop, or how to edit a design to create the most powerful impact? There are so many ways to approach these questions, but my favorite one at the moment is through the lens of negative space- the “empty” places inside a design that allow for breath, and also bring the movement of a design into focus.

The Negative Space workshop will be a three-hour, hands-on session devoted to exploring these questions and more. We will go over both mechanics and artistic considerations- foam free mechanics of course! We will be working in shallow vessels, using flower frogs as anchors. Frogs can be tricky to get the hang of, but once you do they really open up possibilities within your designs, especially for those where air and movement are key.

I hope you will join me for this special workshop! Sunday, July 14th from 9am-noon! One BIPOC scholarship available, and early bird pricing ($50 off!) through 6/14!! Details here: https://botanique.bigcartel.com/product/negative-space-a-floral-design-workshop

Hello and happy spring! We have a new workshop coming up on June 9th! We'll be working with a combination of lush, full blooms and whimsical elements to create designs that echo the season. Link with more details and to register here: https://botanique.bigcartel.com/product/wild-abundance

Hope to see you there!

After a loooooong pause, we are finally offering in-person workshops again! The next two are coming up on May 28th (a great Mother's Day gift 😉) and June 14th. All details and registration are available at this link: https://botanique.bigcartel.com/

WORKSHOP ANNOUNCEMENT!

I have long wanted to host a workshop around Mother’s Day, to honor all the mothers in our lives, whoever they might be. After becoming a mother myself a few years ago, I have been feeling more excitement to create a special experience to celebrate our mothers (including Mother Earth 🌍!), or to pamper yourself of you are a mother. This year the stars aligned for this workshop to come together, and I am very excited to offer it to you!

This class is geared towards beginning/novice designers, but is open to all. In addition to learning to create a gorgeous, seasonal arrangement, we’ll be noshing on delicious pastries from Columbia City Bakery and drinking Caffe Vita coffee! Link with more info and to register: https://botanique.bigcartel.com/product/mother-s-day-floral-design-workshop

Hi, I’m Kelly, the owner and Creative Director of Botanique.

This photo was taken while I was teaching a workshop earlier this spring. Full Disclosure: I was so nervous about the workshop, that I barely slept the night before. This particular workshop was very close to my heart, and I just had one of those nights where my mind went crazy and I couldn't let it rest.

I "woke up" when it started to get light outside, and figured I better do something to calm my nerves. I went out into the forest and garden at the beautiful property where the workshop was being held (Wildshoot Forest and Farm), and foraged big leaf maple branches, aspen and snowball viburnum. I made a big flower chandelier to hang above the work table where the attendees would soon be gathering. I took a deep breath. I looked at the buckets of flowers I had curated for the workshop. I said, "I can do this!" And then I did it.

It's not always easy to pursue your passions. For me it is almost always HARDEST when I really care about something. I truly love teaching, and I really care about the people who invest their time and energy with me... so I often face a mountain of anxiety as I prepare for a big workshop or lesson, as I care so deeply about my students having a great experience.

But if I can face my fears, you can too. We all can. So here’s to finding the courage to go for it! .

I just sent an email to my subscribers outlining my plans for Botanqiue’s workshops in 2019! I'll be sharing more details here over the coming days, including some special “Mini Sessions” coming in late January, so stay tuned! If you have dreams and goals to learn how to grow and/or arrange flowers this coming year, you can do it! And I’d be honored to support you along the way. .

Photo: Anna Peters