Casting flowers A step-by-step guide to creating beautiful botanical art

London-based Dein discovered her true vocation, an art she calls "botanical bas-relief," after working as a freelance prop maker for area theaters. "It is an unusual and somewhat messy craft that revels in memorializing the shapes and beauty found in nature." Likening botanical bas-relief to a "contemporary form of creating fossils," she devotes quite a few pages to the how-to's as well as the not-to-do's--for instance, avoid squishy plants (those with sap), dried specimens (too brittle), and roses (which will end up looking like small fists). Many photographs accompany Dein's overview of the basics and the instructions for 21 bas-relief works categorized by season. Most examples are monochromatic, though there are directions for painting (watercolors are preferred). At the end, 10 examples of installations--in private homes, restaurants, and even London's Dorchester Hotel--demonstrate the subtle artistry of casted flowers. Readers will want to look up many flowers and plants as they craft.

This pleasant debut from Dein shows how to create bas-reliefs of plants. The basic process involves using a rolling pin to press flowers into clay, removing the plants, and then pouring plaster into a wooden frame placed on top of the clay, which is later peeled off to reveal the relief image. Breaking down each step, Dein offers pointers on arranging flowers, recommending that readers position stems at slight angles to make them look more naturalistic. When working with plaster, Dein advises plugging any leaks in the frame with clay and contends that leaving some of the clay on the finished cast can help accentuate finer details. The process for every seasonal project is virtually identical, differing only in which plants are recommended for the designated time of year. For instance, an early summer project involves positioning circular nasturtium leaves face up to create something resembling a polka dot pattern, and one autumn piece entails filling the lower half of a clay slab with an oak branch, fern leaf, and blackberry bramble. The comprehensive instructions provide all readers need to get started casting, and explanations on how to create reliefs from concrete or layer different colored plasters highlight the creative possibilities of the medium. Crafters will be inspired. (May)