We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Carly Gee a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Carly, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on so many special and meaningful projects. From being invited to gardens to pick and preserve their homegrown garden blooms, to being trusted with baby showers, anniversaries, and wedding bouquets. I just finished a project that was an absolute honor and joy for me to work on. I was asked to preserve plants and wildflowers from a family’s leased land that’s being lost and turned into apartments. With the pressed plants they shipped to me, I recreated their little slice of heavenly land in two float frames for reminders of the decades of memories shared there.
My job as a wedding bouquet preservation artist is so incredibly rewarding. Working in a brief 2-4 day window from the wedding, I lovingly treat each bouquet as if it were my own, and carefully press the bouquet for months in preparation for framing. I use photos shared by the couple to recreate their one of a kind bouquet into custom framed fine art. The feeling I get when my couples are reunited with their bouquets is indescribable! I’m filled with pride and joy, in reciprocation, they’re reminded of the sweet love and happiness shared on their wedding day.
Carly, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
The Dandelion Fox blossomed in 2016 from my love for nature and plants. I stumbled upon the art of flower preservation while digging online for gardening tips.
As the story goes, my love affair with nature and plants began early on thanks to my family and being blessed with growing up at Wrightsville Beach.
It wasn’t until I graduated high school that I reignited that childhood love. Struggling with depression and anxiety, I was a teenager needing light, happiness, and maybe even something to live for. Flowers and plants became my reason. I planted packs of flower seeds where my Mom used to grow vegetables, and soon enough, I had seedlings needing my love and attention. Besides the gardening basics I knew, I needed to learn more about how to meet the needs of and care for specific plants. While researching online, I discovered the art of flower preservation, and was captivated. Naively following Pinterest ‘how-tos’, I placed my first garden blooms between newspapers and textbooks, and crossed my fingers the magic would happen. Magic occurred indeed, and despite many moldy flowers and pages in my books, I was in awe at the homegrown beauties I’d preserved!
I began making wooden flower presses, and artfully capturing the fleeting garden moments in float frames with my quickly growing dried collection. Out of pure excitement, I shared photos on my personal Instagram of the process, and art I was creating and decorating my walls with. As a result, I received unexpected support and requests for custom work, and it didn’t take long to realize my love and new found passion for gardening and creating pressed flower art was also appreciated by others. Thus, The Dandelion Fox art began!
Since then, I’ve continued to perfect my technique through trial and error. Most of my days are still spent pressing, and creating framed art and home decor from the flowers I grow and collect wild in North Carolina. In 2018, I began branching into preserving wedding and special occasion bouquets. This branch of my business feels incredibly special and meaningful. With gentle love and care, I meticulously work to preserve and frame couple’s flowers into fine art keepsakes for their home. Not only do they get to keep their flowers forever, but my hope is for their piece to be a sweet reminder of the love and happiness shared on their wedding day.
I am based in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, and welcome couples to ship or drop-off their bouquet to me if local for an everlasting reminder of their special day!
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was born a creative and teacher, so as soon as I realized real life required a paid career, I began dreaming of pursuing art and teaching professionally! I loved creating art, but it wasn’t until later on that I found my medium, plants and flowers and as cliche as it may sound, teaching has always been something I’ve felt I was born to do. I also had many incredible teachers along the way that influenced me to take the teaching route.
Fast forward to the summer of 2020, I’d just graduated from UNC Asheville (virtually), and COVID was at the forefront in our lives. I’d spent the past 4 years working towards my Elementary Education teacher licensure, and Bachelor of Arts degree concentrating in ceramics. I was full of anticipation and pride, but high key freaking out about the next steps in life. I was considering teaching positions beginning in the fall, while continuing to create flower art as often as possible. One thing led to another, and I moved back to my hometown where I was able to connect with local artists, florists and wedding vendors. With this new found support, I completely pivoted, and decided to pursue being an artist and business owner full time!
How did you build your audience on social media?
Similarly to many artists, my social media audience has grown slowly. I started off with mostly friends and family following and sharing my work, and then later gained a wider local and worldwide following. I feel focusing on creating and regularly posting new work, rather than getting hung up on the number of my followers, has been key! Another key to gaining my audience has been working to connect with other fellow flower preservation artists, gardeners, and creators both online and in real life! Participating in local art markets has been a phenomenal way for me to connect with ‘my people’, sell my work, and advertise my online presence. Just as importantly, and I can’t say this one enough – something as simple as following, sharing, tagging and commenting on your favorite creators and businesses goes such a long way! For me, that is local florists, wedding planners and venues, photographers, flower farmers, other artists, etc. that I admire the work of. Oftentimes, you’ll receive a follow back, and gain their mutual support!
Lastly, realizing the vision of my ‘dream clients and bouquets’ has made it almost effortless to build and connect to my target audience on social media! Finding this direction after years of working with all types of flowers and bouquets has been freeing. I’ve begun only posting and advertising the work I’ve created that I want to continue to create. That means I try to be clear and intentional in my captions about the types of bouquets, color palettes and even florists I hope to work with. I’ve started speaking to the colorful and the bold, and many have met me halfway! 
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thedandelionfox.com/
- Instagram: @thedandelionfoxart
- Other: Society6 Shop – https://society6.com/thedandelionfoxart/all?sort=new