Elsa Thorp

Artist Statement

I am deeply inspired by nature. My creative drive comes from an endless fascination with nature and the therapeutic benefits of connecting with nature. I create handmade sculptures and arrangements using botanical materials in minimalist harmony giving focus to their texture and form. I gather these materials and create in solitude observing and meditating on the beauty of nature, it is a spiritual process that merges the indoors and outdoors. I am drawn to the unnoticed, the odd and unusual, the seedpods, the tendrils on vines and the everlasting beauty of dried flowers. Materials: Artichoke / Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus Corokia Gymea Lilly / Doryanthes excelsa Kiwiberry vines / Actinidia arguta Leucadendron Opium Poppy Pods / Papaver somniferum Prince Protea / Protea cynaroides Red Capped Gum / Eucalyptus erythrocorys - Illyarrie

Artist Bio

​I am a New Zealand artist/florist with my own business ‘Nature Art by Elsa Thorp’, working from my home studio in Melbourne. I came to Melbourne in 2016 to study Certificate III Floristry, after living and working in Berlin, Germany for 7 years. My background is in black and white analogue photography and I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland. My photographic process has been to wander in nature with my camera, unconsciously, in solitary, being drawn to the unnoticed, collecting images with poetic qualities that express emotions and natural beauty. My creative drive is now derived from working “hands-on” with nature, merging the outdoors with the indoors.
In my business, I create Botanical Sculptures using materials in minimalist harmony giving focus to their texture and form. Like my photography, I am drawn to the odd and unusual, the seedpods, the tendrils on vines and the everlasting beauty of dried flowers. I also create fresh flower arrangements for homes, gifts and events. For these, I purchase flowers for orders only, hand-selecting every bunch to make sure I provide fresh quality and minimise waste.