Nature is Calling, Don’t Ignore It: A Conversation with Paper Artist Martha Lucia

Whether you’re a designer by nature or aspire to design, there’s no denying that inspiration is a necessary part of the creative process. We need a way to fuel the creative fire, especially when traditional methods are not available to us. For centuries, designers and artists have used nature as inspiration for some of the greatest works of art known to man. It’s hard to do that when so many are isolated inside, but we say if you can’t get out into nature, why not bring the outdoors inside?

In celebration of Earth Day, the great outdoors, and the need to light your creative spark, Neenah recently announced the Design Your Nature contest. The idea is to flood Instagram with beautiful imagery of nature inspired masterpieces designed using only upcycled materials found in and around your home. Your creation could win you $250-$1000!

We interviewed Instagram influencers for their tips on creating beautiful botanical designs using paper and other upcycled materials. Their channels are filled with gorgeous, botanical inspiration sure to set you on the right path. We’ll be featuring each of them over the next few days. Happy scrolling and happy designing!

Design Your Nature: Featuring Pretty Petals by Lucy

Martha Lucia (Lucy) comes from a family of artisans and crafters. Her mother was a teacher for over 30 years, teaching arts and crafts. She made handmade, felt toys, dolls, wedding decorations, and flower arrangements. She taught many workshops and kept a storefront for all the crafts she created until she retired. Lucy attended many of those workshops as a child, which paved the way for her creative nature.

Lucy started paper crafting 18 years ago by making her son’s birth announcements by hand. She fell in love with anything that was related to paper crafts, including scrapbooking, card making, hand-lettering, and calligraphy. Now, she makes handcrafted and machine cut paper flowers and hosts workshops of her own.

Says Lucy, “Keep learning and honing on your skills until you find what works for you as a paper craft artist. I used a lot of templates when I started my creative journey and followed them step by step.

Continues Lucy, “Now I use them as a guide and make variations along the creative process to make them more organic and unique to the style I want to reflect.  I love to distress paper with water, stylus tools, and use watercolors, ink, or pastels to add color to the paper."

“Also, don't be afraid to learn to hand-cut your creations. The more you cut, the easier it gets and helps to build your hand muscle, so you don't have to rely on machines for your cuts,” Lucy concludes.

Inspiration abounds on Lucy’s Instagram channel and on her website. Her colorful, handcrafted creations are so realistic, you’ll swear they’re handpicked from the garden.