So, I make angels.

Now, in no way do I pretend to be an angel myself.  nope.  But I love feeling connected to spirit.  I love flowers.  And I love crafting.  It amazes me each time I witness the way these little angels genuinely touch people's spirits.  I think people respond to the simplicity and originality in them.  They remind me of an idea that a person may have had all their life, but can’t really remember.  Did you know that the Greek work for angels is messenger?  That’s how I see these little creations; Messengers that remind us how we are not alone.  The spirit and beauty of nature surrounds us, the memory and guidance of our loved ones are near us even when they are no longer with us, and our own intuition is always there to connect us with a deeper sense of our own self.  So, no, I’m not an angel, I’m not the messenger, but these little ladies found me and who am I to deny their beauty to so many who appreciate them?

How did they find me, you ask?  Well, my mom created the first Protea angel and then employed me (and the rest of the family) as angel-making assistants.  We all became very proficient with a hot glue gun.  When she passed away in 2001 I decided to continue making angels.  I’ll admit it wasn’t for the altruistic reasons of carrying on mom’s legacy.  That is a perk.  But I knew that making angels could allow me the creativity and freedom to continue exploring many other art form I have long loved.  So, here I am, 17 years later, continuing my life as an artist while making little flowers angels that are deeply treasured.  

There have been quite a few changes to the design and structure of angel-making over time.  For years, I bought all the flowers already dried from one particular farm, as my mom had done.  When this farm retired their business, I initially thought I would too.  Then I decided to see if I could dry the flowers on my own.  So, I found new farms, and began experimenting with drying methods myself.  I decided an all-natural process would suit me best and have continued with that standard even as the drying method I use has evolved.  I also changed my face-painting method using acrylic paint for the angels.  This has allowed the angels to fashion multiple hair colors.  Last month, while working in my dad’s yard, I found a pile of decomposed leaves which make beautiful wings and am so excited to be adding them to the collection this holiday season.  Most recently, my husband and I bought over a dozen Protea plants and are hoping that in a few years we will be able to harvest flowers from our own farm.