STATEMENT

My floral collages are improvised jigsaw puzzles. Nature has created the shapes and colors – I’m just doing some flat flower arranging in a surprising way! As I sift through my pressed flower materials, I focus my attention on the shapes and colors, finding the edge and focal pieces first, and eventually arriving at a satisfying, balanced arrangement. To prevent fading, every petal and leaf has been hand colored using pure pastel pigment chalk which is applied with a q-tip. Then everything is glued down. It’s a very fiddly part of the process, but so worth it! I hope I can inspire people to look at flora and fauna with fresh eyes.

BIOGRAPHY

Sally Stang is a multimedia artist. She began her pressed flower journey over 40 years ago. Her early work was more traditional Victorian “parlor art”, that is, simple botanicals or bouquets pressed under glass. Eventually, inspired by medieval illuminated pages and hieroglyphics, her floral work evolved into a complex mosaic style which also adds stems, pods, seeds, insect wings and feathers. After years of experimentation, Sally has invented a unique method to prevent fading. Every petal and leaf has been hand-colored using pure pastel pigment chalk which is applied with a q-tip.

STATEMENT

My floral collages are improvised jigsaw puzzles. Nature has created the shapes and colors – I’m just doing some flat flower arranging in a surprising way!

As I sift through my pressed flower materials, I focus my attention on the shapes and colors, finding the edge and focal pieces first, and eventually arriving at a satisfying, balanced arrangement.

After years of experimentation, I have invented a unique method to prevent fading. Every petal and leaf has been hand colored using pure pastel pigment chalk which is applied with a q-tip. Then everything is glued down. It’s a very fiddly part of the process, but so worth it!

I hope I can inspire people to look at flora and fauna with fresh eyes.

BIOGRAPHY

Sally Stang is a multimedia artist. She began her pressed flower journey over 40 years ago.

Her early work was more traditional Victorian “parlor art”, that is, simple botanicals or bouquets pressed under glass. Eventually, inspired by medieval illuminated pages and hieroglyphics, her floral work evolved into a complex mosaic style which also adds stems, pods, seeds, insect wings and feathers.