Content warning: In the quiet embrace of nature, artist Hannah Bullen-Ryner creates enchanting, ephemeral artworks that celebrate the beauty and fragility of the natural world. With a keen eye for detail and a deep respect for the environment, she transforms fallen petals
In the quiet embrace of nature, artist Hannah Bullen-Ryner creates enchanting, ephemeral artworks that celebrate the beauty and fragility of the natural world.
With a keen eye for detail and a deep respect for the environment, she transforms fallen petals, delicate leaves, and tiny stones into expressive creatures and intricate mandalas, each piece thoughtfully arranged on the forest floor. In this collection, Hannah brings a vibrant cast of characters to life—a curious opossum, a vivid cardinal crafted from every red petal at hand, a graceful swan from fallen white blossoms, and even a playful octopus with swirling, petal-like tentacles. Her radiant mandala bird, framed by a halo of purple and pink petals, feels like a glimpse into a peaceful, otherworldly realm.
Captured only in photos before returning to the earth, Hannah’s work use the fleeting magic of everyday moments, encouraging us to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the natural world.
Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: My ephemeral version of ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ by Johannes Vermeer.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Two little Warbler’s and a tiny Golden-crowned kinglet. I have always been drawn to circles around my work, it’s like looking into a little window into another world, or a portal, just for a moment. Even though it’s tiny, this piece took quite some time! I made the birds simultaneously, laying their eyes first and then all their beaks, and working my way out from there. I then built the blue pebble mosaic around them. (Tricky because ohh so delicate!) These tiny pebbles were collected by my parents at the beach.. they came to me as a mixed bag of wondrous colours and these are all the beautiful sea-blue tones.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Seahorse… People question how I can possibly find all these materials, but the answer is really very easy. My work is very, very small. I need very tiny ingredients and I am never not looking. I’m a magpie and have tiny pebbles and things constantly, in every single pocket. I also recycle elements over and over and over again. I store them in half coconut shells that I leave on site and cover with an old fence post. If petals have dried I dunk them in some water until they are workable again. Hopefully this gives you a bit more of an insight.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Costa’s Hummingbird using wilted wild Crocus flowers.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Barn owl. I had so much fun bringing this little one to life. In the past I’ve struggled to get their sleek form right, but I had extra time today, and I am so pleased with how this turned out! I also had fun smashing up great lumps of chalk to create these tiny fragments, using a bigger, sharper rock, caveman styles.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Say hello to my little friend the Sea Turtle. This little guy took me around 5 hours! I included an old bit of found glass bottle in this piece alongside my natural elements.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: In response the atrocities going on in Ukraine right now, my white Dove of peace made from white blossom flowers, small white feathers and wilted Crocus petals. May it fly on the breeze and reach those who so desperately need it.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Kind and gentle Wolf to calm, soothe and heal. May he find you where you are.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: A positive and hopeful young Lynx.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Meet my little Leopard friend
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Octopus. She’s far from perfect because I made her in just under two hours, and the wind, oh the wind! We had fun Mother Nature and little ol’ me, arranging and rearranging the tentacles. In the end this is our collaborative effort! Made predominantly using flowers *borrowed* from my parents garden, and tiny pebbles and shell fragments picked out from their gravel!
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Baby Elephant.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Male Cardinal. Did I specifically know I was going to make a Cardinal today? No.. Did I gather lots of red things? Also no. Did I therefore have to use every single scrap of red I had hanging around in my coconut bowls? Um yes! I genuinely don’t know why I do this to myself but hey! I love him! Perhaps he came to visit you?
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: My first ever ephemeral Swan… I was gifted one orange and three white cut flowers from my local supermarket that had fallen from a display, so I used a few orange petals for the beak and the white petals along some parts of the neck.. everything else is foraged as usual.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: One of my all time favourite birds found here in the UK, the tiny Bluetit. Made here, with a mossy and lichen-y tummy and a sparkle in their eye. Continuing to send out a message of love and hope to all those suffering at the hands of war.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Today I only had around 45 minutes to make some art so I just free-flowed like I used to, no reference pics, just me and the elements.. and this little fluffy appeared and made me smile..
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Meet my tiny, baby Opossum friend. So cute I really wanted to take her home in my pocket! Thank you for the recommendation to make one of these beautiful souls! While I created her (sitting on the woodland floor) I made friends with a Magpie who got brave enough to come within about two feet of me to collect some yummy pellets I had put down. A family of Long tails chirruped in the branches above, and naturally, my trusty friend the Robin stayed close by keeping me company.
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Hannah Bullen-Ryner Art: Our energy doesn’t stop neatly at the boundary of our skin, we are each a glowing galaxy of light that radiates within and around our physical bodies. Our skin cannot contain us.
What do you think about the art by Hannah Bullen-Ryner? Do you have a favorite?
Content warning: Sculptor Sue and Pete Hill The Mud Maid is a living sculpture by Sue and Pete Hill created 1998 at Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan, St.Austell, Cornwall, England. Depending on the season, the mud maid’s ‘hair’ and ‘clothes’ change when the seasonal plan
Sculptor Sue and Pete Hill
The Mud Maid is a living sculpture by Sue and Pete Hill created 1998 at Lost Gardens of Heligan, Pentewan, St.Austell, Cornwall, England. Depending on the season, the mud maid’s ‘hair’ and ‘clothes’ change when the seasonal plants and moss grow over the sculpture.
You may notice that the Mud Maid looks a little different on your next visit. One of her creators, Sue Hill, explains more.Acoustic Guitar 1 by Audionautix i...
