Meet Valencia Wilson - Canvas Rebel Interview

Valencia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?

My work is constantly misunderstood. The true definition of art is visual work to be appreciated primarily for beauty or emotional power. Most people don’t understand that not all art is painting and drawing. Art is a diverse genre. Almost anything can be used to create art. The manner I practice my medium is very unique and not often used. People have difficulty understanding the different possibilities of plant material. My medium is mixed media, specializing in sustainable botanical materials. Most botanical artists use paint, pencils, and other drawing material to create their art. I use the plant material itself. My art is living art, the material I use to create my art is plant material and up-cycled vintage frames. In the manner which I use the plant material gives each piece a 3D effect. I use plant material from sustainable farms and forage in my local area, I’m also working on growing the material myself. 

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started Plant Matter as a florist and transitioned into a sustainable botanical artist. I have a background in environmental design and after learning how helpful plant material is but the way we go about growing and harvesting the material can be harmful to our environment and ourselves I looked for other ways to enjoy flowers. I had a dream one night of the first piece I made. From there each piece was born.

I work with plant materials in all stages of life. I work with material that is alive and needs to be watered, and I also work with dried material that is dead and does not need to be watered. Using the techniques I use to create botanical artwork reduces the waste traditional floral arrangements cause. It also reduces water use and requires minimum care.

My work has been in exhibitions, art galleries, and flower shows, and is for sale on my website. I also host workshops where I teach clients how to make bouquets and botanical art.

I recently freelanced at the Philadelphia Flower Show where my team won 2 awards and made history. 

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Starting my business has been challenging from the beginning. I excel in the creative areas but struggle with marketing and the foundation of running a successful business. My biggest pivot was my rebranding in 2022 from a traditional floral business to a sustainable, botanical art business. This pivot helped me personalize my business to be a reflection of who I am and who I am becoming. Starting a business with one mindset makes it difficult to pivot towards another direction. The rebranding taught me the importance of flexibility when running a business and understanding that not everything will work out the way I want it to.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an artist is to see someone else enjoy and purchase what I made.