‘I’m drawn to nature!’
For artist Helen Ahpornsiri, the natural world provides both the inspiration and materials for her work
Meet the artist inspired by the natural world
Sitting at the desk in my living room, I gently place a tiny pressed petal on to the piece of art paper in front of me. Bit by bit, I carefully arrange and glue further petals and leaves on to the page and the shape of a butterfly becomes clearer. Around me, all is still and quiet. I feel completely at peace, marvelling that I get to call this my work.
I’ve always been drawn to nature. As a child, my mum used to give me a tray of soil and set me the task of designing a garden using petals and leaves. As I grew older, flower pressing became a favourite hobby of mine; I loved to spend afternoons among beautiful plants and then discover them inside books weeks, or even months, later.
I went on to do a degree in illustration at the Falmouth School of Art. After graduation, I got a job as a gift wrapper at Harrods as well as doing freelance design work for companies on the side. City life was fast paced and stressful, and my mental health suffered. When I began getting panic attacks, I knew it was time to take stock of my life. I yearned to be back in the countryside, so in
2013, I left London to move back in with my parents in Eastbourne, East Sussex.
‘You need to spend more time doing things that help you relax and unwind,’ the local GP advised. So, I started going for walks in nearby Abbot’s Wood. That’s when I rediscovered the calming effects of immersing myself in nature.
I knew I couldn’t go back to my old life in London, but I had to start work again. I just had no idea what I was going to do. In the end, the natural world inspired me…
PRESSING MATTERS
Recalling my favourite hobby as a child, I dusted off my old flower-press kit. Ferns are my favourite plants, so I started experimenting with them. I collected and pressed the leaves, and then cut out tiny shapes using a scalpel. I then placed them on the paper, shaping and sticking them into a fern. I was so pleased with the result – it looked far more beautiful than the ink version!
I’d made five of these pictures when a friend convinced me to take them to my local gallery. I’m quite shy, but I thought, ‘What have I got to lose?’
Fortunately, the gallery loved the unique nature of my work, so I began selling it. I experimented with petals and leaves, designing prints of everything from forest fungi to squirrels and birds. If ever I needed inspiration, I just went outside!
I had my prints framed and hung on the gallery walls for sale. Priced between £60 and £100, I took 50% of the sales. After the cost of framing, printing and travelling, the profit was small – if anything at all – but I learned a lot and it boosted my confidence.
At the same time, I started my Etsy shop and business picked up as I shared my work on social media and it was featured on art blogs. Each design takes up to two weeks to create, not including the pressing time, so it requires patience, but I find it so peaceful. My work is seasonal because there are more petals and leaves during spring and summer, so I do a lot of picking and pressing at this time and more artwork later in the year.
A FLOURISHING BUSINESS
Since I first started selling my designs in 2014, my business has grown.
I no longer sell at galleries, but my Etsy shop is thriving. The Art Group (artgroup.com) now prints a line of my designs, which also go to gift stores and framing shops. I was also approached by a publisher to illustrate a picture book, A Year In The Wild.
Seeing it on the shelf at my local branch of Waterstones was surreal but joyous. People get in touch to tell me how my work has inspired them to try flower pressing again, and some send me photos of things they have pressed.
I’m so glad I left my old life behind.
Not only was I able to start a business I adore, but I also found love: I met John, a filmmaker, through a mutual friend shortly after moving back to Eastbourne and we now have our own home together. I work at a desk in our living room – the surface of which often disappears under papers and petals – but the best thing for me is our little garden, where I get to grow plants that I can use for my art. My mental health is also so much better than it used to be. Every day, flowers and forests relax and inspire me, and my art keeps me calm and content. I am grateful that I can spend my life this way.