Photo essay: Kristen Burdumy

Photographs by Jie Deng

Text by Richard L. Gaw

To scroll through the Instagram account of Kristen Burdumy of Kennett Square is to embrace the sweet science of what happens when the colors of perfect nature meet the understated whisper of great design.

With each photograph, the viewer becomes the admirer, because frame by frame, the vision of the artist – seen in the flowing spiral of dried- and fresh-cut flowers – yields to the power of natural beauty.

“The idea is to celebrate the individual flowers themselves - to allow a flower to be the star all on its own,” said Burdumy, who in addition to her independent art is the lead floral designer at Terrain in nearby Glen Mills. “When I am working on personal arrangements, I try to let the flowers speak – to dictate where they land - in an effort to achieve a more airy look and feel. I have a collection of vintage vessels and flower frogs that are an inspiring starting point.”

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Kristen Burdumy

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Looking back at what first sparked Kristen’s interest is to revisit the backyard of her childhood home in West Chester that backed up to the 126-acre Gordon Natural Area along the southeastern corner of West Chester University’s campus. A refuge for local wildlife and native plants, the preserve became Burdumy’s playground.

“My parents were also avid gardeners, and every time I visited my grandparent’s house, I got to see this beautiful field of Black-Eyed Susans near their home, and since then they’ve become one of my favorite flowers,” she said.

While the stress of creating floral arrangements for multiple wedding weekends has become commonplace for Burdumy, she feels blessed to able to live a life where her profession is also her passion - all in the gentle company of flowers. Continued on Page 48

Kristen Burdumy

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“It is exciting, and there is always something new and I am always facing new challenges,” she said. “For the most part, I am creating something that will only last a few days – and while that is kind of sad – I feel like that is part of the beauty of it all.”

To see more examples of Kristen’s floral designs, visit www.instagram.com/Kristenburdumy.