Bloom As You Are — Flower Basket

Bloom as You Are

Bloom through your cracks 
Where the light shines in
Stitch yourself back together into a new work
Let your worn, storied self shine
Authentically, just as you are
Be you,
It helps others bloom too

The Story

This arrangement symbolizes the artist’s community, inspiration, and collaboration.  The flowers were built with over 30 different types of glass remnants. As the makerspace they were created in, they represent so many stories… coming together to make a joyful bouquet. Each piece of glass is beautiful and unique individually, yet also very important to the whole harmonious arrangement. 

The bottlecap flower design was inspired by another maker’s bottle collection. The theme of these flowers and their container are a nod towards their interests, individuality, and the fun stories they have shared with the community. Others helped collect the bottlecaps.  (One even drank a beer on request so the artist could have the specific cap needed.) Metal sheeting and recycled wire was scrapped and contributed by a Bloomington artist. The base was acquired by a truck driving friend, who bought some lovely pieces of scrap wood from a luthier along his route. Each piece arrived from different circumstances, locations, and people to make a new bouquet, a new story.  

The artist had fun gathering all of these materials and ideas from her wonderful community. She literally tripped over the perfect creel in a salvage store. The vine leaves were carefully fashioned from the original bottle cap flower inspirations, Ale-8-1 bottles. Each leaf is as unique as the makers who inspire her.  Then, playing off of the musical theme of the luthier provided base, she decided to use piano wire for vines. They create real movement in the piece and add to the symbolism of the harmonious community in which the artist creates. 

This project represents the Makerspace as a whole. The artist and her help used the three main shops: metal, wood, and glassworks; plus resin, CAD, and 3d printing elements to complete this work. She is grateful to the many makers who contributed to this by donation, inspiration, education, encouragement, and technical support. Without her community, her art would not exist.

*luthier- a skilled artisan who builds instruments

*creel- a traditional woven wicker basket used by anglers to store and carry freshly caught fish

 (See the Bloom Inspired — Bottle Cap Flowers project for more info on the flowers’ story)