Natural Perfume, Music and Embroidery this Trinity weave through my life. They support and give each other inspiration. It is my lifes work and profession. I think about Natural Perfume everyday. It is my reason d'etre. It brings joy, fulfills my soul. Creating beautiful perfumes from flowers, fruits and resins is superlunary. I am besotted, obsessed, deeply in love.

Tuesday 9 January 2007

Flowers of Myddfai


This shall be a travelling log ..... my meanderings and journeys of a Natural Perfumer. A noted history of all that transpires as the plant hunter explores this delicious world of natural origin.

I have begun work on the project explored last year with the National Botanic Garden of Wales based on the Physicians of Myddfai, part Myth and Folk tale, part truth and the healing plants they used in the community. I think I may change the title and call it (at present) 'Flowers of Myddfai' or even 'Healing flowers of Myddfai' ...... oh I am never very good at making decisions.... will leave it like that for the present. Will bring, hopefully the visual and perfume together.
I will narrate the story here at another post.

I have Professor Turners authentic list of plants used, about 92 in all and have begun separating them into botanical art plants and perfumery plants. I can then begin the line drawings and collect the best oils I can source to be used in a perfume for the column which I loosely titled the Physicians needle. David Mark from the Guild the authentic Potpourri maker from Chicago has been very helpful in the fixative area. I had a pretty good idea what I needed but he really dotted the i's and crossed the t's. Invaluable advice.. So that is written in my book for later.....

Today I looked at the different threads I had requested samples of and am still deciding on what background colour to use for the plants. Some of my research is just for me and is secret, but I do want to share to those who have shown such support and interest. I still need to contact Kirsty from the Apothecaries Garden who sent me the list of plants to enquire about the dried material. I also have to request samples of the type of fabric for which I will eventually machine onto.

The Victoria and Albert Museums Conservation dept have been most helpful as there were pertinent questions that needed answering. I will be keeping them posted on the development of this work as others in a newsletter from time to time. I am excited, nervous about this it willcertainly be an adventure...