sisterMAG62 - Flower Power EN by sisterMAG

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EDITORIAL DEAR READERS, Quite a personal issue …

concentrate on pressed and dried flowers, making flowers out of paper and many artists that choose flowers as their métier. We absolutely love the many DIYs that we’ve collected for this issue by talented artists such as Silvia di Raga, Anouk Bohmer or the flower queens of Utah: the team of The House That Lars Built around Brittany Watson Jepson. It feels so good to work together with so many new and old friends.

You think after doing sisterMAG for 9 years, there are no things we haven’t done. However, with this issue we have found a few. First and foremost, our maternity collection. With co-founder Thea pregnant, it was time to tackle this topic with some of Evi’s creations – that you can also sport after the 9 months pregnancy time are over. Which fell exactly in the time of finishing this issue. It will forever be our issue that fell into a heatwave of layouting with computers overheating, many ventilators, a shoot that felt a bit like corona was over and Thea going into labour five days prelaunch. It might be fitting that the rest of the issue primarily focuses on flowers with nature finally blossoming into beautiful colours. However, we’ve focused not on the blooms in nature but

What gave us the idea for our floral topic: our lovely workshop with Shiseido that took place in May 2021 with 30 virtual participants. Shiseido’s new fragrance GINZA was the highlight of this workshop that taught everyone about the fragrance, its components but also about arranging beautiful flowers with floral artist Hürriyet Bulan.

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s i r C : g n i t o o h S r e v o C e h t a t os, Toni, Nina Jung & Evi San t

Japanese flower traditions can therefore be found during the issue. Would you know OSHIBANA? The Japanese art of flower pressing is explained in our article about the history of pressed and dried flowers on page 74. And Carolin Kralapp covers many Japanese florals and art pieces in her column: Flowers in Art. We hope that you have as much fun with this issue as we had putting it together. We would love to hear your feedback. Simply write us at @sister_mag or an email to mail@sister-mag.com

Yours,

Toni, Thea & sisterMAG Team

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51-2 A-Line dress with frill Our cover dress as new sewing pattern to make yourself

14 Our Cover Model: Nina Jung An introduction

My SEWING Story

We talk to sewists around the world about their start in the sewing world... today with Lynn Brannelly

For nine months and beyond Maternity DIY collection

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TABLE OF CONTENT FLOWER

Fashion in bloom

POWER

100

sisterMAG DIY Flower Feature

by Marie Jaster

136 Flowers ― Books &

A digital fragrance journey With GINZA by Shiseido

Resources

The best books, inspiring Instagram accounts and best resources

142 Flower art und

Blossoms, fruits and leaves Flowers and plants in art

Decoration

74 Dried, pressed, love

With Maria Luneva aka supinatra

150

The history of dried and pressed flowers

Holger, the dairy farmer

The last of his kind

We talk to ...

163

Flower Artists Tricia Paolucci & Reed Navarro

sisterMAG team

88 DIY Wedding cake with

164 Imprint

pressed flowers

Impruneta

A charming municipality in Tuscany

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sisterMag 62

CONTRIBUTORS

TEX T Marie Jaster @marie_jaster

Andrea Lang @andrealangphotography

PRO OF

TRA N S LATI ON

Ira Häussler

Amie McCracken amiemccracken.com

kords.net

Michael Neubauer

sisterMAG Team

P HO TO & VIDE O

ST YL I N G

Andrea Lang @andrealangphotography

@csantosphoto

sisterMAG Team

A RTI S TS

Evi Neubauer

Anouk Böhmer

@evi.neubauer

@anoukbohmer

Maria Luneva

Michael Neubauer Cris Santos

Alexander Kords

MOD E LS Nina Jung @junidesign78

Thea Wittemann @thneu

@supinatra

Reed Navarro @reednavarro_art

Tricia Paoluccio @modernpressedflower

Silvia Raga @giochi.di.carta

The House That Lars Built @housethatlarsbuilt

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FEATURE SEWING PATTERNS

OU R COV E R

62-1 Loose pleated dress with long collar

62-2 Long wide dress with yoke, double-breasted

62-3 Loose short dress with punch needle flowers

62-4 Oversized Dungarees with buckle in the front

62-5 Straight dress with beading and long sleeves

62-6 Shirtdress with wide sleeves

51-2 A-line dress with frill

DIY Paper Flower Download

DIY Paper Dahlia Download

MODEL

Nina Jung OUTFIT Evi Neubauer PHOTGRAPHER Cris Santos Many thanks to the whole team who created our beautiful fashion line and our new cover. You can finde our cover dress as sewing pattern in the @sistermagpatterns Online Shop.

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NEW! DRESS

WITH

A-LINE

RUFFLES

51-2

You can find the patter hier on sistermagpatterns.com

Photos: Cris Santos // Model: Nina Jung Design & Styling: Evi Neubauer sister-mag.com

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Straight from sisterMAG Cover This cover is such a highlight that it has already managed twice to decorate our cover. In sisterMAG issue 52 Franzi wore different versions of the dress and we changed the cut again with flowers for this issue. Nina wears variant 2 with a slanted grain.

Recommended materials: We will not recommend any kind of material because we ourselves have sewn this dress from a variety of fabrics already. Whether sturdy, soft and flowy or “normal”, it always turns out different. A true allrounder to get creative with. This instruction refers to the most basic cut, but there are lots of ways to modify the dress: » Variant 1 is characterized by the grain line running along the center back and can be altered into a » Variant 1 blouse: an a-line blouse with our without ruffles » Variant 1 short: short dress » Variant 1 asymmetric: an asymmetric dress with a short front and a long back

» Variant 2 is characterized by being cut on the bias, so there is a seam along the center front and back and it drapes differently. Fabric consumption: » (for the cover dress sM nr 62) our model is 183 cm tall » 2,2 m with a fabric width of 1,4 m. The amount of fabric varies depending on the fabric width and if using a repeating pattern. Other materials: » 1 colour matching invisible zipper, 60 cm long » colour matching thread » fusible interfacing

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51-2

Variant 1 thread course along the center back (Length arbitrary selectable)

A-LINE DRESS WITH RUFFLES here on sistermagpatterns.com sister-mag.com

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Variant 1 Blouse

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Variant 1 Short dress

The dress is available in 2 variants with thread course along the center back/fabric break (variant 1) or with diagonal thread course (variant 2) Variant 2

Variant 1 Asymmetric (short front and long back)

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OUR COVER MODEL

Nina Jung

Model: Nina Jung Photos: Cris Santos Outfit: Evi Neubauer

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junidesign78 juni-design.com

Please introduce yourself briefly to our readers: Where are you from and what do you do? I am Nina, I’m 43 years old and the mother of a 12-year-old daughter. I love the country life and managed to move away just 10 kilometres from my hometown. I love that I can chat with the baker woman when I’m in the bakery, that I know the cashier at the supermarket and all my neighbours. But there is great wanderlust too! Travelling is my real motivation to get to know the world with all its facets and inhabitants. And when I travel it’s not the all-inclusive hotel in Mallorca that appeals to me but the small adventure you create yourself.

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OUR COVER MODEL When and with what aim did you found Juni Design? How many employees does the company have?

design collections. Our ideas never stop – curse and blessing at the same time!

I founded Juni Design with the aim of feeling happiness and joy at work and to look forward to the day when I get up in the morning! I quit my old job out of conviction – I could not even sew then at all. A sewing course my daughter attended got me into sewing in the first place. My sewn things went down so well that I had a customer base within a few months that ordered their desired products. During a holiday I had the idea of selling beautiful and sustainable fashion fabric. That’s how everything took off! Within one year I had learned to sew and opened a fabric shop. At the beginning, the shop was open three days a week. Now, the online business has taken over and we open the shop only once a month. Eight women work at Juni Design, and we don’t want to become a huge company. We pack our packages with much love and lots of silk paper, create our patterns ourselves and started our own fabric

How was the last year for you and the company Juni Design?

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The last year was great for us – in many ways! We had a lot to do because many people finally had the time to sew at home and were not on holiday. We had the great luck that we were able to keep our jobs and to go to work every day. We had each other in the shop and didn’t stay home all the time! We were very happy and thankful for that. And everybody stayed healthy, what more could we want.

The selection is very diverse. What do interested people find at Juni Design? We mainly have fabrics bought with care that come from Europe. Most of them are sustainably produced. We try to be at the pulse of fashion and to offer a coherent combination of patterns and fabric. And we also have our own fabric design collections.

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OUR COVER MODEL Is it possible to visit you in Hollenstedt or are you only an online business?

even more now to discover what the fashion world has to offer. My favourite pattern is the top No. 8 from our selection. It has three different sleeve cuffs and can be sewn from many types of fabric. It is very versatile. Generally, I like it fashionably simple, jeans and t-shirt, but now I also like colours, puffy sleeves and even dresses! What I like most about sewing is that I can make everything the way I imagine it.

We were a pure online business in the last one and a half years. Now that the world slowly opens again we will try to get back to opening three times a month.

What did you do before Juni Design? What were your previous jobs? You could say I’ve done a 180-degree turn in terms of my job. Before I started Juni Design, I was a policewoman for 17 years. In this profession, I had to deal with so many terrible and sad things and I had to accept that I couldn’t change the world as I have imagined it. After years of frustration, I gave up my status as civil servant and quit – and even after almost five years, I’m still happy about that decision!

There is an exclusive fabric with the June Art print available in the shop. Can you tell us a little bit about the origin of the design? June Art is already our 3rd fabric with exclusive design. We didn’t create this design ourselves but bought it. We found it on a mood board. We wanted a large-scale design that matches our plain fabrics and works for both blouses and dresses. During our Internet research we found June Art and had it produced. We are still taken with it!

Which fabrics and patterns from the Juni Design selection do you like most? After 17 years in a uniform, I love it

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OUR COVER MODEL

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In the Juni Design Shop, you can also find various patterns which of course we are especially excited about! Can you give us a little preview what will find its way into the shop in the near future?

