By Jill Brooke
Dr. Richard Howard has spent a lifetime as a surgeon involved in organ transplants. While his professional career has had him working with the human body, in his free time, he works with other kinds of living things, flowers, in the creation of floral collages.
“Flowers are one of God’s best creations,” says the Florida-based Howard. Aside from human beings, of course.
Howard works with simple supermarket flowers, photographing them individually and then blends them digitally.
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“Each one of those elements, including the vines, are individual photographs,” he explains. “Then you add one on top of the other in photoshop.”
He uses a black background and then like a chessboard, puts the photos in an order to create these beautiful collages. For one of his works, he may use various blooms in the same color palette or he may stick to one particular flower in various colors.
“It’s a great hobby,” he adds. “Aside from working with something that is so beautiful.”
To create images like Howard’s, here are his 9 tips:
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Since we are sequestered at home, this could be a fun project to occupy you—especially if you have some wilted flowers you’re about to change out.
Or if you have fresh flowers, you could cut the stems to use in a collage, and place the blossoms in tiny vases. Use your imagination.
Perhaps create a gift for someone who is ill or someone who needs to be reminded that you are thinking of them. No act of love is ever wasted. Plus you can have inexpensive artwork for your home. Petal On.