Meet Go With The Flow Design Co.
Julia McCann’s journey into the art of flower pressing began several years ago, with a purple carnation.
“My flower pressing journey started years ago on Valentine’s Day when I decided to press some flowers my boyfriend had given me. I still remember the first flower I ever pressed and the flower that started my passion for pressing flowers; it was a purple carnation,” said Julia. “I remember taking it out of a book after a few weeks and I was shocked and amazed at how much beauty a single pressed flower could have. I was captivated by the different textures and details.”
“From that day on I went from being a chocolate girl to a full-blown flower girl.”
With that newfound appreciation, Julia turned her passion into art as she began creating beautiful pieces that captured the intricate details, textures and colours of the preserved flowers.
“Floral preservation has been around forever but is rarely displayed in a modern and artistic way. I thought there would be no better way to display the flowers than in double glass frames. Since then, I’ve been pressing flowers and experimenting with different ways to incorporate pressed flowers into art.”
As her ideas continued to blossom , the Toronto-based artist determined to turn her passion project into a business so she could share her creations with others.
“I ultimately decided to turn it into a business to spend my time doing what I love while also being able to share my love and passion for pressed flowers with others.”
Now devoted to her business full-time, Julia hopes that Go With The Flow Design Co. will inspire more people to appreciate the beauty in nature and see how they can “turn the ordinary into the extraordinary”.
Why did you name your business Go With The Flow?
I started this company to express myself and focus on what truly makes me happy which is creating! I wanted to create a brand that was a direct representation of who I am as a person and what I value in life. The name serves as a reminder to myself to go with the flow – to not feel held down by my own expectations or the expectations of others. I think it is so important to take life as it comes and trust in the process – what is meant to be will be. There is a reason they say everything happens for a reason… just go with the flow.
Where do you draw inspiration to create your pieces?
The inspiration for my pieces comes from the world around me but mainly comes from nature. There is so much beauty around us – from big, beautiful bouquets to the little weeds and flowers growing in sidewalk cracks and it’s often easy to overlook it. Plants and flowers are truly magnificent, and I love being able to take these beautiful everyday things and turn them into something more.
I love exploring nature and taking in everything around me to see what interesting shapes, colours and textures I can see and incorporate into my pieces. There is nothing more exciting than emptying all the books and flower presses and getting to see all the wonderful, pressed plants I get to play around with.
Future plans for Go With The Flow Design Co.?
I’m so excited for the future of Go With The Flow and to see where things go. I have so many ideas for pieces I want to create, and I look forward to continuing to play around with different styles and techniques in my art. I am so happy pursuing my passion and I can’t wait to continue creating and just go with the flow!