Words and Wildflowers Creative Prompts – Issue 46
Posted on May 26, 2025
We LOVE research and learning as a way to get inspired and boost ideas and creativity!! So, Kenzie and I are going to be sharing the inspiration that we collect here in our second newsletter…. once a week!!!
Here’s how it works:
We provide the inspiration. You interpret it however you wish… any medium, any size. It is meant to inspire lettering and floral art combined together. But, you can:
- Just do the florals, just do the lettering, or combine them together.
- Use the provided quote for your piece or select your own.
- Use colors from one of the inspiration images or select your own favorites
- Create the floral art… as a still life in a vase, a single flower, a border, a pattern, a bouquet
Hope you will create with us and post your work at #wordsandwildflowers2024 and tag @lorisiebert.studio and @snippetsofwhimsy
Quote of the week…
“Serious art is born from serious play.”
— Julia Cameron
Inspirational Artist of the week… Megan Bogonovich
Based in Norwich, Vermont, Bogonovich recognizes nature’s immense capability for adaptation and strength in seemingly inhospitable spaces. “The whole dandelion growing out of a pavement crack thing,” she says. Her works embody transformation and abundant growth, and unusual colors, shapes, and textures arise in surreal combinations. With bulbous bases, spiked protrusions, and interlocked petals, the works imagine “the batty possibilities of what could be growing in the universe or what might be the first thing to sprout up after an environmental disaster.”
Rooted in play and the “ceaseless goofiness” of reproduction, the sculptures evolve throughout a lengthy process. Bogonovich begins by hand-building small geometric and organic forms like cones, tubes, ovoids, and textured patches made with drilled holes, cuts, and everyday objects like buttons, which she then casts in plaster to make a mold. “If I cast 30 molds one day, by the next day I have a set of slip-cast tinkertoy-type parts that I can alter and bend or duplicate. It’s a lot of labored build-up to get to a point where I can work spontaneously and impulsively with a material that would otherwise want planning,” she says.
Hand lettering inspiration of the week… Rachel Castle
Rachel Castle loves having a bit of fun. She loves words and flowers and hearts and spots and sunshine and sausage dogs and all the colours of the rainbow. She loves making accessible art and beautiful bedlinen and sweaters to make you laugh.
Her artworks are hand sewn, screen printed and painted in her Sydney studio. Rachel has spent the past 30 years in the homeware industry both in Australia and the UK. Founded in 2008, the CASTLE brand has become a haven for lovers of all things sunny.
Words and Wildflowers Creative Prompts – Issue 33
Posted on February 10, 2025
We LOVE research and learning as a way to get inspired and boost ideas and creativity!! So, Kenzie and I are going to be sharing the inspiration that we collect here in our second newsletter…. once a week!!!
Here’s how it works:
We provide the inspiration. You interpret it however you wish… any medium, any size. It is meant to inspire lettering and floral art combined together. But, you can:
- Just do the florals, just do the lettering, or combine them together.
- Use the provided quote for your piece or select your own.
- Use colors from one of the inspiration images or select your own favorites
- Create the floral art… as a still life in a vase, a single flower, a border, a pattern, a bouquet
Hope you will create with us and post your work at #wordsandwildflowers2024 and tag @lorisiebert.studio and @snippetsofwhimsy
Quote of the week…
“Tree of Hope… stand firm.” (Árbol de la esperanza mantente firme.)
-Frida Kahlo
Inspirational Artist of the week… Marilo Carral
Marilo Carral is an internationally recognized artist, dedicating her entire life to painting since childhood. With the use of her bright color palette and the invention of her own mixed media, her paintings embody pure joy. Color is a key element in her work, whether representational or abstract. Her paintings, full of passion, evoke tangible emotions. Recognized by famous critics and international collectors, her art has been exhibited around the world for the last 40 years.
Handlettering inspiration of the week… signage from San Miguel de Allende
Words and Wildflowers Creative Prompts – Issue 32
Posted on February 3, 2025
We LOVE research and learning as a way to get inspired and boost ideas and creativity!! So, Kenzie and I are going to be sharing the inspiration that we collect here in our second newsletter…. once a week!!!
