Springtime means flowers!  I love the beauty of flowers, even though my lungs don't always enjoy them...it's an asthma thing.
     I enjoy using flowers in my artwork, and do so in a variety of ways.  It's fun to wad up a paper towel into a little rosette, dab it in a two or three colors of coordinating paint, and then made loose twists of paint onto the canvas, creating a delightful flower!
     Sometimes while out taking a walk, I'll collect flowers in my pockets (or, if I remember to, I'll take along a baggie w/me).  When back home, I press them in a phone book, between pieces of wax paper.  When dry, I them slip them into separate baggies w/a piece of lightweight cardboard, for support.  Those photo storage boxes from Michaels are perfect for storing them.  This method keeps them safe until I want to use them on a canvas....nothing like a beautiful 3-D accent to make your piece come alive! (I love it when a customer says, "wow...are those real flowers?!?"
     Another fun thing to do is to dry a flower on its stem & use it (gently!) for a bookmark.  (Sturdier flowers work best.)  It's also fun to dry them in books on your bookshelf.  They make a nice surprise for when you read that lucky book!
     One of my specialties, for which my artwork is known, is to creatively paint sturdy paper (I like to use cardstock), let it dry, and cut out flower shapes.  I then use markers and pens to add amazing, interesting details.  Sometimes I'll double them up, creating "double decker", stacked flowers.  These delightful, handmade flowers are then applied to my canvas.  If I want a 3-D effect, which I usually do!, I'll just bend the petals to make the flowers "pop" off the canvas!  The flowers can be placed along the sides of the canvas, as well, to create a nice wrap around effect to your piece.
     As you can see, I love using flowers in my artwork!  I'd love to hear how you use them in your work, at:
https://www.facebook.com/LauratheArtiste/
      Enjoy your Spring!