It all started with a double zinnia bloom coming from a single stem, which is a mutation. I was such a nerd about showing this bud to everyone that my daughter suggested I press it or find some way to preserve it. Pressing that flower led to me wanting to press more varieties of flowers, and then I started arranging them in floating frames. I started doing this artwork in August of 2024. This mutation made me think of The Grateful Dead song, “Scarlet Begonias,” and especially that line, “Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right.\” That is the reason for the name of my artwork. Most of the flowers come from either mine or my mama\’s yards. I press and dry them myself and place them in floating frames or on canvases. I have loved having this creative outlet combining my love for flowers and art!”