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same print will be available too. We already started planning the patterns for fall and winter.

What do you wish for the future? Which projects are ahead of you?

It’s hard to sew without a pattern! That’s why we really have a lot of patterns from all over the world in the shop. We try to buy in such a way that we can offer everything as an inspiration and that patterns and fabrics match well. Our own fabric productions are well received which is why it will be our next step to release more fabrics: printed Tencel, cotton sateen and a nylon fabric for jackets. Matching flip-flops with the

I wish that we can all continue to have a great time at work and make many exciting things together! We like to travel together, go out for a meal or celebrate every occasion. We are also moving at the end of the year and will have enough space for a kitchen and a studio where we can sew together. I am very much looking forward to it!

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The second installment of our new series „My SEWING story“ takes us to Los Angeles where we meet Lynn Brannelly. Lynn is a celebrity stylist and costume designer for film and television. In our new series »My Sewing Story«, Lynn talks a little bit about her journey and path to handmade fashion. Get to know her here in sisterMAG! 125th anniversary of the business in America exhibit. So I‘ve been sewing professionally for almost 30 years. I‘ve been on Instagram for two years as @lynnwardrobesews creating content and pursuing being a sewing brands influencer and educator. I am currently a brand ambassador for @BERNINAUSA. In real life, I am still a costume designer for film and television here in Los Angeles, California.

One

What was your first contact with sewing? Do you come from a family of sewers? My mother and my maternal grandmother sewed.

Two When and how did you

start sewing? Are you selftaught or with a course? I started sewing when I was eight years old, self-taught. So I have been sewing for 46 years. I sewed professionally for 10 years, selftaught custom apparel, and working as a professional costume designer for film and television. I returned to college when I was 35, pursuing my BFA in Fashion Design. I moved to Los Angeles in 2004 and became a union costume designer full-time. In the mid-‘90s, I created the Intel Bunnyman costume, which was their advertising icon for several years and was in all their print, commercial, and Superbowl spots. This costume is a permanent archive in the Smithsonian institution as part of the

Three What was your intention why you started sewing?

I have always loved fashion, obsessed really. I‘m the second of six children in my family, and I learned very young that if I wanted something, especially something I‘d created in my mind, I would have to be the one to make it happen. So I made all my Barbies clothing from all the scraps of my mother‘s projects. My Barbies’ wardrobe was quite glamorous, and it makes perfect sense to me that I became a costume designer.

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Four What was your

first every self-made garment?

Seven

What are your favorite sewing channels?

A wrap-around skirt, at eight years old. Simplicity pattern #7771

As a #sewover50, YouTube and social media are newer to me. I was already sewing professionally when the internet was invented, so I can‘t say I have go-to favourites. I love an excellent sew-a-long, though, even if it‘s something I already know how to do. I find something about it so soothing that @brittanyjjones is my favorite sew-a-long »voice«, so I‘d say her channel.

Five

What is next on your tosewing-list? My list is like my Netflix queue. ;) I‘m almost always working on three things at once and getting inspired and adding to the list all the time. At this very moment, though, a neon sequin mesh gown, a machine embroidered linen bohemian vibe blouse, and I just dyed a Mandala Shibori dyeing technique on silk chiffon. I love fabric dyeing.

Eight What is your favorite fabric?

Man, this one is tough. I love fabric and love challenging myself with unconventional materials as well. My favourites change seasonally. The same is true with colour. So here are a few: Rayon Challis - I love its drape. Rayon silk velvet - again, its drape, and it has such richness and depth to it. I love sewing with embellished fabrics (that‘s the costume designer in me coming out), sequins, embroidered fabrics, feathers, leather, and types of vinyl.

Six Where do you find inspiration

for your sewing projects?

I find inspiration in the most random places. I‘m inspired the most by vintage fashion designs. My favorite fashion era is the 1970s. Sometimes I‘m inspired by a simple detail I see in fashion and will build an entire look around it. I‘m inspired all the time by sewists and designers on social media. sister-mag.com

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We noticed Lynn in our sisterMAG Patterns community because she tried out one of our sewing patterns. We love her version of our homewear jumper with extra-long sleeves (No. 60-2)! Check out the pattern here:

@lynn wardrobe sews

You would like to tell us your story and how you started your handicraft? Write us an eMail at mail@sister-mag.com

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s i s t e r M AG 6 2

Maternity DIY collection Our second sisterMAG baby is on its way (first one came last year with our designer Marie), we had the feeling it was time to embrace this topic in this issue. With our co-founder Thea in her 9th month pregnant, we are presenting six brand-new sisterMAG sewing patterns in our shop for beautiful dresses and a comfy dungaree that you can – in the biggest parts – wear beyond your nine months of pregnancy. For this mini shoot Thea asked her dad at home to shoot these images in the old workshop. Because there is never a time when you are redoing so many corners in your „finished“ flat than when you are preparing for the little ones. Be inspired and we would love to see you making some of these maternity styles. If you do, please tag us with @sistermagpatterns on Instagram and we are happy to share. 27

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62-1 Loose pleated, sleeveless dress with long collar An elegant, loose dress with pleated details without sleeves that can be worn with or without an attached white, long collar. Can be worn with or without a belt. »This is actually my personal favourite of the collection that I wore to numerous business meetings or also for the SHISEIDO Mastercalss after I was showing more belly. You instantly feel a bit more elegant even with swollen feet and backache.« (Thea) 29

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62-2 Long wide dress with yoke, double-breasted A mix between a trench and a dress that has enough room for the biggest belly, but can also worn afterwards as an oversized, modern dress.

Hanging Mobile: Handmade Baby Mobile from Lovely Symphony via etsy.com sister-mag.com

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62-3 Short dress | babydoll with punch needle flowers This dress is a sure bet for your wardrobe. As a maternity style it is super cute and an everyday pick-me-up for your mood. And beyond that you can still wear it as a summer favourite. The most special feature are the punchneedle flowers.

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t: s a p e h t o A lo ok int hair c h g i h d l o our AG M r e t s i s t a th grew h t o b s r e found up in …

62-4 Loose-fit dungarees with buckle in the front Pants are maybe the most difficult thing to shop during pregnancy. If you are searching for a fun garment that will definitely be more comfortable than any stretch waistband, it is this oversized dungaree with a buckle in the front. In our pattern we also explain how to sew this for non-pregnancy lovers of a good dungaree. sister-mag.com

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62-5 Straight dress with beading and long sleeves The right style for pregnancies in spring and autumn. The dress is embellished with beads along the neckline, sleeve cuffs and welt bust pocket. Another big pocket adds to its appeal and can hold your trusted handkerchief or your baby‘s favourite toy once you are wearing this dress after the 9 months.

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62-6 Oversized shirt dress with wide, gathered sleeves The dress for everyday chores or a day in the office: this shirt dress comes with an interesting, low back (see page 43) and is buttoned at the front. The sleeves are gathered at the bottom and have a balloon-like shape.

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62-1 Loose pleated, sleeveless dress with long collar Recommended fabric Fine woollen fabric with heavy drop (Cool Wool). If possible, do not use a fabric that is difficult to iron e.g. linen. The fabric should be washed according to the manufacturer‘s recommendations before cutting.

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62-2 Long wide dress with yoke, double-breasted

62-3 Loose short dress with punch needle flowers

Recommended fabric Cotton poplin with some body to it.

Recommended fabric Thicker cotton fabric suitable for punch needling. We used an English decorative fabric. You need a fine, not too thin white cotton fabric for the collar and the hem

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62-4 Loose-fit dungarees with buckle in the front Recommended fabric Thick, opaque cotton, such as twill or linen

62-5 Straight dress with beading and long sleeves Recommended fabric Cotton satin. sister-mag.com

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62-6 Oversized shirt dress with wide, gathered sleeves Recommended fabric Soft, opaque cotton poplin with some structure

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For centuries, they have not only enhanced our gardens but also our art and our dresses: flowers. And they’re back all over the catwalks of the world this year. So why exactly do floral prints make us so happy and celebrate comeback after comeback?

FASHION IN

Bloom

Text: MARIE JASTER

sisterMAG 62 | 2021

»There are flowers everywhere for those who want to see them«, Henri Matisse said wisely. In fashion, it’s not hard to find them, though. They bloom every year in spring and summer, in countless collections and on countless clothes. A novel idea? Probably not, as fictional editor-inchief Miranda Priestley noted in The Devil Wears Prada, »Florals? For Spring? Ground-breaking.« But still, nature remains a fascinating source of inspiration for designers and customers alike, season after season. But why?

The history of

florals in fashion

g n i r a p e r P s e i Lad 12th Cen tury t r u o c e s e n i Ch ly-Woven Silk, New

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To ask when flowers first appeared in fashion would be like asking the famous chicken-and-egg question. They have existed for so long that no-one really knows when the first flower made it onto a dress. Nature and clothes have forever been closely intertwined, but experts think that the origin of this tradition might lie in China, the country of finest porcelain – fine bone China – where costumes were intricately embroidered with florals or silks painted with petals as early as the 12th century. Only shortly thereafter, fashion literally bloomed all over Asia.

y r e w o l f n i n e m o w : a r e n Vic torraiated gowns deco

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Jan Fran S till-lif s van Son Flowers e with Fru : and Cray it, fish them up in their patterns, too. These Italian weavers had discovered how to make different fabrics with floral patterns. A culmination in floral obsession in fashion was the Victorian era from 1837 to 1901: during the period of Queen Victoria’s reign, strict new etiquette for the upper classes meant that flowers were now often used to send secret messages. This was the rise of floriography, where red roses signified love, dark roses shame. No wonder that flowers like roses, sunflowers and daises appeared all over textiles, wallpapers, tiles and dresses!

