“Here's a little of my story. My creative journey began in 1972 as the only child at Bath Academy of Art. My parents were second year students and I was, presumably, under everyone's feet! My Danish mother spoke to me in her own language, and I grew up as much Danish as English.

Despite such an audaciously creative start I somehow never made it back to art college. In my early years I was always busy with two things - looking at flowers, and creating. At age three, Father Christmas brought me my very own packet of toilet paper (pink, I remember) so I could make all the snowflakes I liked without  putting the rest of the household out. Over the years I learned many crafts including paper making - and when I wasn't curating an exhibition of my handmade papers in my own bedroom, I was outdoors in the Yorkshire countryside, looking at flowers. My identification book became my bible, and I still have it.”

“Lockdown gave me time - to reassess and to learn. I now realise that I have something I need to say to the world and it’s all about the importance of being connected – both to nature and to your authentic self. I’m tired of being quiet!

Through my work I want to honour and celebrate our natural environment, and I aim to do it in as sustainable a way as possible. All my paper botanicals are unique pieces, created by hand in my studio in Hoylake, Wirral. Starting with a simple sheet of crepe, I dye much of my own paper using plant and vegetable matter and work hard to eliminate plastic in my work. Petals are individually cut and shaped, each step taken by studying the flower. Flowers are assembled using wire, wax tape and glue. Creating paper flowers is a wonderfully mindful art form and I love to share this through my workshops.”

-Ling Warlow