Kathie McCurdy Botanical Art ,

West Akron, OH 44303
330.608.8903
[email protected]
www.kathiemccurdy.com

A vendor with Countryside Farmers' Market since 2009.

People: Kathie McCurdy

Products: Pressed flowers & garden photography: Framed art, greeting cards, stationery – hand-painted botanicalcocktail & wine glasses – all upcycled.

Certifications: Virginia Marti School of Art & Design – Cleveland, OH

History: Having always been an avid gardener, I began pressing flowers in 1998 after having found a book in the library on the subject. I began to experiment with pressing flowers and leaves and became addicted to the craft as there was so much to learn. At that time, having recently become a stay-at- home mom with a toddler, I began working in the garden with my son and teaching him about planting & growing things. Together, each morning, we would pick about 200 blooms to be pressed that day. My signature piece at that time was a morning glory vine sold in high-end gardening magazines…a lot of flowers were required. A large design of a pressed red day lily was included in an article by Family Circle Magazine in 2002 about pressed flower art and hangs in my home.

Since 1998, my work has definitely “bloomed” into a line of over 225 greeting card designs and over 300 pressed floral & garden photographs sold at major online retailers. What I love about licensing my work to Trademark Global is that they produce and ship every canvas from their business located right here in Lorain, Ohio. 

Sourcing: My pressed flowers are grown in my garden, many from seed.

Over the last couple of years, I began to hand-paint wine & cocktail glasses that are given new life with colors & flowers. My customers have always asked to purchase just one or two glasses for a gift or to be able to mix and match a nice collection for themselves---therefore, my glassware is sold individually, each one being different from the next and all are painted on upcycled glassware.

Methods: Plant, nurture & grow flowers and plants, pick, preserve & press each bloom, leaf, vine or bud by hand.
Create contemporary designs with the flowers, use Photoshop to design the cards, frame & mat the art.

Fun Facts: Most of the flowers I use in my art are grown in my garden. However, I do tell my neighbors that I cannot be trusted! If several of those big blooms from their clematis vine are found missing… I always tell them with a smile, “it could have been me”.

Etsy