From there, floral motifs made it to Europe, where only the richest of the rich could afford to wear this exotic craftsmanship. The first flower that became significant here was the peony, a flower of rich symbolic meaning in China and one of the first patterns that Europeans became familiar with as embroidery on silk pieces.

Industrialisation changed economic thinking and the fashion world: mass production and printed fabrics were invented. During the 1920s, floral silk kimonos and boxy floral dresses were popular. But the true height of the floral print came about during the ’60s and ’70s, when free spirits and hippies alike took over the towns. Natural florals turned into psychedelic, pop-art-inspired flower-power prints in bright colours.

During the Middle Ages, florals were sparingly used as a symbol of innocence and purity in ecclesiastical painting. During the 15th to 17th century, flowers soon became a popular object for still life painters like Adriaen van Utrecht or Jan Frans van Son from the Netherlands, as well as Venetian lace makers who picked 47

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m o r f s l e d o m o w t h t i w t n a u Q y r a M spring collec tion 1976 her Mary Quant and André Courrèges were the reigning queen and king of florals in fashion.

n o d n o L – r o i D n a i sister-mag.com t s i Chr ng collec tion 1972 spri

André Courrèges preparing his fashion collection in 1967 in the Paris studio

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Flowers –

Brock Collection blurs the lines between modernity and tradition so well that it’s sometimes only a pair of ripped jeans that reminds us that we haven’t taken a step back to Queen Victoria’s times. The label was founded in 2014 by Laura Vassar Brock and Kristopher Brock in Los Angeles and has since been playing with the contrast between romanticism, basics and grunge feelings. Millefleurs-Prints are a feature in every season.

y a w n u R / n o i t c e Brock CSoUlMl MER 2018 SPRING

Long story short, since the 12th century, there has never been a time where florals didn’t occupy an important space in fashion. From the accurate depictions of the Romantics to the popping prints of the wild 1970s, nature has always inspired designers. This is only natural since flowers have always signified positive things for humans: the beginnings of spring after a long, cold winter, promises of love with thousands of red roses and the fight for freedom during the 1970s, when flowers were used as a symbol for the protests of peace against war and its weapons.

a symbol of hope

So, after a year of living through a pandemic, we could all use some more flowers and their cheerful aura, longing for untroubled summer days, peace and optimism. When you’re wearing flowers (or have some at home in a vase), there’s just no way to be in a bad mood! Here are some amazing brands that combine this feeling with a lot of trendiness every season. Brands that are known for iconic floral prints:

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Much louder, more colourful and eccentric is the brand La DoubleJ from Milan. J.J. Martin founded the label in 2015 for maximalists who love loud prints, voluminous and playful cuts and are not afraid to be the centre of attention. Her special archive prints feature on her dresses but also on home accessories, jewellery and furniture.

Was Simone Rocha born in the wrong century? You might think so when seeing her designs. Debuting in 2010, she has since continued to impress the fashion world with her feminine collections in heavy materials. Using fabrics like brocade, thick lace and details like bows and pearls, Rocha takes us to another time and space. SIMONEROCHA_

LADOUBLEJ

g n i r p s e t r a d o r mmer 2021 su The founders of Rodarte, Kate and Laura Mulleavy, could well be called the mothers of romantic floral prints. They’re inspired by nature, art, poetry, culture, music and film – which isn’t strange, since they live and work in Los Angeles, capital of rom coms and blockbusters. Their intricate robes, stunning runway installations and love for detail turn every woman into a fairy tale princess – happy ending guaranteed, even without a prince. RODARTE

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ZIMMERM ANN spring summ e

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r 2021

Ulla Johnson is the queen of modern bohemian chic. With beautiful prints, intricate embroidery and lovingly placed details, she celebrates modern femininity like no other. What makes her look so special? It brims with a mix of her travels to New York City, Los Angeles and remote places. Cosmopolitanism and ease are included when buying an Ulla Johnson dress. ULLAJOHNSON

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Zimmermann has not been known for long in Europe, even though the two founders Nicky and Simone Zimmermann already founded the Australian label back in 1991. But today, it is known all over the world. No season should go by without the expansive, modern and hippy-inspired designs of the two sisters. Prints and crazy patterns are a must-have of the brand; femininity, romanticism and elegance play a huge part. The Sydney Morning Herald famously wrote about Zimmermann: »If Sydney was personified, she’d be bronzed, brazen and almost certainly wearing a Zimmermann bikini, so synonymous has the sunny swimwear label become with Australian style.« We can only agree. ZIMMERMANN

A future without flower-power and floral prints? Unimaginable. This is the summer of our lives, filled with hope, joie de vivre and, yes, blooming fashion after a year of sweatpants. And like American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson said: »The earth laughs in flowers «, we’re sure of that in fashion too.

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PROMO

A digital

FRAGRANCE JOURNEY With GINZA by SHISEIDO When home office and unsteady weather conditions bring the proverbial ceiling to fall upon our heads, wanderlust and the longing for lightness are bound to set in. All the more reason to get excited when our partner SHISEIDO invited us to a digital fragrance journey. During the digital master class, Ralf Breininger (National Trainer SHISEIDO) took us and 50 other participants into the fascinating world of the new women’s fragrance GINZA. From our dearest floral artist Hürriyet Bulan, we then also learned the art of flower arranging. Read about our travels on the following pages.

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PROMO

GINZA – The harmony of contrasts In the metropolis of Tokyo, the success story of SHISEIDO started about 149 years ago. Already in 1872, the Ginza district with its exclusive and luxurious shops was a magical point of attraction. Over the decades, this fascination grew stronger and the district‘s name evolved into a separate term for »shopping street«. Although there are a lot of these to be found in Tokyo and Japan now, only Ginza in the Chūō district has been able to preserve its unique flair. Anyone who takes a stroll through the lively hustle and bustle of the shopping street can’t miss the harmonious mix of luxurious handicrafts and newest technological gadgets. It‘s the place where Eastern tradition meets Western modernity. The women’s fragrance GINZA is also based on this philosophy of the »harmony of contrasts«. The floral notes of jasmine, freesia, magnolia and Japanese orchid vibrate in unison with woody notes of hinoki, patchouli and sandalwood. It’s this ultimate balance between contrasts that makes the fragrance a unique experience for its wearer. A source of strength and, at the same time, a strong emphasis on our femininity.

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PROMO

The flacon masterpiece

–

patented

In the same tradition, the flacon of GINZA unites two core figures of Japanese history and mythology, further symbolising the duality of femininity and strength Ingredients Freesia

like no others: the Geisha and the Samurai. BY way of the Shinto religion, Samurais found their way into the centre of Japanese society, standing as a symbol of Japanese strength and masculinity. In contrast, the culture of the Geishas now as then, exists in the mysticism of exclusivity and the hidden, as well as sophistication and luxury. Not every woman can become a

Hinoki

Geisha but the few who do become one, personify Japanese nobility and femininity. In this understanding, Geishas with

are

»realms

often of

attributed

flowers«

and

»unattainable silk«. Next to these accolades, another significant feature of the Geisha is her traditional external appearance. Its ultimate feature of recognition is her deep black, straight, and shiny hair that is strictly pinned up.

Jasmine

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of The sword rais the Samu

Th the

Looking closely at the flacon, we see these characteristics picked up in the closure (hairstyle)

Orchid

and the pink perfume composed with floral notes. As a symbol of (male) strength, we find the sword of the Samurai superficially perpetuated: Dominant here is the black sword that dips directly into the fragrance and therefore symbolically reminds us of the inner strength every woman carries within. We find a rather subtle element at the bottom of the flacon: Here, a rounding, the same as the blade of his

Sandalwood

sword, the so-called Katana, spreads out and makes the pink essence literally »dance« on it. This smart design was created by none other than Constance Guisset. The French designer has been a firm authority in interior design for a long time – the popular Vertigo lamp is one of

le of h e h a i r sty e G eishas

her creations. After a two-year stay in Japan, she has developed a Japan affinity. Thus, it was

Magnolia

with great enthusiasm that she created her very first

Patchouli

fragrance flacon. f the Katana o Samurais

Designer s et Constance Guis

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PROMO

Discover the strength in YOU Far away from the land of the Rising Sun, about 50 participants and we were able to undertake this fascinating journey in the comfort of sitting in front of our laptops. Ralf Breinlinger (National Trainer SHISEIDO) did not only visually introduce us to the culture of GINZA. The master class was also an ultimate olfactory experience. With four vials, filled with the individual essences of the fragrance, Ralf sent us on an excursion into the world of the perfumers Karine Dubreuil and Maïa Lernout who developed and created GINZA together.

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ional SHISEIDO Nat linger in e B lf a R r e in Tra

Co-teaching was sisterMAG’s longtime companion and an absolute expert for flowers and plants: Hürriyet Bulan, Botanic Art. While Ralf awakened the strength of GINZA in us, Hürriyet tickled our feminine spirits and showed us how we can create an impressive flower arrangement at home. Essential to this is of course, keeping the flowers fresh and in bloom.

Floral Ar tist Hürriyet Bulan

Für beautiful BLOSSOMS One

Put the content of »Flower Food« or 1 tablespoon of sugar into lukewarm water.

Two

Cut flowers freshly with clean flower scissors: FREESIA: You can cut these stems straight (about 2 cm). ORCHID: Cut at slight angle to create a wider surface for the flower to take up enough water MAGNOLIA: Do not only cut the branches in a slight angle but also cut an X into the cut surface of the branch

Three

Don’t place the vase in the direct sun, but in a cool place.

Four

Repeat step 2 every 2 to 3 days.

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Blossoms, fruits and leaves FLOWERS AND PL ANT S I N A RT

In this sisterMAG series, we present a selection of more and less well-known artists. Their work features a particular thematic thread. In this issue, everything revolves around flowers and plants.