Here’s how it works:
We provide the inspiration. You interpret it however you wish… any medium, any size. It is meant to inspire lettering and floral art combined together. But, you can:
- Just do the florals, just do the lettering, or combine them together.
- Use the provided quote for your piece or select your own.
- Use colors from one of the inspiration images or select your own favorites
- Create the floral art… as a still life in a vase, a single flower, a border, a pattern, a bouquet
Hope you will create with us and post your work at #wordsandwildflowers2024 and tag @lorisiebert.studio and @snippetsofwhimsy
Quote of the week…
“Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.”
~Twyla Tharp, dancer, choreographer, and author
Inspiring artist of the week… Sunae Sugimoto
Sunae Sugimoto is an illustrator based in Kyoto, Japan. Her work uses traditional Japanese orange and black inks and fine pen work to create beautifully detailed illustrations.
Growing up surrounded by sea and mountains, Sanae was born in Tottori, Japan in 1975. Having attended art college in Kyoto, she now lives and works there as an illustrator working commercially for packaging, logos and magazines.
More recently, her interest has turned to using Japanese traditional black and orange inks. This process uses fine pen work to create beautifully detailed pieces.
Handlettering inspiration of the week…outsider artist, August Walla
An early VALENTINES gift to yourself!!! Let’s make memories together!!!
Posted on January 24, 2025
Join Kenzie and I for a whimsical art retreat this October 17-24 2025 set against the stunning backdrop of southern Portugal.
Explore the beauty of florals and lettering through a mix of fun and playful techniques and creative challenges. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist, you’ll walk away with a deeper connection to your craft, new skills in mixed media, and a portfolio filled with stunning florals and expressive lettering.
Throughout the retreat, you’ll dive into engaging mixed media techniques, using watercolor, acrylics, cut foam stamps, pens, and markers. Lori and Kenzie will hold daily classes, demonstrations, and hands-on practice sessions, where you may experiment with bold color palettes, playful textures, and fluid forms.
The first half of the week will be dedicated to exploring florals in depth. Learn various approaches to creating vibrant blooms and delicate abstract designs. As the week progresses, the focus shifts to lettering. Study techniques for crafting expressive, flowing letterforms that pair beautifully with your floral work. On the final morning, bring florals and lettering together in a harmonious composition and blend the skills developed into unique pieces. The retreat culminates in a mini-exhibition, where you’ll have the opportunity to share your work with fellow artists and celebrate your creative journey.
By the end of the week, you’ll leave with new techniques, a personal collection of floral and lettering creations, and memories of an unforgettable artistic adventure.
What’s included:
- Art classes, individual tuition, and demonstrations with artists Lori Siebert and Kenzie Elston
- 7 nights of accommodation at a Portuguese Quinta
- Exclusive use of the entire property with living quarters, art studio, 2.5 acres of botanical gardens, terraces, swimming pool, and common areas
- 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, and 7 dinners (all meals) carefully prepared by your private chef. All dietary requirements catered for, except life-threatening allergies
- Local wine during dinner service
- Snacks, coffee, tea, and infused water available throughout the day
- Sailing trip in a traditional boat to nearby grottoes
- Trip to the Lagos historic town with a walking tour and time for shopping, sketching, and a beach visit
- Private transportation for all planned activities
- Round-trip transfers from/to Faro Airport (FAO) at pre-arranged times
- Fully-staffed venue, experienced UpTrek host available throughout the week
- All local tourist taxes and fees
- Access to a private Facebook group with Lori Siebert, Kenzie Elston, and the other retreat participants four months before the retreat
Not included:
- Airfare
- Travel insurance
- Art materials—a list of art materials recommended by artists Lori Siebert and Kenzie Elston will be provided five months before the retreat
- Tips for staff (tipping is customary in Portugal)
- Other expenses guests might incur on their own
Lori Siebert & Co. 