Rebecca Reddy

My Work

My Story

“I strive for viewers of my work to be inspired to go outdoors and appreciate the nature around them”

My name is Rebecca Reddy and I create foraged art. 

Foraged art is a visual art style in which the materials consist of natural items—things like leaves, petals, twigs, and more. I use those natural and botanical materials to create different types of scenes and images—without glue or tape—before taking natural light photographs of the piece. Once I snap a few pictures, I dissemble the piece; it is temporary art. I either compost the materials or reuse them in other pieces. I then edit the photos on my computer before framing them in second-hand frames that complement each piece.

My full time job is working in a library. One day while at work, my friend Sandra showed me a children’s book by Bridget Beth Collins; it was a book of the alphabet with foraged art as illustrations. I really enjoyed the art in the book and noted that I would like to try something like that when time permitted. Several months later in November of 2019, I lost my cat, Mr. Kitty, to cancer. As a kind of tribute, I decided to make a piece that depicted him with all of the leaves, petals, and plants he enjoyed on our walks in the yard. Then in the spring of 2020, I created a piece for my friend’s birthday that spelled out “Hope” in foraged materials. From that point onwards, my creative journey with foraged art took off. 

I have created jewelry and done photography for years now. I’ve been creative for as long as I can remember, and have dabbled in many mediums. However, as an avid hiker and lover of nature, foraged art instinctively suited my disposition. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I was not working in the same capacity as usual so I set a goal to do more hiking. That goal fostered inspiration for various pieces, as I got to see more elements in nature during my hikes. I have always been the type of person to notice different shapes and images in nature, but starting foraged art really accentuated that trait. I began to see natural materials differently—pinecones became someone’s hair, flower buds became snowflakes, or twigs became the outline of a face. I get inspired from just being out in nature. 

My work space is very messy, I will admit; if my workspace is clean, that means it was just cleaned and it will not remain that way for long. When I start a piece, I use a tried-and-true cardboard box to mount my paper on. I hope to build a more permanent setup in the future, but for now, the box acts as my easel. Then I gather materials stored away in different parts of my house. When I am working, I might be found dashing outside to gather an item from my gardens or grabbing a leaf from one of my 100+ houseplants. I keep a stash of rocks, twigs, shells and more outside my front door, and I may collect an item or two from there to incorporate into a piece. 

The ideas for my pieces all begin differently. In some cases, I design pieces based on suggestions from others. My friends, my husband, or a patron at the library or farmers market might suggest a scene to create. Other times, I imagine scenes myself and then put together materials that might fulfill that image. Occasionally, I begin a piece with no idea of a specific outcome; I will gather my materials and just start playing with them. Playing with the materials lets the piece fall into place with time. I recently made my first three-dimensional piece, and I look forward to creating more evolved works like that. One day, I hope to do a large-scale, outdoor piece—weather and wind permitting, of course. 

One of the greatest obstacles to creating is being rejected. It can be difficult to go through the process of trying to prove yourself and your art, only to be rejected or ignored by a shop or market. This is even more challenging when you are simultaneously receiving positive feedback from friends, peers, and strangers. As artists, we put so much heart and soul into our work, so facing rejection can be dispiriting. Another challenge is the social media aspect that now seems like an essential part of  being an artist. I am not opposed to technology, but I find it difficult to keep up with the demands of social media. In terms of actually creating my art, some of the greatest challenges are simple hurdles like the wind coming through an open window, or accidentally breathing on my piece and moving its elements. Because I do not use glue or tape, I have to be extra careful to keep the materials in place when I move them to be photographed. Sometimes I wear a face mask while working so as to prevent my breath from moving the materials. I would say the toughest challenge of all though is keeping my cats away from my pieces while I’m working. There have been a few times they’ve caused me to fix parts of a finished piece.

Creating has its many joys as well. I once had a customer recommend I try stop-animation with my pieces. I had no experience with the medium but I created a short Halloween themed piece; it was a ton of work but very fulfilling and fun to branch out from my regular process. Over the years some patrons at the library have learned of my nature collections, and I’ve found unique treasures they’ve left for me on my desk, which often end up in my pieces. I find a lot of inspiration by interacting with people and patrons. 

I would like for my work to continue evolving—creating the three-dimensional piece and the stop-motion animation helped me realize this goal. I strive for viewers of my work to be inspired to go outdoors and appreciate the nature around them. Ultimately, I love creating; I feel that it is something I need to do. Creating and spending time outdoors are two things I find great solace in. I believe everyone is artistic in their own way—whether they realize it or not. I hope that each person discovers their personal artistic outlet so that they may enjoy creating as much as I do. 

Thank you for joining me on my creative adventure, and don't forget to have a few of your own.

Rebecca