The list of artworks depicting flowers and plants is endless, and there is no end to it in contemporary art. Numerous artists were and are fascinated by nature and draw their inspiration from it. This sisterMAG issue is this time also very flowery and therefore we have compiled a small selection of flower depictions from the history of art. And you get a few facts about the flowers and plants from around the world on top!

Text: CAROLIN KRALAPP

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FLOWER

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sisterMAG 62 | 2021

Maria Sibylla

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Merian 62

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Maria Sibylla Merian (1647-1717) Maria Sibylla Merian was a German naturalist and artist who meticulously studied plants and insects of all kinds and recorded them in drawings. Her oeuvre consists of a large number of nature studies and notes of her observations. This drawing on vellum, part of the collection of the British Museum, features a blue bird, more specifically an inidigo bunting, above a branch of Surinam cherry. Below it, a squirrel monkey is just about to hold its tail and bring its other hand to its mouth. The Surinam cherry belongs to the myrtle family of plants and grows as a shrub or small tree. It is widespread in the eastern part of South America from Surinam to Uruguay. The fruits can be safely eaten from the tree or processed into juices, wine and fruit jelly.

Maria Sibylla Merian, drawing; album, around 1705, British Museum.

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Utagawa

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Hiroshige 64

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Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) Utagawa Hiroshige was a Japanese woodblock printmaker towards the end of the Edo period, the historical period from 1603 to 1868 in Japan. The artist gained fame for his novel composition of landscape prints and exerted great influence from European Impressionism. This woodblock print named »Hibiscus Mutabilis and Jay«, which is in the collection of the Metropolitian Museum, shows a hibiscus branch with a jay sitting on it and looking around. In the background is a gradient of color, showing a deep red at the top and becoming lighter towards the bottom. Hibiscus belongs to the mallow family and is found mainly in subtropical and tropical areas of the world. Hibiscus grows as a herbaceous plant, shrub or tree and is especially popular and beneficial as a tea.

Utagawa Hiroshige, Hibiscus Mutabilis and Jay, around 1840, Metropolitan Museum.

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Vincent

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van Gogh 66

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Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890) The Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh, who probably needs no special introduction, also ventured into the painterly depiction of flowers and plants during his artistic career. The artwork »Sprig of flowering almond in a glass«, which is part of the art collection in the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, was created in Arles in France during the last years of van Gogh‘s life and shows an almond blossom branch in a glass filled with water on a table in soft shades. The almond tree is a member of the rose family and starts blooming in January - continuing into April. Its seeds, which we may know more as almond kernels or almonds, are used as a food and ingredient in various dietary products. So it‘s a real all-rounder!

Vincent van Gogh, Sprig of flowering almond in a glass, 1888, Van Gogh Museum.

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Piet

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Mondrian 68

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Piet Mondrian (1872-1944) The work »Amaryllis« by the Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, which is in a private collection, is not necessarily the typical motif one would expect from Mondrian. He is best known for his strictly geometric paintings with a black grid and rectangular areas of color in blue, red, yellow and white. But the artist also had a great interest in nature and form studies of various flowers. He once said about this, »I enjoyed painting flowers, not bouquets, but a single flower at a time, in order that I might better express its plastic structure.« The amaryllis is a member of the amaryllis family and there are only two species of it common in winter rainfall areas in South Africa. It is an herbaceous plant that does not form leaves until after its flowering period. Besides the leaves, it also forms a capsule fruit.

Piet Mondrian, Amaryllis, around 1907, Private Collection.

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Ernst Ludwig

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Kirchner 70

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Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) The expressionist painting »Still Life with Orchids (Dancing dream creatures)« by the German painter and graphic artist Ernst Ludwig Kirchner shows orchids colored in various shades of blue-red, the »queens among flowers«, whose blossoms seem to dance. The work was created in the seclusion of the Swiss mountains in Davos, where the artist lived and worked until his suicide in 1938. Orchids are a family of plants found throughout the world and can grow in a wide variety of ways. Many species of orchid grow on trees. No other plant family has such a spectrum of shapes and colors to offer as that of the orchid. In a quotation from 1928, the period in which the painting was created, his special affinity with nature is expressed: »I planted primroses and pansies in the house garden. Unfortunately only I had to cover them immediately, because it snowed again, the potatoes are now in the ground. I put wonderful gentians in a bowl in water, now they bloom quite beautifully blue. Outside there is snow.«

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Still life with orchids (Dancing dream creatures), around 1927/28.

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I planted primroses and pansies in the house garden. Unfortunately only I had to cover them immediately, because it snowed again, the potatoes are now in the ground. I put wonderful gentians in a bowl in water, now they bloom quite beautifully blue. Outside there is snow - ERNST LUDWIG KIRCHNER

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You know more artworks with especially beautiful and inspiring flowers?

Let us know! Share them with us on Social Media or feel free to send a message to carolin@sister-mag.com .

sisterMAG 62 | 2021

PROMO

The history of dried and pressed flowers

How do flowers stay fresh and how can I keep them for longer? Drying flowers as an accessory or to convey secret messages is a tradition that reaches back to antiquity. And the history is interesting and full of riveting details. Today, dried and pressed flowers are experiencing a renaissance. The history of dried and pressed flowers: a small review!

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THE

SKIRT

„Through working with flowers we began to discover things about ourselves that had been dormant. We found agility not only with our fingers but with our inner eyes in searching for line, scale and harmony. In bringing out these talents within ourselves, we gained a dimension that enabled us not only to search for harmony in an arrangement, but also to discover the importance of carrying it into our lives and our homes.” – Grace Kelly –

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Egypt The Egyptians used flowers to make perfume and cosmetics for religious and royal ceremonies. Dried flowers were woven into garlands and enriched with lovely scents to accompany beloved people into the afterlife. Dried flowers such as pressed bay leaves and garlands were also found in the grave of the 3,000-year-old sarcophagus of Tutankhamen’s mother.

Ancient Greece The Ancient Greeks already knew that flowers could be sustained by drying them. It might be a coincidence, but researchers even found traces of a dried bouquet next to the bones of a prehistoric human in the Middle East – maybe a sign of love and grief?

Medieval Times In the Middle Ages, flowers were used in socalled „ tussie-mussies“ to ward off disease and bad odours. The appearance of these small bouquets was believed to mirror their medicinal powers: because of their milky sap, dandelions were supposed to be good for breastfeeding mothers.

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Japan

Have you ever heard of Oshibana? This art and craft of pressing flowers to preserve their beauty reaches back to 16th century Japan, where it supposedly taught Samurai warriors the importance of patience, concentration and living in harmony with nature. Oshibana means to „paint“ a picture with natural elements. The making of an Oshibana takes a lot of time and creativity:

Harvesting them at the right time Drying and pressing – this takes a lot of experience Arranging the parts, usually using sketches as a base Often using Washi paper as a foundation

Close relations to Japan during the Victorian times also brought the art of arranging flowers to England and Europe.

Choice of the right petals and leaves

Grace Kelly, in her capacity as the Princesse Grace de Monaco, practiced Oshibana and thus helped to promote the art of pressed flowers across the globe. She used pressed botanical materials sent to her from abroad. More about this can be found in the book My Book of Flowers, which appeared two years before her tragic death. A longer description can be found here

Princess Grace of Monaco, poses with one of her works, made of dried flowers collages which are on display at the Drouant Art Gallery.

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Great Britain

About tussie-mussies & nosegays During the 16th century, the Elizabethan times, deep necklines were in fashion and their sensual connotation made flowers attached to the breasts very trendy. In Victorian times, small bouquets were pinned to the upper parts of corsages. These were known as „bouquet de corsage“. Women wore them for formal events, especially weddings, to help ward off evil spirits that may have interfered with the marriage.1 This arrangement later turned into the corsage we know today, as it wandered from the chest to the shoulder. Many girls in the US still wear corsages on their wrists when they attend prom. Flowers thus became unexchangeable accessories for fans, gloves and as corsages on the wrist. The popularity of these floral phenomena quickly swept across all of Europe in the shape of binders with collections of dried pansies, violas and pelargonium. In science, pressed flowers were used to prove the existence of previously unknown species from faraway lands. A Mr. Streeter from the Rochester Academy of Science first presented the clematis and the delphinium from Alaska in 1891. In 1920, the publication „Flower of the Holy Land“ appeared, where Frederick Vester showed off pressed flowers from Jerusalem.

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The language of flowers Floriography – the language of flowers! It is a way of cryptically communicating via the arrangement and use of certain flowers. Specific have cultural

petals

had

made up: „Mussie“ stands for the moss that is moistened and layered

meaning

around the stems to keep the flowers

for thousands of years

from wilting, and „tussie“ is a Middle

The

for

English term for a small bunch of

and interest in Floriography was

flowers that are held together in a

especially

bouquet.

strong

curiosity in

Victorian

England and the United States

Tussie-mussies are reminiscent of

during the 19th century. Presents

the strong odours of medieval and

made from flowers, plants and

Victorian streets and quickly evolved

special floral arrangements were

into a favourite fashion accessory of

used to send encoded messages.

the high society. Floriography was

This contributed to the rise of

even one of Queen Victoria’s favourite

floral dictionaries. Victorian lovers

pastimes. What did the elegant lady

exchanged „speaking bouquets” also

of high society do? She would garden,

called nosegays or tussie-mussies.

meet with acquaintances and speak

The tussie-mussies were carried in

about the language of flowers.

small, often cone-shaped and richly

Wearing a certain flower, like a red

decorated vases. These could be

rose for passion, a pink rose for new

made from sterling silver, sheet silver,

love or a white rose for purity, offered

gold, ivory, glass, porcelain, mother-

the opportunity to convey moods

of-pearl or straw. Worn at the collar,

and romantic availability during a

held in the hand or pinned to the

dinner or ball since those things were

chest, the little vases could also be

obviously not spoken about publicly.

displayed in specially made, threelegged supports.3

Click here to see „TussieMussies“ pictures!

