We were lucky to catch up with Negheen Kamkar recently and have shared our conversation below.

Negheen, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Today I run a small business where I create works of art using real, dried botanicals (dried 3-D flowers or pressed flowers). I’m entering my 5th year of building a system of modern and traditional preservation techniques. And I’m still learning and evolving my craft! The biggest lesson I’ve learned has been through my living situation, which has changed a few times. I started off in a small 500 sq ft studio that was located above the building heating system so my apartment was always warm. I had to be methodical about how I dried and stored my flowers. Too much heat and you lose color and flowers become brittle. Later, I moved into a larger apartment which offered more space in a cooler unit; but, of course I didn’t expect to have a humidity problem! What I learned in the previous apartment no longer applied to my new studio set up, and I had to change tactics and build new systems for drying and storing botanicals. However, what initially appeared to be a frustration with these different living situations ended up being great lessons in honing my craft of botanical preservation! Now I know how to manipulate environmental conditions like temperature, humidity and light to influence the preservation process for a variety of art projects.

Negheen, 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?

I love flowers! I have always enjoyed using flowers as my muse for art since I was little. From doodling to painting — and these skills waned as I prioritized building a traditional 9-5 non-artsy career into my adult life. COVID hit, and those professional priorities shifted, and the daily grind paused. Like everyone else– I was taking the same walks every day to manage the impacts of a global pandemic. One day I was on my routine walk, and I decided to spice things up and take a different route home. I noticed a brilliant blue hydrangea bush peeking through large ferns tucked in the side of my home. I had never noticed it before. I got closer and realized the petals were so striking– light plum petals inked in dark indigo with traces of aqua all creating a vibrant blue that spoke to my soul. I braved the spiders that stood in between me and the hydrangea and took some stalks inside. After a month the flowers dried, but the colors remained vibrant! I played around with my decor. And a friend recommended I press some of the petals in between pages of a book. From there I started making bookmarks with the pressed petals, then it evolved into larger pieces of art, then Wander & Press was born.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is connecting with other artists. I participate in local markets where I have an opportunity to meet other artists and get to see their craft in person. There’s a special bond amongst artists – like you pour your heart and soul into your art then there’s everything else with the business side of selling/showcasing art that can make things overwhelming and turn a sacred experience into an intense hustle. So that understanding automatically creates that bond or respect amongst artists. I always had support when I asked for help, and I make sure to be there if someone else needs help. The art community is inspiring!

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Members of society who have a platform or network can showcase local artists on social media, or if they have the financial means to support local artists they could turn birthday/holiday/special gift giving moments into an opportunity to support local artists.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://wanderandpress.com
• Instagram: @wanderandpress
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@wanderpress6198
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/negheen/

Image Credits

The photo of me holding a bouquet of dried flowers was taken by photographers Tawfiq & Jinji from Original Studios based in Seattle, WA. All of the other photos I took on my phone. Together, all the photos feature my floral designs (all real, dried flowers locally sourced).