Nitty Valentin, Floral Designer, South Coast, NSW

Tell us about yourself and what you do?

Hey, I am Nitty. I own a wedding, events & workshop floral business on the South Coast of NSW, named “Follow Your Nose”. I am a studio-based florist and I am lucky enough to be able to create ‘Native Chic’ florals for the special moments in my clients lives, I also get the chance to surround myself with the most beautiful people when I organise and teach my floral workshops.

Why did you decide to begin floristry?

I have always been a lover of gift-giving and as time went on, I really enjoyed picking up a bunch of flowers to add to every gift I was giving, eventually I became interested in individually choosing the florals at the shop & putting them together myself (they weren’t good haha, but I liked the idea of it!) I then found myself at a flower-workshop and from there the desire turned into passion and after attending two more workshops, I was hooked. I signed up for the next available course and basically the rest was history. I became so infatuated with all things florals and knew this is what I wanted to do!  

What’s your creative process?

That’s a tough one, for me creating becomes one big mess. Most people would probably walk into my studio and feel extremely overwhelmed. But, I promise there is a method to the madness. Basically, I like to write out what I will be making and annoyingly, I probably write out my lists 10 times before I am comfortable with what I am about to create. Once my lists are written, I must have at least one work table completely clean so I can lay everything out that I am going to use. Then I get to creating. Sometimes I start and everything falls into place naturally. Other times I have to make a bouquet, pop it in the fridge & come back to it in an hour later to make sure I like the way it is sitting. I am guilty for over thinking things and remaking them, but most of the time, if I don’t 100% love the way it is looking, I would rather start fresh so it looks the way I want it to. A lot of the time, as a florist there is a client-brief to follow, but over the years I feel like my style has really begun to shape the clients I attract. I am generally drawn to all Native flora, but I find ways to add softer flowers/foliage’s to give it more of a romantic look.

A fun fact about yourself?

I am a part time disability companionship worker & have the pleasure of assisting the most beautiful human in his day to day activities. It has been the greatest honour & biggest accomplishments of my life. I never knew the feeling of truly caring for someone with every ounce of my being until I was blessed to meet him and be there for him. 

When or how do you feel most inspired to create?

I am most inspired to create once I have had the chance to organise myself and declutter my thought space, allowing me to be fully immersed in what I am doing. I love over cast days because I get all cosy & creative and don’t feel like I am missing out on the going to the beach. I also hate feeling hot when I am creating, so a nice cold day is perfect for the creative mind. 

How would you describe your aesthetic?

I was introduced to the words “Native Chic” by a lovely gal-pal who came to do some work with me recently. She described my work as Native Chic and ever since I haven’t stopped using it. I think native florals often get quite a masculine point of view, so I love softening them by adding some more romantic florals to the overall look. I am also very attracted to warm, autumn colours and will always flock straight to them at the flower market.

A word of encouragement for Beginner Flower Designers?

YOU GOT THIS!!! Don’t be afraid to dive into your own personal style, avoid spending too much time comparing your work to other florists and just follow your own rules. There is no right or wrong, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and you will attract others who love your style and what you do. Ask your fave floral-babe to let you come and do some work experience so you can build that confidence that is burning inside you and never ever let anyone tell you you’re not good enough! Let your work speak for itself!

Who are some other florists who inspire you?

There’s actually alot, my local area has some of the most incredible florists in the world and if you are lucky enough to get flowers from them than I am sure you have held pure magic in your hands. Some of my faves are: Film and Foliage, Gypsy Carmen, Emily Nicole Florals, Lady Gnarbo, Fleurescent.

What kind of flower brings you the most joy?

I really love Flowering Gum, when it is in season I think I nearly cause car accidents when I slow down, admiring its beauty. They look like bright fireworks on trees and they are just the most beautiful texture. I am also very well known for throwing a King Protea in most of my bridal bouquets, they are definitely a show stopper!!!

What do you hope to achieve in 2021?

I hope to run frequent workshops once we move into our new house & build my new studio!!! (top secret - heard it here first, haha) I also hope to organise a mini retreat sometime this year for all my flower enthusiasts out there!!