Their cute-sounding name is not

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Modernity Nobuo Sugino started travelling abroad in 1993 to collect pressed flowers wherever he could find them. In 1997, this collection finally turned into the International Pressed Flower Art Book. Since 2010, Nobuo Sugino is the president of the International Pressed Flower Art Society which works to keep up the training and promotion of the art of pressing flowers all over the world.

And today? Dried flowers are back in fashion! The ideas for dried pieces of art are plentiful: levitating clouds, hoops, wreaths and loops. There’s hardly a lifestyle editorial between Berlin and San Francisco that doesn’t feature dried plants. A novelty are dry and flat arrangements. For its fall / winter collection 2021, the couture house Oscar de la Renta worked with the artist Tricia Paoluccio to create fascinating patterns from cut and pressed real flowers. From relaxed, printed cotton dresses to tailored crêpe-creations and spectacular evening gowns, the collection was full of flowers and fresh glamour. And the dress that Taylor Swift wore to the Grammy’s in 2021 even went viral. Now it’s your turn: get out your heavy books and start pressing your favourite flowers! Forget primary-school-aesthetics and find joy in DIY-ideas for your home, closet and jewellery box again.

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For more inspiration we have interviewed interesting artists working with „pressed & dried flowers“ on the following pages!

sisterMAG 62 | 2021

We talk to …

Tricia Paoluccio

ild Photos: Danielle W

We are delighted to be able to talk to artist Tricia Paoluccio, whose metier is pressed flowers. Besides elaborate dresses for Oscar de la Renta, she creates beautiful paintings or covers piano grand pianos with her pressed beauties.

Please tell us your name, where you are from and your profession! My name is Tricia Paoluccio and I am a professional actor and an artist, living in NYC.

How did you get into flower pressing as an art form? I grew up on an almond farm, in Modesto CA. My family always had beautiful flowers growing and when I was a teenager my mom bought me a little book on making pressed flower greeting cards. I was so inspired that my brother built me a flower press, which I still have to this day, and I started pressing the flowers I had around our farm. I began card making back in the 1990s and started selling them when I moved to NYC to pursue my goal of becoming an actress. sister-mag.com

FLOWER

Where do you find your flowers to press? Do you purely collect them on the road or do you also buy flowers? Do you do your craft in NYC as well? What flowers can you find in the city?

POWER

What is your favourite flower to press? The most beautiful wildflower I ever pressed was a Butterfly Mariposa Lily! Its like a little watercolored tulip looking lily that really does seem like a butterfly!

I pick 99% of all my flowers on our own property - either in the foothills where my parents own a little cabin, or on the farm in Modesto. I also have extremely generous neighbors who are incredible gardeners. California is so abundant with such gorgeous flowers, practically year round, and I always pick and press flowers every time I come home. I always have about a dozen presses full at a time. In NYC I have to go to the flower market in Chelsea - which I sometimes do… but my favorite flowers to press are weeds and wildflowers and I prefer to pick them in nature.

What is a dream of yours to work on as a flower pressing project? What would you like to accomplish in the next 5 years? I am in the process of partnering with an incredible team to create a luxury lifestyle brand using my art across a whole host of mediums. There are so many applications for these designs and I’m very excited to announce our next steps very soon which include a new name, a new website, new social media handles and new collaborations with incredible partners. I hope that my Modern Pressed Flowers followers will follow along! 83

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Tell us a bit about the project you did with Steinway? You covered a whole grand piano? How did you get in contact? Steinway reached out to me to collaborate on creating a pressed flower inspired Grand Piano and I could never have envisioned it would come out the way it did. It was a true collaboration with a whole host of people and that piano has brought a lot of joy to people. Its still on display at the Steinway flagship store in NYC! I think there are some great plans for it! :) sister-mag.com

FLOWER

POWER

Follow Tricia on Social Media ModernPressedFlower

MODERNPRESSEDFLOWER

MODPRESSFLOWER

@ autumn

laynepho

How can you buy your work or get a real „Modern Pressed Flower“ piece?

All images by Danielle Wild (@universersphotos) in the High Line Gallery

MODERNPRESSEDFLOWER

Right now I have a few pieces left of my art prints that I sold at the gallery in NYC this past winter/spring. These are limited edition prints - I only made seven of each size. You can find these on my website: www. modernpressedflower.com under the Shop Art tab and we do ship internationally! I also teach my classes on Zoom and have been so grateful to have shared my love of this craft of flower pressing to over 1400 people around the world since the pandemic. You can learn more about my classes under the workshop tab here.

The next course takes place June 26th! 85

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We talk to …

Reed Navarro @reednavarro_art reednavarroart.com

Tell us who you are, where you live and your profession? What do you do with flowers? My name is Reed Navarro! I am located in Dallas, Texas. I am a resin and alcohol ink artist. I love to take fresh flowers, press them, and place them into resin. I like to create functional art pieces as well as wall hangings using just resin and flowers.

How did you get into your art? I am a full time stay at home mom with two little toddlers. I love being a mama but I missed working, creating, ”Rosie Tower” and connecting with others. So I decided to start painting and share my creations on instagram. I started using inks and resin about two years ago and instantly my hobby turned into a business.

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”Boho Floatin g Florals“

”Pochaontas”

Do you make the whole project (including the glass plates) or do you source products?

Ƿ »Rosie Tower« Flower Tower, Three Tier Tray Ƿ »Pocahontas« Floral Geode Tray Ƿ »Boho Floating Florals« Floral Wall Art

There is no glass in any of my resin pieces! They are created 100% out of resin. For some pieces I pipe molds myself, for others I source silicone molds to pour my resin into.

Do you have a favorite flower? It is so incredibly hard to choose!! I would say its a tie between Roses and Cornflowers! I love bold colors!

Tell us your three favorite projects Three of my favorite Floral creations:

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DIY CAKE

WITH

WEDDING

PRESSED FLOWERS

WEDDING CAKE with pressed flowers // DIY: Thea Wittemann // // Photos: Cris Santos & Thea Wittemann //

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Pressed flowers for the wedding: A simple DIY that sweetens the preparation time before your big day and makes for the most individual cake: pressed flowers (preferably edible) for your own wedding cake. If you even want to bake and assemble the cake yourself, you will find some recipes for our favourite combination of cakes on the next pages. However, you can also order a cake from the patisserie and bring the pressed flowers there beforehand to be placed on the cake. In our case, this was done by Konditorei Hartmann in Freiberg/Saxony (@cafe_hartmann), a traditional and beautifully preserved cake manufactory.

The material we worked with – edible small pansies. You can find a lot of different flowers that are suitable – Plantura offers a great overview here.

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(1) Best to pick flowers on a sunny day, so as to avoid dew or other extra liquid on the flower petals. (2) Place blossoms face down on news- or parchment paper. A thick book (e.g. old phone book) also works well. Do not use valuable books, as the moisture from the blossoms can make the book pages wavy. (3) Close book and weigh it down. If you have a press (like the old wooden press on the left), you can directly clamp several layers. Let the flowers stand undissturbed for 7-10 days. Then check that all the liquid has disappeared and the flowers appear papery. For quicker results, you can change the paper every few days to remove liquid.

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RECIPES sister-mag.com

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Vanilla Cake

Baileys Cake

DOUGH

INGREDIENTS:

Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ

Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ

220 g soft butter 220 g sugar 220 g flour 4 eggs ½ vanilla pod 2 tsp baking powder 1 pinch salt

160g flour 160g icing sugar 4 eggs 160 ml Baileys 80 ml vegetable oil 2 tsp baking powder

STEPS

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease two

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grea-

round baking tins (18 cm Ø) and dust

se two round baking tins (18 cm

with flour.

Ø) and dust with flour.

2. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, set aside. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with a hand mixer for about 5 minutes until fluffy. Scrape out the pith of the vanilla pod and add to the butter and sugar mixture. Gradually add the eggs one at a time, alternating with a tablespoon of flour. Once all the eggs have been added, add

2. Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl and set aside.

3. Beat the eggs and icing sugar with a hand mixer for a very long time until a white mass is formed. Now quickly, but carefully, stir in the oil, Baileys and flour.

4. Divide the batter between the two baking dishes and bake for 40-50

the remaining flour.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the

minutes.

moulds and bake for about 40 minutes.

The Baileys can also be replaced with

Test with a skewer to see if the cake is

eggnog.

cooked through. Remove the bases from the oven, cool for 10 minutes, remove from the tin and leave to cool completely. For a chocolate cake, dissolve 75 g cocoa in 250-300 ml hot water and stir into the batter. A marble cake can also be prepared this way as a base.

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FILLING THE BASE … The bases make two cakes of sufficient height so that they can be cut in half horizontally. Wrap the bases in cling film and put them in the fridge overnight. The next day they will be firm and easier to cut. The filling and frosting can also be prepared the day before. Place the first base on a cake plate or serving dish. Put some of the filling on top and spread the frosting. Place the next base on top, alternating filling/ frosting until all the bases are assembled. Place the filled cake in the fridge for at least half an hour.

Chocolate Ganache FILLING

INGREDIENTS: Ƿ 200 ml cream Ƿ 300 g milk chocolate oder 400 g white chocolate or 200 g dark chocolate Ƿ Extras can be left to stirred into the boiled cream, e.g. 2 Tbsp. Whiskey, Cointreau, Baileys, Rum, Vanilla pod, Orange peel 4. Cover the bowl and refrigerate over-

STEPS

night.

1. Chop the chocolate and put it in a

5. The next day, take it from the frid-

bowl.

ge an hour or so before using, other-

2. Bring the cream to the boil in a sauce-

wise it will be too firm. The ganache

pan - be careful, it boils over easily.

can then be used directly or whipped

3. Remove the cream from the heat and

briefly with a hand mixer. Do not mix

add chocolate. Wait a few minutes

too long or the mixture will separate. .

and then stir until the chocolate has melted. After a few minutes it will become a homogeneous mass.

