Today we’d like to introduce you to Kirthana Michael.
Hi Kirthana, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My connection with pressed flowers began in spring 2023 as a response to somehow make my way through a very difficult time period in my life – I was dealing with the grief of losing my father and being a few months post-partum. There was something very calming and restoring about growing flowers in my own garden and preserving them. My husband built me a few wooden presses that I still use, and I’ve been pressing flowers from my own little garden since then. After a year of honing my skills, Pretty Presses officially began in November 2024. What started as a way to process grief turned into something so beautiful. It not only helped me find my joy back, but also in sharing my floral art with others, helps spread that joy more. In a world so fast paced, we are always in a rush to get to the next place or the next thing, it is not often that we get to slow down and appreciate the simple, but beautiful parts of nature that we otherwise overlook. If my art makes you pause for even a minute, then my day is made!
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a fairly smooth road. The biggest struggle was taking the first step. This came from a place where I was learning to deal with grief and it took me a while to decide if this was something I wanted to share outside my little bubble. I am grateful to have a truly supportive circle of family and friends who helped me take that step and bring Pretty Presses to life.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Pretty Presses is a collection of pressed floral and botanical art. Most of the flowers that are featured in my art are from my garden. The flowers are grown, gathered and traditionally pressed for weeks before being set into the art, thus making every creation one of a kind. That is what makes every floral piece special – the intention and time that goes into pressing even the tiniest of flowers. It gives me a lot of happiness to say that most of the flowers have been grown and gathered in Maryland and every single one has been carefully pressed and preserved by me. And I think that’s what people love about it. Whether it’s a bookmark, magnet or a large frame, they know it’s made with a lot of love in every stage. Even the prints on my bags are created with flowers grown and pressed by me. I try to use a lot of recycled materials in my process, the presses are made from scrap wood and the papers in them are all recycled or reusable.
I enjoy sharing the process of pressing and teaching others how to find their floral joy in workshops too!
Currently, Pretty Presses has floral frames, magnets, bookmarks, botanical print notebooks and jewelry, all featuring beautiful, real pressed flowers. You can find Pretty Presses at local artisan markets around the Montgomery county and Frederick areas and also online !
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
What started as a method of finding my joy back has led me through this beautiful path where I meet so many people who are able to connect with the art. They might spot a flower that reminds them of their childhood garden, or remember pressing flowers with their grandmother, or want to surprise a loved one with their favorite flower. That’s the lesson I have learned, and I keep learning at every market, the connection that someone makes with the art is more beautiful than the art itself, whatever feeling it evokes, whatever memory it brings up, the little things we remember about our loved ones, and how we intend to make them feel happy. That’s what makes it so special. That’s what stays in my heart.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://prettypresses.square.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prettypresses?igsh=MXM3Y29md25hazJhdQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
