The beauty of blooms is fleeting, but throughout history, we’ve found a gorgeous way to preserve them. Flower pressing allows us to enjoy the exquisite details of botanicals, from the petals to leaves to seeds. Flower Press Studio is dedicated to the centuries-old practice with lush compositions that celebrate florals while preserving them for prosperity. The brainchild of Rachel Parri and Keith Kralik, the couple’s most striking flower-pressed art showcases meticulous arranging that’s reminiscent of a puzzle. Each bloom is perfectly placed in a way where it’s not touching another specimen but together still feels like a cohesive bunch.
Parri and Kralik began Flower Press Studio through an interest in gardening. When COVID-19 hit, they xeriscaped their front and backyard and planted flowers and vegetables along with two beehives. In the summer of 2021, Parri’s garden was producing a lot of blooms, and Kralik began pressing the flowers and building frames for them. Flower Press Studio officially began in October 2021.
Since then, the couple has preserved bridal bouquets (although they are shifting away from it) and are creating compositions to become limited-edition prints. They also intend to share their knowledge through online classes, coming in summer 2023. In the meantime, they offer advice for anyone who would like to try flower pressing.
“If you are a flower enthusiast and enjoy colors and variety, you should check out your local CSA [community supported agriculture] or contact neighboring flower farms (if you have them),” Kralik tells My Modern Met. “You may learn a thing or two about flowers, you will support a family or very small business that puts in endless hours to produce sustainably grown and beautiful blooms, and you will walk away with more vibrant flowers.”
Choosing a blossom to press is also important, and they recommend trying wildflowers or flowers that don’t need a lot of water to grow. “They are good beginner flowers because they are often a bit more dry and you do not need to deconstruct them. More technical flowers include roses, peonies, dahlias, proteas, ranunculus, and anything white. Pressing flowers is not just about picking flowers and putting them in a book. Most of the time spent is prepping the flower before it goes into the press and caring for it while it’s in the press.”
Scroll down to see more of Flower Press Studio’s colorful work and then follow Parri and Kralik to see what they’re up to next.
Parri and Kralik of Flower Press Studio create beautiful botanical compositions.
The most striking flower-pressed art showcases meticulous arranging that’s reminiscent of a puzzle.
Each bloom is perfectly placed in a way where it’s not touching another specimen but together still feels like a cohesive bunch.
The couple is creating limited-edition prints and will share their knowledge through online classes.