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… AND FINISH Spread half of the frosting thinly on the cake, using a spatula or knife. This first layer absorbs all the crumbs and »locks them in«. After another half hour in the fridge, the rest of the frosting can then be spread completely over the cake. To get a smooth surface, simply dip the knife in hot water, dry it and drag it over the surface. Attach each dried flower with a small blob of frosting.

Easy Frosting

White frosting

FROSTING

INGREDIENTS:

Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ Ƿ

Ƿ 180g white chocolate, melted & cooled Ƿ 250 g butter, room temperature Ƿ 100 g icing sugar

1 sachet vanilla custard powder 400 ml milk 3 tbsp sugar 250 g butter, room temperature

STEPS

1. Cook the vanilla pudding with milk

1. Beat the butter with a hand mixer for

and sugar, leave to cool completely.

about 5 minutes until pale yellow and

2. Beat the butter with a hand mixer for a few minutes. Gradually add a

creamy. Gradually add the chocolate and icing sugar and mix well.

2. If the frosting is too firm, simply stir in

tablespoon of custard and mix well.

3. Finally, beat the frosting on the highest speed for a few minutes until

1 teaspoon of milk. If it is too runny, put it in the fridge for a short time.

fluffy. Sweeten with icing sugar if necessary. ust be the same m d ar st cu & er tt Bu T: N A RT IMPO mbine. temperature or they will not co

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A charming municipality in Tuscany

Tuscan cypresses, as far as the eye can see, the chirping of the crickets when the sun goes down, and, ah, the good wine! The flair with the incredibly hospitable Italians and the great food – we are immediately gripped by a longing for Italy, more precisely: for Impruneta!

Text: Theresa Baier // Photos: Theresa Baier & Ilaria Trombí

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FLOWER

POWER

regional terracotta. The municipality with just under 15,000 inhabitants is located approximately one hour’s drive south of Florence and is therefore the perfect place to be close to a city and, at the same time, enjoy the calm and the landscape of Tuscany.

Italy is really always worth a trip and we are very happy that traveling gradually becomes possible again. Last year, a production brought us to Impruneta, a small town in Tuscany we don’t want to withhold from you.

You easily get to Florence and the surrounding area by bus. Nevertheless, a car is an advantage if you want to discover more of the great landscape and maybe stay in an Italian restaurant in the area.

Impruneta is a beautiful place in the northern part of Tuscany, which is known beyond the country’s borders for handmade

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Countless wineries, small winding alleys and a breath-taking landscape are only three aspects that characterise Impruneta. If you want to enjoy the landscape and the Mediterranean climate with several people, you should spend the night at »Casa di Thea« . The beautiful house enchants with its Italian flair. It’s located on a small hill in the middle of the Chianti countryside, surrounded by olive trees and grapevines, and invites you to linger and to switch off. It has four big rooms, a huge garden with a beautiful view and is therefore also perfect for coming here with the whole family or friends. The owners from Florence spend their weekends in the adjoining house and captivate with their open nature and their hospitality. On top, you get some free insider tips!

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POWER

In the near vicinity, there are numerous restaurants that celebrate the Italian cuisine in all its forms. If you love risotto and pasta (just to name a small selection), you will be floating on cloud nine here and rave about the good food for a long time. If you’ve got the travel bug now, you should get your suitcases from the basement and plan a trip to Impruneta! :)

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DIY FLOWERS

PAPER

ANOUK BÖHMER

PAPER FLOWERS // DIY & Photos: Anouk Böhmer Download the DIY here

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FLOWER

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Materials Ƿ Werola Gloria Doublette Ƿ Floral Tape Ƿ Styrofoam ball 2cm Ƿ Green coated wire (in this example I have used 1.2 mm thick) Ƿ Tacky glue Ƿ Scissors

101

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1. sister-mag.com

2. 102

FLOWER

POWER

4. INSTRUCTIONS 1. Cut from the orange paper a long strip of paper 12 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. Cut out the template of the petal and use this to cut out 5 petals from the pink paper.

2. Cut fringes in the yellow paper. Cut to the middle and try to make very thin fringes.

3. Glue the styrofoam ball on the wire (put some glue on the wire and stick this in to the ball). Use the floral tape to wrap around the ball so the ball is covered with the tape and is green. Now you have your center.

4. Put some glue on the yellow paper and glue this on the ball. Put it around the ball so it makes the stamen of the flower.

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5. Cut out the leaf petals, and if you like, use a pencil to create some shading. You can choose any colour you like to create some shading.

6. After colouring the petals, you need to cup the petals. Put the petal between both hands and hold the petal with thumb and indexfinger. Gently stretch the paper and press your thumbs so the petal will start to cup. This is how you get a nice shape in your petals. Then put some glue at the bottom off the petal.

7. Glue all the petals on the centre. Start with the first and go all around the centre. The five petals will cover the whole centre.

8. After gluing all the petals, the flower will look like this. No worries! Use your floral tape to cover the wire and bottom of the flower in a green color. Stretch the floral tape and cover the bottom and wire by turning the wire while putting on the floral tape.

9. Open the flower by bending the glued petals. You will see your beautiful bloom. Sometimes the yellow stamen are also not open. You can gently push them into a good position.

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9. If you fall in love with this DIY, buy some more paper and make the anemones in all different colours. Hope you have enjoyed this DIY! And to end with my motto: A flower is not giving by hands but with the heart.

Anouk

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h ö

r e m

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INTER-

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Anouk Böhmer!

Would you briefly summarize for our readers who you are, where you come from and what you do? Hi! I am Anouk, 33 years old and live in a small town in The Netherlands. I have the best job in the world because I am a paper florist. So every day I can work with my hands and create flowers for people to make them happy. What did you want to be when you were a kid? I wanted to be an actress, and dreamed about acting in big movies. After hearing about the hard admission to get into an acting school, I had to change my game plan and have played in a drama club in my hometown with lots of other kids and always loved it very much! And every time we had a performance I felt like a true actress. How long have you been making paper flowers and when did you

start sharing your creations on Instagram as well? For three years now. I had my own shop but due to physical problems I had to stop with that dream. I was sitting at home feeling sick about ending my dream and read about paper flowers. I ordered some paper and started creating. After a while I started to post some flowers on Instagram, and because of the encouragement from people online I shared it more and more. When did you start your web shop and what can people find there? In January 2020 I started my paper flower business and also the web shop. After a week almost everything had sold out, so then I felt the power to pursue my paper flower dream. In my web shop you will find little bouquets, flowers for props in photography and my own stationery products.

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What did you do before? What were your different steps until you got to what you do today? I have worked as a store manager in retail for many years, and that’s a job I have always loved. I like to be in contact with other people. I have worked as a store manager in clothing stores, a drugstore and in a supermarket. Then had my own store for a short period. After that I started with my flowers. I have followed a short study in marketing and that’s something that is helping me every day. But I think the most helpful part is that I have always worked with people so it’s easy for me to connect. What is your favourite flower and why? My favourite flower is the poppy because when spring and summer start, I love that this little bloom is blooming in big fields and in the side roads. It’s a true survivor, and I love that it’s so fragile.

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What do you wish for the future? What new projects might you have coming up? Is there anything you‘re particularly looking forward to? I really hope to start the first paper flower store in the Netherlands, where I can sell my blooms and paper and art materials. For now it’s wishful thinking, but I know that it always starts with that, so I’m confident that someday it will happen. For know I am starting with my own DIY kits and hope to give people some inspiration to make flowers and hope after covid to teach paper flower making! And hope to take some time off to make very detailed flowers to exhibit, so I can show people what you can make out of paper.

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DIY PAPER

DAHLIAS

DIY

BY SILVIA RAGA

PAPER DAHLIAS // DIY & Photos: Silvia Raga Download the DIY here

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Materials Ƿ Cardboard max. 160 g Ƿ Paint brush Ƿ Hot glue Ƿ Hole punch Ƿ Flower stem Ƿ Template Ƿ Scalpel, scissors or cutting machine

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INSTRUCTIONS 1. Cut the shapes that will form the dahlia: you can use the template with the cut-ting machine, or print it, bring the design back to the cardboard and then cut with scissors or a scalpel.

2. With the handle of the brush, curl the smaller shapes, those that will form the central part of the flower.

3. Paste these shapes one above the other with the hot glue, first the smallest, then the biggest.

4. Always with the aid of handle of the brush, model all the petals as showed in the picture.

5. 5. Once the petals are attached, try to lift them from the centre and repeat these steps for all the other shapes.

6. Now we are ready to arrange the dahlia.

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7. Put the hot glue in the centre and also at the junction of the petals, then overlap the first shapes assembled.

8. Continue with the other shapes, always put the hot glue from the same direction.

9. This is how the finished dahlia looks (there are 3 pics with different points of view). With both the hands, try to mold the flower into a spherical shape. If nee-ded, form the petals with your fingers.

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10. 13. 10. Now make a little hole with the punch. 11. Put a drop of hot glue and insert the flower stem.

12. The dahlia is complete! 13. Then do the others with different shades of colours…

14. … and arrange them with some dried field herbs!

1 1.

14. 12.

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Silvia Raga!

Would you briefly summarise for our readers who you are, where you come from and what you do?

doing exactly what I loved to do as a child because my work is a mix of drawing, sculpture and origami!

Hello to SisterMAG’s readers, I’m Silvia Raga, the soul and the hands behind Giochi di Carta, an Italian creative studio where I conceptualize and realise unique decoration, furnishing accessories and props with paper.

How long have you been making paper flowers and when did you start sharing your creations on Instagram as well?

What did you want to be when you were a kid? Oh, thank you for this question! When I was child I dreamed of being an artist. I have come a long way before really understanding which path to choose, and now I can say that I‘m

I started making paper flowers in about 2016, but my business Instagram account was born in 2018. When did you start your web shop and what can people find there? I started running my web shop in 2020 because Covid-19 has stopped all events and workshops, which made up a large part of my turnover.

