From Forest to Studio

Most pieces start outside the studio: a branch that fell after rain, a leaf with an interesting edge, a flower past its first bloom but still holding its color. None of it looks finished at first.

Back on the table, materials are sorted by moisture, thickness and how they are likely to hold up under pressing or resin. Some are ready in a week; others are set aside for a season before they are used.

This is the slow part of the work, and it rarely gets photographed. But many choices about a keepsake are made here, before anything begins to look finished.