You can find more of Nitty’s work here:

Follow Your Nose Instagram

Follow Your Nose Workshops Instagram

Youki, Creative Director, MIDNIGHT Flowers & Sharps, Yarra Valley

Tell us about yourself and what you do?

My name is Youki, and I’m a florist based in the Yarra Valley. I’m a single mum to two wonderful children, and a mum of three businesses - Sugar Bee Flowers (wedding flowers), MIDNIGHT flowers and sharps (cute little retail store on main street Healesville) and Hamono Studios (Japanese knife wholesaler). I have been running my own businesses since 2009, which is when I was pregnant with my second baby.

Have you always had an interest in flowers?

Yes and no. Ever since when I was little, I always knew I loved colours. I would gather wild flowers and foliage, autumn leaves and different soils, and line them up on the ground in different combinations. I got into floristry when I got married and the flowers that arrived on the day were nothing like what I had asked for. It was actually a blessing in disguise, as it led me to the path of flower life.

What inspired you to open Midnight Flowers & Sharps?

When I took over MIDNIGHT flowers and sharps in April 2019, I was already into my tenth year of my wedding flower career and was looking for another creative outlet. At that time I had met a knife maker based in Japan, and he was looking for a way to distribute the knives all over Australia and New Zealand, and I thought what a wonderful way to incorporate the two (flowers and knives) while supporting other local artists and creatives who produce amazing, inspiring products!

What kind of flower brings you the most joy?

All seasonal flowers bring me so much joy and happiness. When I go into the market and see a new flower that has come into season, it makes my heart feel like it’s squeezed so hard that it might explode. Spring flowers especially gets me so excited - like Sweet Peas, Ranunculus, Andromeda, and Daphne.. oh my!

What’s your creative process?

All of my floral creative energy comes from seasonal flowers and colours. I often work to people’s preferences, so I make sure I listen to what people want and create that in the best way I can. Otherwise, if I have the creative freedom, then I will pick up my favourite flower (often a rose) and start building from there, taking inspiration from the shades of colours and seasonal textures.

Are there any other florists that inspire you?

Sarah Ryhanen from SAIPUA has always inspired me. Her combinations of colours and textures are just breathtaking, she uses seasonal flowers always, and has always been an advocate for sustainable floristry. I attended Sarah & Nicolette’s flower course in Sydney years ago and it was an absolute dream come true!

Tell us about the most memorable event you can think of in your career?

There are so many, from the gorgeous wedding styling that we have created, to the day that I took over the shop in Healesville, to the all-nighter at work I’d done with my staff to get ready for a wedding. But I think opening the workshop in Coldstream for Sugar Bee Flowers, and taking over the shop in Healesville are both fond moments for me. There were so much emotions - combination of excitement, joy, accomplishment, fear, anxiety, exhaustion... and everything in between!

Any music, artists, books, that you’re loving right now?

I have been immersing myself in a book called Gene Keys. It’s highly spiritual, and has given me so much wisdom. I think everyone should read it!

Favourite weekend activity?

At the moment we can’t really do much so I’ve been walking my dog A LOT. He’s never been this happy I don’t think. When we weren’t in lockdown, I would go out for dinners and try to spend time with friends, who inspire and motivate me to become a better person.

How did COVID affect the floral industry, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this?

Because there are no weddings and events, the wholesalers, growers and florist have though that we would be doomed.. but how we were wrong! Although we are not using as much flowers as we would in weddings or events, many florists have become extremely busy with bouquet deliveries. People were sending flowers to their family, friends and loved ones to cheer each other up, and I feel like I have been immersed in people’s kindness throughout COVID.

When COVID hit, there was a time import flowers weren’t coming in, which then made us florist rely on the local growers. I cant speak for growers who always work very hard, but I think it would’ve been a fantastic thing to happen, for buyers and some wholesalers to realise the value of locally grown flowers. We really couldn’t do without the local cut flower growers and I hope all florists continue choosing local flowers over imported flowers.

you can find more of Youki’s work here:

Sugarbee Flowers Instagram

MIDNIGHT Flowers & Sharps Instagram

Hamono Studios Instagram

MIDNIGHT Flowers & Sharps Website

Catherine Jensen, Photographer, Melbourne

Tell us about yourself and what you do?

