Fiona Inglis

Scottish flora for creativity

• Fiona grows most of the botanicals she uses in her designs
• Her aim is to underline the already existing beauty of flowers and plants
• She often collaborates with other artists to create multi-sensory experiences

Everything started with roses. After graduating from art college in ceramics, Fiona Inglis took a part-time job in an Edinburgh flower shop. There, a local supplier used to bring garden grown roses that she describes now as "out of this world, so highly scented that one deep inhale could sweep you off your feet and take you somewhere else." At the shop, she fell in love with floristry for its variety, connection to nature and its ability to bring instant joy to people. She decided to grow her own flowers. This was key to Fiona developing her style, that soon stepped outside the traditional realms of floristry and became more explorative and sculptural. In 2011 she set up her studio, Pyrus Botanicals, with a business partner who recently left, and in 2015 bought a nearly abandoned Victorian walled garden on the outskirts of Edinburgh, where she has been growing most of the materials used in her designs, with gentle practices and no chemicals.

Interview

©Pyrus

©Andrew Hope

What is the advantage of growing your own flowers?

There are endless varieties to explore when you are not limited to what is available at the flower markets. I experiment with unusual vegetables, dried stems, twisting vines, old tree trunks, roots and lichens. I also carefully gather from the local area: other estates, hills, woodlands and beaches.

How would you define your aesthetics?

As the years progress, I move towards a simpler one. I do not like to over-manipulate my materials: some of them are so beautiful that I just need to present them in a way where you can focus on that beauty. I love natural shapes and movements and colours coming from nature, like washed out tones, earthy browns, ochres and all the shades of green.

Does living in Scotland influence your style?

There is a deep appreciation of texture in the Pyrus style and I believe that it is a reflection of the Scottish landscape. The heather-covered hills, forests dripping in lichen or the fiery larch in autumn create amazing tones and textures: here nature is just breathtaking.

How do you collaborate with other creatives?

For the Edinburgh arts festival, Pyrus created an immersive experience with a digital designer and a musician. My wall of botanicals, inspired by bee forage, was projected onto with visuals telling the story of the life cycle of the bee. The musician captured sounds and vibrations emulating the noise from the bee hive. The result was powerful.

Fiona Inglis is an expert artisan she began her career in 2005

Works

©Gabriela Silveria

©Caro Weiss

©Gabriela Silveria

©Caro Weiss

©Gabriela Silveria

Where