Meet the Maker: Harriet Rand Designs

One of the absolute joys of running Rhubarb & Hare is getting to meet and work with passionate makers who love what they do.  As soon as I saw the hand crafted floral designs of Harriet Rand, I knew they'd be perfect at Rhubarb & Hare and you would love to have her designs in your homes.  I'm desperately hoping to snaffle one of her hand crafted box frames for my downstairs cloakroom, or our guest room - I can't decide where yet but I know it will look beautiful wherever it sits.

Harriet creates all her floral artwork from her studio on the family farm in Hertfordshire where she lives with her husband two sons.  I'm thrilled to be introducing her to the Rhubarb & Hare family and as usual we asked her our 7 most important questions:

 

What inspired you to start?

Lockdown was my main reason for starting as it gave me time to reflect on my creative side and I was inspired by seeing nature as a natural beauty that not only became something to look at, but it provided fresh air, quality family time and a sense of calm. I realised I wanted to capture what is on my doorstep somehow and bring it into my home.

Also flowers are given in many ways. It is an an expression of friendship, love, loss, a thank you or simply to make someone smile. I felt if I could capture this in a form of art as preservation they can be enjoyed for many years.

Where do you work from?

I work from home in a room that has direct access to my garden. Flowers and leaves come from my garden but also I create commissions for people using flowers from their own garden. I also create designs using flowers that have been given as a gift or wedding bouquets, funeral flowers, anniversary, birthdays etc….

My first design was for my mother-in-law who was moving and leaving her home and her very much loved garden. The first picture I made was for her using flowers from her garden that she had loved and nurtured.

What is most important to you when you’re making?

The most important thing is making sure I meet all my clients expectations with my commissions and with my general art it is about creating fresh and new designs so each piece is individual and unique. Also trying to select flowers that work well together.

What is the name of one of your fave insta feeds which inspires you?

I love all the things jamjar creates

What is the best piece of advice you’d give to any other maker?

Be true to yourself - be confident in your ideas and designs and try to be confident that people wouldn’t buy what I make if they didn’t like it x

What is your favourite cake? 

oohh lemon drizzle or carrot cake 🍰

 

You can view the Harriet Rand Designs collection only at Rhubarb & Hare HERE