I was inspired to turn these pink cone flowers into a paper sculpture after seeing these flowers in a garden one summer. The center of the flowers are so interesting and I wanted to capture that texture using paper: delicate soft pink petals contrasted by a hard, thorny looking brown center.

I decided I wanted the finished paper sculpture illustration to fit into a shadowbox frame. I wanted the flowers to look like a flat painting at first glance, but then as you look closer at this piece, you realize the flowers become three-dimensional in the foreground. I needed to gradually bring the flower petals out of the background paper and make them pop out of the paper to bring the design to life. The spiky center of the flower would also be 3D.

I really like creating the 3D paper flowers. It feels like you are adding life into the flower as they are transformed from that flat picture to a life-like recreation. The centers were quite a challenge until I figured out a way to form the sharp center spikes.

Once the flowers and centers were completed, I felt I needed to add one more thing to the picture. What could be better than a little paper ‘Buzzy Bee,’ coming to check out these beautiful cone flowers?