I’m a 31 year old human who’s obsessed with flowers and in perpetual awe of nature in general. I have a few different balls in the air at the moment, spending my days creating photographic floral works for my little print business, making music and now I’m just about to head back to uni (yikes) to do finish my masters.

How did Catherine Jensen Design start?

I started creating my floral prints a few years ago after being diagnosed with a movement disorder known as Dystonia 6, a genetic condition where your muscles start to work against the motions you're most practised at. I’d started having symptoms when I was 18 but because it’s quite rare, it took 8 years for doctors to figure out what was going on. I had many things to be joyful for during that period but it was also a really tricky time. I’d always been very active and loved working with my hands, and I could feel myself slowly becoming less capable of engaging in the things I love most. At the time of my diagnosis, I was in complete no man's land about what I wanted to do career wise, grieving for the life I thought I’d have and struggling to find purpose in my days. The prints where born during this time. I’d become a Christian a few years earlier and despite my confusion over what the future held, I truly believed (still do) that God loved me and and would work all these hard things together for blessing.

Spurred on by this faith, I started getting up every morning and praying that God would give me inspiration for the day ahead and he really met me in that. I kicked off drawing and then when my hand began stiffening up, I moved on to taking photos. I chose flowers as my subject because I was spending my days surrounded by the most beautiful blooms as I worked away in my parents back garden. I became utterly entranced by the abundance of different colours, shapes, textures and seasons that made each flower unique in its beauty, and decided to create a series of works that reflected these characteristics. I wanted to try and share with people what I was seeing when I looked at each individual flower. However strangely, it's through this creative process that I became more able to trust the way God’s made me and rest peacefully in the knowledge that just because my disorder has changed my shapes and colours, it doesn’t make them any less beautiful or void them of purpose. They've just changed the way I bloom. Corny but oh so true. My hope for these prints is that they would uplifting, bringing a little bit of peace and a simple dose of beauty to the lives of those who acquire them. 

What kind of flower brings you the most joy?

It’s so hard to choose just one! But if I had to it would be the Wisteria in all its colours. I love the way they climb and entangle themselves around an arbor or pergola, and how the flowers fall from the branches. It looks straight out of a fairytale.

What’s your creative process?

It usually starts with me having an idea and developing a clear picture of what I want to create in my head. This is followed by a series of photographic iterations and digital editing that goes on until I’m happy with the result. Sometimes it takes a couple of hours and sometimes a couple of days. 

A fun fact about yourself?

I still love climbing trees. I don’t understand why people stop doing this post childhood. It’s pretty darn fun!

When or how do you feel most inspired to create?

Hard to say, because it’s something that ebbs and flows so much for me. I do think though that the times where I’m most inspired to create are born of moments where I’m stirred emotionally to joy, sorrow or anything in between, by various personal or collective circumstances. 

How would you describe your aesthetic?

Minimal and colourful.

If you could choose any vocation in the world which would you choose?

A film composer or some kind of writer.

Who are some other artists that inspire you?

From musicians to filmmakers, writers, visual artists and performers, I'm inspired by so many different kinds of art and artists. At the moment I'm obsessing over a brass quartet called The Westerlies. I've been playing 'Robert Henry' on repeat. In visual arts, the melodramatic old hollywood creations of photographer and film maker, Alex Prager are current favourites of mine.

How has COVID affected The Arts Industry, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this?

With a lot of arts workers in freelance, contract and casual roles the industry's been hit pretty hard across the board. It's a tough time for us, as with so many other sectors. It's not all doom and gloom though, I do have a few illustrator friends who actually say they're busier than ever. I guess one of the results of people having more free time is that they're finally getting around to starting projects they've been putting off. I think it's encouraging that amidst the job losses there are still little pockets of growth. I'm really interested to see how the industry continues to adapt and rebuild throughout and post pandemic. There's an old english proverb that says "Necessity is the mother of invention" which basically means that the greatest innovations are often rooted in need. Creative's are nothing if not innovators, so while the industry and our roles along with it may be changing, I'm confident that we'll be able to evolve with it. And who knows, maybe this pressure cooker we're all sitting in will bear some of the greatest art and innovation the 21st century has seen. 

You can find more of Catherine’s work here:

Website

Instagram