Meet The Maker- Natasha Vivian Floral Design

One of our dear resident artists Natasha shares a little about her beautiful floral art and workshops in the Surrey Hills.

At Amble, we love bringing together people who inspire us with the things they make, the ideas they share and the thought they put into their work. One of those people is Natasha of Natasha Vivian Floral Design, one of our resident artists and an exceptionally talented and thoughtful maker.

Natasha has a lovely way of working with flowers that invites us to slow down, notice the changing seasons and reconnect with the natural world. She relies largely on locally grown or foraged flowers. We caught up with her to find out more about her creative journey, what inspires her work and the little things that bring her joy.

Meet the maker: Natasha Vivian Floral Art

• If you were a flower, which flower would you be, and why?

I would probably be something like an Oxalis or Mimosa plant, because these pretty much sum up how I function: highly sensitive to my environment, needing plenty of rest and time to turn inwards, but given the right care and setting, able to be bold and bright.

• What do you love most about floral artistry?

There are so many things I love about floral artistry. For me personally, it is a meditative experience. When I am creating, my thoughts are still, my body is present, and I find equilibrium. I rarely keep an arrangement for myself, as the value for me is in the creating part, and then the joy of gifting the flowers.

Floral artistry is also a way to express myself. Whilst I am naturally introverted, I love sharing my floral creations as a comfortable way to connect with people. As someone who struggled at school, honing this creative skill gives me something that isn't necessarily right or wrong, but simply expression. That is freeing. I imagine this is true for many young people who struggle academically or socially, or who simply need an outlet that places value on the doing, rather than perceived success.

Lastly, floral artistry brings connectivity: with community, with nature, and with ourselves. Creating together brings connection through a shared experience, whether that's sharing creative joy or collaborating to make something bigger than the sum of its parts.

This craft also connects us to our landscape and natural materials, and is led by the seasons. With a little knowledge, resourcefulness and environmental care, we can be in sync with nature and celebrate her abundance.

The creative process, especially when combined with the sensory experience of working with natural materials, can bring grounding, introspection and a reset for the nervous system. I love hearing about these experiences and am fascinated by practices such as bilateral art.

Phew! I tried to keep that short and failed!

• How did you first get into floral artistry?

Probably through play as a child. I would spend hours collecting bits from the garden or our local park to create “mini worlds” in my mum's Tupperware. I would use leaves, sticks, flowers and pebbles, add water, and nurture these little landscapes.

As an adult, I always incorporated flowers into my work, which made for a happy combination, as my background is in visual merchandising, interiors photography styling and art direction, and interior design. My favourite work involved creating floral installations for retail visual merchandising, and I loved the early morning trips to the flower market to source blooms for PR events and photoshoots.

My last role before becoming a mum and making a career change was Interior Design Manager for OKA. Whilst I was pregnant with my son, I completed a floristry course at the Covent Garden Flower Academy, partly for fun, but also because I knew this was something I might want to explore professionally.

A few years later, in 2022, I started working at our local infant school, which is a great fit for me and something I am just as passionate about as my floral work. Alongside working at the school, I have slowly grown my floral design offering, leading to lots of lovely opportunities. I now sell my arrangements at markets and pop-up retail spaces, create flowers for events, style for photography, and host workshops.

This year, I was very excited to move into my own studio space in the beautiful courtyard at Amble.

• Do you have a favourite flower, and if so, what makes it special to you?

My favourite flower... can I have three? Calendula, geranium and phlox. Oh, and nasturtium. And definitely zinnias. Plus all the herbs... You see where this is going!

My heart skips a beat for a certain colour palette: apricots, earthy pinks and oranges, and always a big mix of greens.

• Where do you find inspiration for your floral creations?

I find inspiration almost everywhere: in nature, art and culture. I'm drawn to colours and textures, and then to the feeling they evoke. That is what I take into my designs: the feeling. I try to translate these personal observations through my arrangements and hope to create something that, in turn, evokes a feeling.

Sometimes I just like to have a play for the sake of practising different techniques or styles, inspired by other floral artists. This will result in either being pleasantly surprised by my ability, or a “nope, that's definitely outside my skill set!” Again, it's just the doing bit that is fun.

• What do you hope people take away from your workshops, apart from what they create?

  
  

I hope that people come away feeling calm, and more connected to nature and the season. I hope they find joy in the creating, feel pride in their making, and take away some tips so they can make a wreath whenever they want.

I try to create an inviting and relaxed atmosphere for my workshops, supporting creativity through the materials and setting. I like to think this makes for an experience that feels accessible and immersive.

• Tell us a little about your upcoming workshops at Amble. What can people look forward to?

  
  

I have three workshops coming up over the next few months.

The first is our Autumn Wreath Workshop on 24 October: a beautiful pause to notice the seasonal shift, using dried flowers, grasses and foraged treasures to create an everlasting wreath to display at home or give as a thoughtful gift.

Then it's our Christmas Wreath Workshop on 12 December. This is a festive moment of creativity, using aromatic seasonal fresh foliage and flowers, alongside decorative adornments.

The last of my floral workshops is just for the little people: Children's Winter Wreath Making on 13 December. It's an opportunity for children to immerse themselves in the craft of wreath making, express their unique creativity, and enjoy the sensory benefits of working with natural materials.

I'm excited to be using 100% organically grown flowers from local flower farmers for these workshops. This is something I really care about, and I know from talking to people that they do too!

• Finally, what's one thing that's bringing you joy at the moment?

  
  

Hearing the sound of geese migrating at this time of year, along with my son exclaiming, “Mummy, listen, the geese, your favourite!”

This will never not bring me joy.

Thank you Natasha, we love having you at Amble! And if you like the sound of what Natasha is doing do take a look at her workshops or pop by on market day (next on is Saturday 31st October ) when you can take home some of her beautiful blooms!