In the studio with… Anna Potter
Renowned for her big, bold installations and dynamic still-life arrangements, floral designer Anna Potter is the creative force behind flower shop Swallows & Damsons - a sensory delight to visit and home to a talented team.
We were delighted that Anna said she’d like to collaborate with us to create a scented candle - firstly, we’re in awe of her ambitious creativity, and secondly, we know fragrance already plays an important role in her work. No pressure!
With a strong identity in mind for the type of scent that she wanted to create - “walking through a woodland filled with flowers” - it’s been an absolute pleasure to collaborate with Anna, to create our very special Swallows & Damsons Candle.
Anna, what sparked your vision for Swallows & Damsons?
First and foremost, I’m always inspired by the seasons and what’s happening at any given time outside. It can be as simple as how a rogue weed grows out of a crack in the pavement or a gloriously manicured garden. I always find inspiration in the way that nature finds its way into the most manmade, permanent places, little pockets of wild amongst industry.
You take inspiration from poetry, how much does the written word influence your creativity?
I don’t know whether it influences me as such, rather than being one of two expressions of art that sit side by side; one is painting with words and one is painting with flowers.
You’re well known for creating large scale installations, using imaginative colourways and unusual combinations; do you enjoy being playful with your work and pushing boundaries or expectations within your industry?
Yes, I do! The large-scale work has always fascinated me and suited my out of the box, and sometimes unrealistic, thinking. Every large-scale project requires a big idea and unravelling as to how logistically it can happen. There’s so much more to these kinds of installations and I love the process of figuring it all out along with the creative work of constructing it. The bigger something is, the more scope for amazing colour ways and textures there is.
Do you have a favourite project that you’ve worked on and if so, what do you love about it?
Every project is completely different and has some of my most favourite elements to it, whether that be the venue, the vision, the brief, or the creative execution.
Within your work, how much of a consideration is fragrance, and what excited you about creating a scented candle with Lit?
Fragrance plays a massive part in the shop, in wedding work and in creating flowers for people’s homes. It’s a sensory experience having fresh flowers, combining herbs, foliage, and floral fragrances together, you can really play with an overall feeling that the flowers will give.
Candles, along with creating an ambience, like flowers, can add moments of stillness to a busy day. They can aid contemplation and mindfulness.
