May flowers: art challenge recap

over the past month, i've been participating in a creative art challenge...
the #flowermonth2022 challenge on Instagram
was sponsored by three artists,
with thousands of creative people around the globe participating.
each interpreted the prompts - an alphabetical listing of flowers - 
in their own style and method.
it has proved to be not just a fun exercise for me,
but also an educational experience,
as i've seen many variations on the themes in many different art mediums.

my own creations for this challenge
were all made from materials & elements that i have here at home - 

all reused, repurposed, recycled, and turned into flowers & foliage:

scrap paper, paint, paint pens, colored pencils, felt pens, fabric, gift wrap, 
wood blocks, vintage crepe paper, tissue paper, wire, sweaters, yarn, 
vintage jewelry, sewing pins, even plastic parts from dollar store flowers.

though my original plan was to make 12 different flowers, as shown here,
it quickly expanded to a plan for 14 blooms - 

and then i added one more at the last minute!

continue reading to see all 15 floral creations from my studio...
below, all of the flowers i created...
click on the YELLOW link to visit a blog post with more details!

day 2: buttercup                      |          day 4: daffodil, daisy, and dandelion

the buttercup was made from thin floral wire, file folder stickers, and a tuft of yellow yarn.
i mounted it onto a paper collage background in a 'chin up, buttercup!' play on words.

three different daffodils were made from paint chip paper,
white cardstock paper, and vintage crepe paper.

...but i didn't stop there!!!
the daisy appears as a paper collage (a store receipt!) on a notebook cover,
plus two tiny dandelions made from vintage crepe paper.

day 6: frangipani (plumeria)  with day 8: hibiscus   |      day 7: gerbera

tiny frangipani / plumeria blooms were made from white cotton fabric,
a sewing pin, and wispy eyelash yarn.
in the photo above, i paired them with hibiscus formed from tissue paper
dipped in paint and secured using the plastic center of a dollar store flower!

the gerbera is a scrap paper collage, with some petals bent upward to create dimension.

day 13: marigold                |                  day 16: poppy

the life-size marigolds were made from vintage crepe paper and a tuft of yarn.

the icelandic poppy was made like the hibiscus shown up above,
from tissue paper petals dipped in paint
 then secured using the plastic stem of a dollar store flower.
(secret: i made the poppy first. then i re-cut the petals and made the hibiscus!)

day 18: rose                             |                 day 19: sunflower 

this rose bloom is made from a paper coffee filter,
dipped into a paint wash and then rolled up and secured with a rubber band.
the petals 'fluffed' outward give it a 'blowsy' effect.

the sunflower is much like the gerbera shown above,
made as a paper collage using a vintage music songbook cover.
 embellished with paint, paint pens, colored pencils, and a Sharpie marker.

day 20: tulip                       |                   day 25: yarrow

the tulip is my take on 'POP art', using white cardstock paper
and a bold black Sharpie pen outline.

the yarrow flower stem is made from thin floral wire,
with fluffy bits of sweater yarn glued on as blossoms.

day 26: zinnia

the zinnias are simply painted wood medallions,
which i found at the local Habitat for Humanity ReStore shop.
layers of paint applied to the grooves in the wood bring out the details.

...and the four final categories:

day 27: spring flowers                        |             day 28: summer flowers

i gathered up the 'springiest' flowers for the spring flower category - 
daffodils, tulip, and buttercup.

the hibiscus and frangipani are summer flowers that fit perfectly on a straw hat brim.

day 29: fall flowers          |           day 30:  holiday flowers

for me, autumn leaves and foliage are as beautiful as any fall flower -
 so i made leaves from scrap paper, magazines, and gift wrap!

the poinsettia is a perfect holiday flower.
this one is made from curvy chenille stems,
 while a lovely vintage shoe clip serves as the center bracts.

from plan to projects - completed!
it's been a fun month of creating these blossoms,
and i really loved seeing what other artists / creatives did.
when all of my flowers were complete, i did one more thing with them...
and i'll share it in my next post! stay tuned!


see all of the amazing entries in this challenge on IG
by clicking this hashtag: #flowermonth2022 

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