Brigitte Girling - Floral Artist & Restless Creative
Brigitte is known for her exquisitely undone, seasonally inspired, foam free, garden style florals, where she lets nature sing. She is an artist, gardener, writer, teacher and of course podcaster. Her floral art draws on the traditions of rambling, overgrown, English gardens, the ever-changing seasons and the wild beauty of the Suffolk countryside around her. Seasonality and provenance are fundamental. So her own whimsically, wild and untamed garden is her muse and inspiration providing many of the beautiful flowers and trailing ingredients she needs. “Nature, my garden, the flowers, local wildlife and me… I see us all intricately woven together in a delicately balanced, symbiotic relationship.'“ Of course, Brigitte also co-hosts The Restless Creatives Podcast along with us, Fiona and Lucy. OCCASIONALLY IT’S JUST THE THREE OF US We talk about all sorts, explore our own creativity and dig deep into previously unexplored areas. Lucy and Fiona talk to Brigitte in a continuation of those episodes. Brigitte’s episode "wearing scarlet, skin tight, satin trousers” It felt like we were transported back to a different era or into an Enid Blyton book, whilst chatting to Brigitte. We hear about her idyllic sounding childhood in rural Suffolk, share wonderful family memories of sorting buttons and feeding donkeys and how the smell of geraniums and tomatoes in a greenhouse immediately transports her back to the side of her grandfather. Brigitte also shares some more unexpected stuff, her time working on The Misty Show on BBC TV, first seeing her husband-to-be at 11 years old and her longing for scarlet, skin tight satin trousers - well who knew. We follow her journey from childhood, university and gardening and how she started working with flowers. It might not be ‘rock and roll’ (Brigitte’s words!) but it is utterly beguiling and well worth putting the kettle on for a cuppa and a listen or watch.