Michelle from Fruit of the Bloom
Where are you from and does that affect your work?
I grew up in suburban Chicago, and while I was lucky enough to have been exposed to art in many forms in a city where art is revered, my artistic abilities originate from my mother’s family. My grandfather, Harvey Rubin, was a commercial artist and sign painter for the Chicago Park District, and my mom, who minored in art at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, is by far the most creative person I’ve ever met. My cousin Marcie, an accomplished artist with a Master’s of Fine Arts from the University of Chicago, is a curator for a local art museum. My mom always encouraged me to nourish and lean into my creative side. This led me to enter art contests and participate in theater, dance, speech team…and eventually evolved into a 17-year career as a publicist in the entertainment industry before leaving to pursue floral preservation full-time. My grandfather would probably bemoan the fact that my new(er) profession has little to do with my (expensive) college degree, but I think he’d understand that I want to spend every day surrounded by flowers, making art and creating a second life for beautiful blooms.
What is your biggest artistic influence?
Nature is my biggest influence. Flowers have this insane power to instantly boost your mood. We send flowers to convey just about any emotion or sentiment, and to be able to turn that ephemeral beauty into a piece of botanical artwork is quite magical. Whenever possible, I love to see how flowers grow outdoors to witness their natural movements and “interactions” with other flora and fauna. I also can spend hours walking through The Original Los Angeles Flower Market and perusing the social feeds of local florists like Wild Flora, Seed Floral and The English Garden who create jaw dropping arrangements that have tons of movement and texture. There is so much beauty in the imperfections of nature: a bud that won’t open or a flower with an extra petal. It’s a great reminder to artists such as myself to embrace the beautiful elements of our work that make it handmade.
Love that! How do you define success as an artist?
If fresh flowers can bring a smile to someone’s face, I’d love nothing more than for my resin pieces to also make someone smile. I mean, it wouldn’t hurt for that smile to turn into a “I must have this piece in my home,” but getting that unfiltered, positive reaction to my work is rewarding. The majority of my (economic) success comes from bespoken collections: sentimental pieces that I’ve made using bridal bouquets, memorial flowers or other meaningful arrangements. But it’s so much fun to experiment and create pieces that I can sell at markets. I love interacting with nature and art-loving people!
What is the hardest part of your creation process?
Resin, resin resin, ha! Resin is a challenging and finicky medium and has an innate ability to keep even the most experienced resin professionals on their toes! Resin not only requires consistency and stability in ambient temperature and humidity but mixing too much at a time, using too much heat to pop bubbles or even pouring too quickly can cause a “flash cure” or a slew of other issues. I knew that being an artist would mean having to wear a lot of hats (ex: social media manager, website developer, photographer, videographer, sander, marketer), but chemist wasn’t one I expected to wear daily.
How has your style changed over time?
I’ve always gravitated towards patterns, bright colors, things that stand out. Colored bouquets tend to dry the best (whites can turn ivory or have tinges of yellow), and they look absolutely stunning against a black or colored background. I’ve been experimenting with more colors, ombre backgrounds and even patterns. For instance, I have these woven black and white French bistro chairs that have seen better days. I cut out and used some of the plastic “threads” as bold background for some coasters featuring yellow butterfly ranunculus. I’ve always been fascinated with mixed media; most of the art in our home is of that genre, so it feels natural that I’ve also been playing around with floral cyanotypes. Right now, I am working on a few resin pieces where the dried flowers used will have a cyanotype “shadow” in the fabric background of the piece.
Propagation Vase
What’s your favorite item that you’re created, and why?
I’m always drawn to functional art, and I’m going to have a hard time letting go of this funky propagation vase from my “coral collection.” Magenta, tangerine, lime and mellow yellow celosia and cockscomb “float” in a vibrant, water-like blue background. It has color, texture, embedded flowers AND holds a few fresh blooms – what more could you want?!
Beautiful. What do you love most about Burbank?
My husband grew up in Burbank, and it’s really special to see some of his closest friends return with families of their own. My mother-in-law also lives there, so we are in the area quite often. I haven’t lived in my hometown of Chicago in 20 years, and most of my relatives are in the Midwest or farther, so being in Burbank feels like coming home.
And, finally - is there anything special that you would like to share?
Thanks to social media, especially TikTok and Instagram, there has been an increased interest in and knowledge of epoxy resin from crafters and non-crafters alike. While it’s exciting to see, for anyone looking to experiment, please make sure you do your research and not only buy quality epoxy resin (which does not include what is available at chain craft stores) but most importantly, PPE including nitrile gloves and a respirator mask. Even the top tier brands that claim to have no Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are toxic once you mix Part A and Part B, so PPE and good ventilation is essential. Feel free to reach out to me on Instagram (@FruitOfTheBloomBoutique) with any questions. I love talking about resin!
Catch Fruit of the Bloom at Jackalope Burbank on December 9th & 10th!
