Floristry meets fine art and faded grandeur in the Instagram images of Anna Potter, owner of Sheffield based florist Swallows & Damsons. Bouquets of seasonal stems with delicate pastel petals and lush, rich foliage are set against backdrops of concrete, distressed wood and heavily worn patterns, for an atmospheric look reminiscent of the paintings of the old Dutch Masters.
Meet Anna…
Anna Potter’s love affair with flowers began when she got a job in a local florist shop through a friend after graduating in Fine Art. She continued to gather experience and inspiration working in a number of florists before launching Swallows & Damsons. Initially selling weekend flowers in an upmarket Sheffield chocolate shop, she soon relocated to her own premises, which is a beautiful shop that sits on the outskirts of Sheffield’s Antique Quarter.
Fulsome show-stopping flowers, such as exquisitely textured dahlias, big blousy roses and flamboyantly frilled peonies in dusky hues are combined with forest-fresh foliage and branches of berries for a signature look that’s romantic and delicate but with a wild and wanton edge and with the colour palette of a fine artist, ranging from delicate peach through dusky mauve to deep blood-red.
If you fancy emulating Anna’s beautiful creations, take inspiration from her signature flowers. In an interview with Rock My Style blog, she reveals her favourite seasonal blooms to be ranunculus for spring, garden rose for summer, dahlia for autumn and hellebores for winter. And when it comes to foliage you’ll rarely see one of her bouquets without the frosted green touch of eucalyptus.
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