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What did you do before? What were your different steps until you got to what you do today? Before Giochi di Carta I was an illustrator for children for about ten years. At the beginning I kept both activities at the same time, and in fact my paper production was very influenced by illustration and the world of kids. With each commission I grew, learned and above all I understood where I wanted to go and what makes me really happy and fulfilled. What is your favourite flower and why? My favourite flower is the water lily. I find it beautiful, and I really like the meaning it carries. What do you wish for the future? What new projects might you have coming up? Is there anything you‘re particularly looking forward to? In the future I would like make more window displays. And my big aspiration would be to have a small shop with my creations.

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DIY BY

SWEET

THE HOUSE THAT L ARS BUILT

GARDEN

ROSE

GARDEN ROSE This sweet garden rose is perfect for bringing the outdoors inside. I love making a few and sprinkling them around the house. Here‘s how to make it!

// DIY & Photos: The House That Lars Built Download the DIY here sister-mag.com

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Materials Ƿ crepe paper in a pink and a green Ƿ wire Ƿ wire cutters Ƿ glue gun Ƿ scissors Ƿ template

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INSTRUCTIONS

petal shape onto the crepe paper with the grain of the crepe going

1. Cut a small piece of crepe paper

vertical as indicated on the template.

about 2x3cm

Stretch out the paper gently.

2. Cut another small piece of crepe paper about 5x5cm and scrunch it

6. Glue at the bottom of the petal and wrap around the base of the ball. Do

into a ball. Glue a piece of wire into the ball and glue in place.

3. Wrap the first piece of crepe paper around the ball and twist it and secure it with glue.

about 5 or 6 of these.

7. Go onto your next shape and repeat with about 6 more petals.

8. Finish it off with the largest petal shape. Repeat until you have the size

4. Cut out the templates

of rose you‘d like.

5. Start the rose by cutting the smallest

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9. The last petals should bend outwards.

10. Add 5 or 6 long green leaves around the base of the petals

11. Cut a piece of crepe paper about 1cm by 10cm long going against the grain. Stretch it out gently. Glue the paper to the base of the flower and wrap around the wire.

12. Cut out your leaves and insert them into the stem.

13. Glue in place.

Ta da!

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More DIYs

thehousethatlarsbuilt.com

Cinco de Mayo Paper Wedding Bouquet

DIY Paper Hydrangeas

Paper pansies

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DIY Paper foxglove

Royal Wedding Inspired Bouquet

Parrot tulip

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POR TRA IT The

Get to know... Ann Wood

@woodlucker

Botanical Paper Artist

Text:

Carolin Kralapp

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»Art is wonderful, art is hard, art is magical and art is frustrating. All this being said, I love being an artist. I also believe in embracing my mistakes, this is where the real gold sparkles.« - Ann Wood

We would like to introduce you to another artist who makes special paper flower and plant objects, botanical paper artist Ann Wood. Get to know her and her work here at sisterMAG! Ann Wood is originally from Iowa, where she grew up on a farm, but now lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Even as a child, she knew she wanted to be an artist. On her parents’ farm, she was able to do projects of all kinds and let her creativity loose. Already at a young age, she found that art gave her the freedom to express herself and her own ideas. Her mother has always encouraged her and been supportive of her dreams and desire to become an artist. For example, she painted Ann‘s teenage room white and allowed her to decorate the walls according to her own individual wishes and ideas. Today, Ann describes herself as a mixed media artist — her work moves between sculpture and painting. Currently she is primarily working on botanical objects, which she makes out of paper.

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Her academic career consisted of three fundamental elements that also significantly influenced her career: technical photography, fine arts and artistic crafts. The different disciplines allowed Ann a lot of flexibility and the necessary space to find her artistic direction. During her time at art school, she met and began working with her husband, Dean Lucker. Together, for example, they created a sculpture in the public space of downtown St Paul, where they both live, and people gradually became more aware of her art and made inquiries about buying it. In the 1990s, they then sold editions of their artworks at major craft fairs and to galleries and museum stores nationwide. Over the years, Ann has made works for wholesale and retail, for collectors and in competition for grants.

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AN WOO She has been using her botanicals, which she has been sharing under @woodlucker on Instagram for about four years, as an artistic challenge for herself to grow every day. Her first step into paper and object art was making a simple feather. For this, she didn’t look at tutorials or books but relied entirely on her own artistic skills. She now works with real plants, dissecting them to understand their exact shapes and structures and translating them into three-dimensional models. Ann always finds great inspiration in the art of Frida Kahlo. She especially loves the figurative way in which Kahlo painted. On Instagram, she particularly enjoys following The Flora Smith , Pink and Posey , Bear Follows Cat und Table Takes . Ann’s big goal, even now in her late 50s, is still to grow with the times, adapting to new circumstances while using her creativity as a common thread of sorts. What’s up next for her? Finding new ways to display her paper objects. We’re excited to see where else Ann’s path takes her and look forward to following along on Instagram!

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FLOWERS

The field of books, publications and accounts dealing with flowers, floral art or making flowers from all kinds of materials is virtually endless! That’s why we don’t claim completeness but want to present you some of our latest and favourite findings we came across while working on this issue. They go right across the DIY section – from baking books to embroidery publications and back to making flowers out of paper. Have fun!

MATERIALS & RESOURCES

BOOKS AND RESOURCES

Livia Cetti („The Green Vase“) is not only one of the best paper flower artists worldwide, she also published two wonderful books on the art of paper flower making. In addition she offers DIY flower kits on her website. Tip: Check out her website. The photos of her work are pure inspiration! @thegreenvase thegreenvase.com THE EXQUISITE BOOK OF PAPER FLOWERS BY LIVIA CETTI

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A great book, also for beginners who want to learn how to make flowers with crepe paper. If you own a Cricut, you can even download templates. By the way: The website of Lia Griffith is also recommendable with many tutorials & inspirations. Crepe Paper Flowers by Lia Griffith @liagriffith | Clarkson Potter | liagriffith.com

A feast for the eyes: 75 paper flower projects, e.g. a Christmas wreath, ideas for children’s birthdays, table decorations, bouquets and many more. The instructions are easy to follow and understand. Paper to Petal by Rebecca Thus & Patrick Farrell @thussfarrell | Potter Craft

A rather upscale arts and crafts handbook with step-by-step instructions by the artist Tiffanie Turner – from bougainvillea to English roses to zinnias. It shows how to make her famous peony and gives tips & tricks on handling the paper, amongst others. The Fine Art of paper flowers by Tiffanie Turner |

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We are sure: You already saw the flagship store of Peggy Porschen on Instagram. It’s one of the most photographed locations in London – and rightly so. In her book, she shows how to recreate the beautiful sugary flowers of her café and boutique (wedding) cake creations. Cakes in Bloom von Peggy Porschen @peggyporschenofficial

The internationally renowned pastry chef Jacqueline Butler shows in her book 18 stylised »gumpaste« flowers in different flowering stages as well as buds & leaves. Inspiring and practical with step-by-step instructions in over 600 pictures! Modern Sugar Flowers von Jacqueline Butler @petalsweetcakes

Amy Ho from the blog Constellation Inspiration shows that flowers can not only be used for visual garnishing but also add an incredible depth of taste to cakes and cookies. Blooms & Baking von Amy Ho | Page Street Publishing |

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@constellationinspiration

Have you ever tried embroidery using silk ribbons? You can use it to create wonderful images and especially flowers. In this book, it’s all about roses some of which are as elaborate and beautiful as the real ones in nature! Roses in silk and organza ribbon by Di van Niekerk‘s |

divanniekerkfanpage (with Videos!)

Embroidery with silk ribbons has a long tradition and therefore you especially find older publications in antiquarian bookshops. But don’t let that deter you: Even today, these flower creations don’t look as old-fashioned on dresses and blouses as in the books below ;). One of our favourite projects of sisterMAG is the blue dress with ruffled skirt in issue 18.

18-9 Kleid mit Besticku ngen und Federn

Flowers made of felt that look as if they had just been freshly picked. This book is suitable for absolute beginners and contains flowers and plants – also for the interior at home. Felt Flower Workshop by Bryanne Rajamannar |

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THE

SKIRT

Japanese Kazuko Aoki has the unique talent to translate the nature of her garden into needle & threat. Her publications show wildflowers, garden scenes and little sceneries of nature. In this issue, we used her »embroidered garden flowers« to individualize our store-bought blouse Embroidery books by Kazuko Aoki

Yumiko Higuchi is another Japanese needlecraft artist with wonderful projects and books, e.g. on the topic of zakka embroidery or appliqué. We are particularly fond of her little purses and wallets – they are on our to-embroider list ;) Embroidery books and projects by Yumiko Higuchi z.B. via Etsy.com |

yumikohiguchi

If you don’t feel like embroidering yourselves: MoodyGreen from Latvia offers beautiful totes with floral motifs on Etsy. There are also PDF patterns for modern botanical motifs. MoodyGreen Shop on etsy.com

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DIY kit for a wildflower motif including yarn, template, fabric & everything that goes with it – a wonderful project for beginners who don’t have an embroidery equipment at home Wildflower Kit by floralsandfloss on etsy.com

Tessa Perlow shows on her account embroideries on upcycled fabrics. Partly rather psychedelic patterns, flowers, and crazy creations Tessa Perlow

@tessa_perlow

If you are looking for unusual embroidery designs, you will love Ludivine Saly‘s Etsy shop. She offers ancient and revisited embroidery designs like monograms for all letters of the alphabet. Lama Design Stickerei by FDBC auf etsy.com

A collection of embroidery patterns of sisterMAG mama and designer Evi – a colourful mixture of cross stitch, satin stitch, or old patterns Evis „Stickmuster“-Board on Pinterest

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w i

RIA LUN A M E h t

aka

supina t ra

Art: Maria Luneva aka supinatra // Interview: Carolin Kralapp

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We use Instagram as a source of inspiration and information, to express our own interests and creative ideas, and there is a community there for every niche. As well as in the field of floral and plant art. We came across the profile of Maria, who can be found under @supinatra and has over 28,000 followers, and asked her directly for an interview, which you can read here.

