Although I try to make new and different flowers all the time, sometimes I end up needing to make a flower I've made before. I have done this for various reasons over the years. Sometimes I need a new design to fix a detail that I didn't like in the previous version. Sometimes I need to change the colour or size. Other times I suddenly have access to a fresh bloom and feel like I need to remake the flower with new information in front of my eyes. It's always interesting to see what a fresh take on a particular flower will yield. I find that I put emphasis on different aspects of the flower each time I make it. Recently I remade these Lady Slipper Orchids. I like the original (on the right) a lot, especially the colour. But I wanted a few more for a new project and I wanted to try to get an even more "slipper" - like shape. So I tried again. I'm happy with the new results but I still like the original as well.
Some flowers I have made many many times over. Rudbeckia hirta is one of those. (AKA Black-eyed Susan). Each time I make it it comes out slightly differently, whether it be the tone of yellow to the paper or the tightness of the centre. I've also developed this as a teachable design for workshops, making it simpler and easier to explain! Here are a few iterations that I have made over the years.
Another example of a second take on a flower is Marsh Marigold. I've made these once before for my wildflower exhibit. This spring I had access to fresh blooms just as I needed to make one. So I used the fresh flower, not my previous design, to make the new version. The most notable difference is that I discovered that in fact all of the leaves have petioles (leaf stems), not just the lower leaves as I had assumed from photos. I don't think it makes a big difference in the finished piece, but it is definitely more accurate in the newer version!
I've been making paper flowers for more than 15 years so looking back on my past projects can be quite interesting! I used to use card stock and watercolour paper a lot more often. Now I reach for crepe paper instead. The different capabilities of these papers makes for a wide range of different designs. One example is these peonies. The crepe paper is much more realistic, but I also love the simple charm of the card stock version!
This Dahlia is another example of an early card stock style. It's so different compared to my recent crepe paper version!
Thanks for reading along to see some of my continued efforts to refine and make my flowers more realistic. I'm excited to see where this process leads next!