Aloha is definitely the right way to start this post off today!

I’ve been sharing more and more of my interesting found specimens (even before they get to go into my work!) and folks really seem to like them so here we go: some perfectly dried purple orchids I found clinging to my bf's potted plants.

I honestly don’t have a lot of information to share about these orchids other than I just can’t believe how beautiful they are and how incredibly perfectly they dried!

I’ve actually never tried drying an orchid before. Mainly because this central area is very 3 dimensional which I think would be lost if it was dried in my flower press. I also feel like if I was to pluck a flower and leave it to dry on a table it would just decompose, so I feel like finding these dried specimens in such perfect condition really is quite lucky!

I would really love to use these in the resin work, but I know that some things that are slightly translucent can turn out pretty much transparent when mixed in with the resin. It can change objects in very unexpected ways. Like for example one time I used a peacock feather in a resin painting and before the resin it had a beautiful green iridescence and after it was set in the resin it was a dull dark green with no shine at all. Who would’ve thought?!

Have you ever tried drying an orchid flower? If so, did you dry it like this naturally or did you press it?

9.29.2021