Happy Easter! I certainly enjoyed mine; it was a welcome break from hospital placement (we are now 14 weeks into the semester, with holidays over a month away) to catch up with friends and celebrate the death and resurrection of our blessed saviour. I spent the weekend with my old schoolmates, staying at my friend’s forest cabin in the Aussie bushland forest of Wirrabara (approx. 3hrs from Adelaide, near Laura)
Of course, I couldn’t resist taking advantage the beautiful location and company of my creative friends for a photoshoot. This was done in collaboration with E from Faith in Fools as my photographer (the recipient of a rose flowercrown as well as the host of our Kitschella party, if you recall).
The house was located within walking distance of so many different types of terrain: rolling hills of dry, golden farmland typical of the Australian countryside; tranquil bushland lined with eucalypts, acacias and crunchy leaves and bark; and cool temperate forests of pines, overlooking a colonial ruined schoolhouse known affectionately as “The Nursery”.
It was in this very nursery that I came across these fascinating shards of bark, with coarse flaky textures and tiny holes left by insects with almost drill-like precision. Inspired by their sharp angles, I decided to create a true ‘crown’ in a departure from the usual floral circlets.
I threaded lengths of floral wire through the tiny insect holes, as well as twisting it around the green fronds (I’m still not sure what breed of tree this is; coincidentally, it’s the same plant that I used for my Atlantis shell crown) in order to make the cylindrical crown shape.
Given the subdued earthy colours and sharp shape of the bark crown, I wanted to portray a more masculine feeling of adventure and wilderness. For props, I used a long stick that one of the boys was whittling into a point, as well as a deer antler he had found on a hiking expedition (deer are an introduced species found in this forest).
Actually, I had brought florist wire and a cream silk blouse with high-waisted shorts from the city for this photoshoot. In my mind, I was thinking of making a deciduous autumn leaf or acacia crown, and therefore intended for a more spritely/Hansel and Gretel type forest theme. In my (usual) forgetfulness, I left this outfit at home. It worked out in the end; I enjoy the challenge of being resourceful and using the materials available to you. The local foliage was not particularly autumnal, and I was really so fascinated by these odd pieces of bark. To match it, I decided to add my boyfriend’s flannel as a contrasting print against the navy floral tee and my favourite khaki shorts.
This was really different from previous fresh flora crowns I’ve made, and required a slightly different approach in terms of the mechanics of how the piece held together. It was satisfying and fun to work on, and equally great to collaborate with my friend E. And it was also just a lovely weekend away in general; I will be keeping this crown as a memento of that time xx
the sheep in wolves clothing 