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A LUN AR I

Would you briefly summarise for our readers who you are, where you come from and what you do?

How long have you been a floral artist and what was your path to get there?

I’m a Russian artist based in Moscow. Oddly enough I’m studying at the university in the direction of transport design, but flower art speaks best to me. In my works I use natural elements: flowers, thorns, mushrooms, insects, etc. Nature is the main instrument and object of my creativity. I see a lot of fashion and artful simplicity in her, and I show this side of her by the help of my vision. I create makeup, masks, clothing items, jewellery, underwear accessories and many other things from natural elements.

I have been doing flower art for a year and a half. I got my freedom from the university during the period of self-isolation. And somehow I saw the works of the artist @thundergirl_xtal and everything went off. Do you sell your floral work? Do you do it for a living or is it your hobby? Do you give workshops or similar? I have no business with commerce yet.

What did you want to be when you were a kid? As a child, I was never interested in this question. It did not interest me even in adolescence. By the age of 16, I slowly began to worry about this and ended at 22, finding my vocation in creativity.

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A a supinatra ak

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VA aka s E up N U i

ra t na

RIA

So far, my work is in an intermediate stage between hobby and work. I think this is a good period. I work on a lot of personal creativity, but I also do work to order. Ideally, I would like to maintain the ease that I have now and at the same time be able to live comfortably thanks to it. It‘s funny to imagine my master classes. It would look like this: I give out a flower or leaf to the participants and give 10 minutes to think about what this flower looks like, what it resembles. And then I help with the visualisation. Sounds good though! When did you start sharing your creations on Instagram and what has happened since then? sister-mag.com

I began to upload my work immediately, at the beginning of my art. And my account very quickly went from personal to creative. Since then many people have recognized me and different magazines have published me. But most importantly, since then I can feel like an artist, feel my calling, and this is priceless. What is your favourite flower and why? My preferences in flowers often change, but these are always the flowers that grow in Russia, and sometimes even under my window. Now, I am in love with the deadnettle.

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How do you find the ideas for your creations? And how do you find the right models for the realisation? The natural elements themselves tell me the ideas. I always work with association and paradox. The shape, colour and texture of the materials will certainly evoke in me an association with something, for example, some kind of household element (a pepper leg looks like a doorknob or a hanger, a campanula looks like a hat, a beetle looks like a precious stone, a tulip bud looks like a tampon). I have only to find the easiest and most understandable way to visualise this.

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H o l g e r, d a i r y f a r m e r The last of his kind

Text & Photos: Andrea Lang I remember it like it was yesterday, holding the milk churn in hand and strolling past the few houses to the adjoining farm to get fresh milk. The best part was the walk back: because the name of the game here was to skip home with the jug as fast as possible, but not let the lid fall off or the milk spill. Not much has changed on the dairy farm since then. We still have the last dairy farmer in the Hamburg region in our neighbourhood, who milks and works in a very traditional way – his name is Holger Eggers. Holger‘s parents already had the farm. I always remember Marianne with a headscarf, a smock, red cheeks and a smile. And Gustav with his faded overalls and a flat cap. Farmers – exactly how you’d expect them to look. Holger, their son, took over the farm in 1989 after completing a degree as a farmer. He still took a few courses in the winter semesters, such as claw trimming, general knowledge, and plant protection, and thereafter became a state-certified farmer. When I asked Holger when he started, he said: »You just grow into it. When I was 10 years old, I already helped out here and there.«

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He wasn‘t expected to take over the farm. But Holger enjoyed the animals, nature, and the changing seasons – with everything that goes with it He got an apprenticeship position on Hahnöfersand at a farm with pigs, cattle, bull rearing, and dairy cows with calves. He realised after that time that his focus would be on dairy cows. Even though time seems to stand still on this farm, a lot has changed for the dairy farmers since then. The greatest change caused by the climate. »We don‘t have proper winters anymore. The summers are either too hot or too wet.« Because the winters are so mild, Holger has noticed over the past ten years an increase in parasites and ticks on the animals. Another development, unfortunately not a positive one, is the increasing bureaucracy. So much has to be documented that soon 70% of the time will be spent on fertiliser regulations, plant protection, and the use of medicines. Holger says: »Wasted time of your life. And all that only for the case that an inspection takes place. Otherwise the documents just gather dust in a folder. Everything important is in my head anyway. I’d much rather be doing something productive, sustainable, something meaningful.«

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And there’s no shortage of meaningful work to be done. Holger‘s cows are outside grazing day and night for at least 6 months of the year. He brings them in from the pasture at half past five in the morning to be milked in the barn. He is the last of his kind; someone who works in a traditional tethered way, directly into the milking buckets and amongst the cows. The milk is let directly into the milking buckets, which is then transferred to a large tank as the crow flies.

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The tanks are then picked up from the dairy farm every two days at a minimum of 6 degrees. Milking takes place in the mornings and evenings. In between, Holger‘s everyday life consists of growing grain, using natural fertilisers, fencing areas to change pastures, mowing and making hay. The tall grass must be mowed at the right time and turned 2-3 times before it can be pressed into round bales and moved. This is all very weather-dependent. If it rains during the process, the hay has to be turned again to let the sun dry it out and prevent rot. I asked Holger how it’s possible for one person to do all this work alone. Because I know that there are neither weekends nor vacations for him. And what if he got sick? Holger doesn‘t know the word ‘flu’. Even if everything’s falling apart, the cows still have to be milked twice a day. Holger says: “When one door closes, another one opens.” He broke his hand once. But some time before that, a friend who was very stressed privately and professionally came to the farm, looking for a change of pace. So, they had worked together

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with the animals and the friend could step in when Holger was absent for a brief period. It’s not a rare thing for people to come to the farm and want to have a look around or help. The children in any case; just like I used to. But adults also want to be shown what the milking process looks like, or are in search of something missing in their lives. Because working with animals is therapeutic. A woman came to the farm recently and asked whether she could cuddle the cows. Holger allowed her to go to the pasture and try it. »They‘ll let you know if they like it or when they‘ve had enough.« His cows are used to human interaction, because Holger always walks around between them and is close to them when milking in the barn. There’s also petting while they do this, and that need for closeness. This isn‘t possible with cows from large dairy farms where they keep 300 animals. A vet was recently totally amazed at how peaceful his animals are and that Holger talks to them by name. He was only familiar with the kind of milking farms where the cows bucked and kicked; it wasn’t possible to walk among them.

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For the children who want to try his milk, Holger first asks them whether they dare to drink fresh unpasteurised milk. Because most of them only know 1.5% milk, which Holger affectionately calls »coloured water«. Holger has joined a dairy farm group that forms a cooperative with around 200 dairy farmers. His milk is later processed in the entire »white range«: the term refers to baby food, milk, yoghurt, and cream collectively. Working with other farmers is crucial; in this way, you share the combine harvesting and running the pasture fields. Since agricultural machines are extremely costly, colleagues complement and support each other. Holger laughs heartily when he tells me how things often go when colleagues work together. Already in the morning, Holger says in the finest Low German: »Man to, man to, ward glieckst wedder düster.« (»Get a move on, get to work, it’ll be dark again soon.«) And his colleagues respond with: »Eggers, relax.«

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When Holger started, the goal was to produce for the global market. This euphoria hasn’t been felt for a long time now. In his time as a farmer, he’s already supplied 5 dairy farms because 2 went bankrupt and others restructured. Only large companies are funded properly. While the production, wages, and energy prices are rising steadily, the milk prices are sadly similar to how they were in the 1970s/80s. Unfortunately, the actions by interested associations haven’t helped. For that reason, it remains up in the air whether there will still be small businesses in the future. Holger hasn’t found a successor yet. And that, despite the fact that the next generation would benefit greatly from many of the measures he’s implemented over the past few years. He pursued long-term goals and, for example, reduced the pH level of his soil from 6.2% to 4–4.5%. His meadows have been acclaimed as a nature conservation area.

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It’s not financially feasible to keep 16–18 cows on 52 hectares of land. But to this day, he still loves working with animals and nature. »Germany will soon no longer be able to sustain itself,« says Holger. And so my childhood memories will soon fade. Children will no longer be able to saunter into the stable and let the newborn calves suckle on their fingers or swing the milk churn while skipping home.

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In her long-term photographic project »Altes Handwerk & Traditionsberufe« (»Old Crafts & Traditions«), the Hamburg photographer Andrea Lang shows craftsmen, old and traditional professions, jobs with passion and professionalism. Simple, enacted, old-school black and white portraits, inspired by August Sander. In contrast to her advertising shoots with a photo concept, these photos aren’t staged for long, but rather have a reportage style without any major staging. »I was blessed to hear incredibly exciting stories, meet people who were enthusiastic about their work, and gain great insights into workshops and working methods. One of them asked me what my motivation for this series was. It’s always been important to me for my photos to

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tell a story. I see how much is being forgotten and I want to keep some of it alive.« During her research, the photographer found out that the profession of carriage building no longer exists in Germany. »It just doesn’t make sense anymore,« she was told. In September 2020, Andrea Lang managed to hold the first photo exhibition on the project in an open greenhouse. 23 portraits, presented in vintage iron window frames, swayed in the wind and connected with the idyllic surroundings and nature. The first step to remembering that highquality craftsmanship also needs to be remunerated, was taken. And thus, perhaps also the first step to not letting an almost forgotten craft die out.

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PARTNER

2021

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