Flowers & Foliage: Bespoke Prints by Alexandra Noble

I create abstract prints from combinations of flowers and foliage. These pieces can serve as an everlasting representation of any wedding bouquet and make the perfect contemporary addition to any interior. I am interested in the transience of nature, and enjoy the thought that my work captures a moment in time when a bouquet or arrangement of flowers is at its best and most bountiful.

My inspiration is drawn from visiting gardens and exhibitions across the UK and further afield. Two recent favourites include the Peto Garden at Iford Manor in Somerset with its abundance of wild garlic, as well as the Barbara Hepworth sculpture garden in St Ives, filled with subtropical plants and of course those beautiful bronze pieces.

I am also utterly obsessed with flowers and their myriad forms and have an unquenchable obsession with perusing floristry pages on Instagram. My feed must be at least 95% flowers!

Every piece I create is bespoke and one of a kind. All I require from the couple interested in commissioning a piece is a list of the flowers and foliage used on their wedding day. The other decision to be made is the size of print – a choice between 230mm x 230mm and 500 x 500mm. The couple are of course able to tailor how the wedding flowers are represented, for example if the bouquet is very diverse, I am happy to work with them to streamline the species represented so that it does not look overly busy.

I begin by taking high resolution photographs of a fresh bouquet. I then work with the photographs in a design software package, deciding on the layout of the petals, stems and branches. This is often the most time consuming aspect as the composition is hugely important and ultimately contributes to the success of the final piece. The artwork is then sent to a fine art printer to be giclée printed on Hahnemühle etching paper – a gorgeously textured surface very similar to cartridge paper – with inks that are a light-fast pigment and resistant to fading.

It would probably be easier to answer which flowers I wouldn’t include! For cut flower combinations, I am heavily influenced by the current naturalistic movement in gardening, as well as the muted colour palettes used by Impressionist painters in the 19th century such as Paul Cezanne and Edgar Degas. For the ultimate summer bouquet I would be inclined to include a mix of cream peonies, pale yellow ranunculus, eucalyptus, blue veronicas, ruscus, peach poppies, asparagus and a couple of voluptuous hydrangea heads.

Thank you to Alexandra for this wonderful insight into her stunning bespoke prints. Here at WPC we can't think of a more charming way to remember your special wedding bouquet. To see some examples of Alexandra's work in real life, book an appointment in our London Showroom where we have two stunning pieces on display. Email us at showroom@weddingpresentco.com or call us on 0207 622 6300 to book your appointment.