Alena

my life as an artist and designer has evolved from watching and doing.

 

when i was young, i doodled, rearranged furniture and made a lot of collages.

 

when i graduated 8th grade, my mom gave me a used canon AE-1 camera--- it has been a part of my body ever since.   photography opened up a new form of communication for me--- the unspoken.

 

in my twenties, i moved to oregon and amidst douglas fir forests  and carpets of chanterelle mushrooms, i discovered the botanical world and plant ID.
not far behind was the field and study of horticulture and garden design.

 

in my thirties, i was called to vermont--- where most of my advanced education and training in horticulture and design took place.  when my years of gardening  and plant ID came to life on the drafting table, my heart sung.

 

design is a way of life for me.
an opportunity to find solutions and see a space with fresh perspective.

 

i have taken master gardening, photography and design classes.
i have degrees in things i don’t care about.
i have sowed seeds, divided daylilies and planted trees for a living.

 

mostly, i have followed my heart.

 

i believe there  is beauty in each day and we must pause to look for it.

 

this is my passion.
to bring what i see in the natural world into my art and design.
to bring pause to your rooms--- both indoor and outdoor.

 

alena botanica is a story of growth.
a journey with eyes, ears, hands and heart.