This series arose out of merely picking up a fork. I was organizing my prop collection one morning, selecting flatware for an upcoming shoot, when I picked up this fork and thought, "Dinglehopper." It seemed worth exploring. I wanted there to be natural elements to these vignettes, because well, The Little Mermaid.
I like putting contradictory textures together in vignettes. The flat lay above has the most delicate and soft serving platters from Canvas Home, combined with hard, gritty rocks found along the shoreline. I think these beautifully tarnishes flatware pieces and the soft blush linen help balance them out.
Of course, this one is a bit more obvious. The background texture is a woven rope rug, commonly seen in homes around the country. This one is a delicate shade of light blue that looks as if it had been hand-dyed. I wanted to showcase the handles of these forks - oh, the intricate floral pattern on that beauty! - so everything else slips into the background. A bowl of sea glass, with bottles to match, a pretty wood block cutting board for warmth, and a little skeleton key that leads to some mysterious treasure chest at the bottom of the ocean.
I imagine this as an escapist advertisement displaying the latest line of perfectly patinated flatware for your beach home.
This last one is my favorite. It's stark and bold, yet elegant. The vermillion cloth bound book is the background for a collection of flatware that was almost placed and forgotten. A fern frond and berzilia stems, combined with birds eggs spilling onto the scene ground the image with life. I love the organic gold shapes on that little plate, and the gold feathering on the edge of the cocktail glasses. This palette makes my heart sing with possibility.
It has been a season for exploration and discovery. I've been actively thinking about who I am as an artist and what I want to accomplish in this life. What will I leave behind? What mark will I make?