A Day in the Life of Helen Ahpornsiri
Helen Ahpornsiri
It’s that time again! I’m excited to bring you another installment of my ‘Day in the Life’ series, this time featuring pressed-plant artist Helen Ahpornsiri. Helen creates beautifully detailed artworks using plants she hand-picks and presses at her home studio in Eastbourne, UK.
How do you kickstart your day?
“I would like to be the type of person who kickstarts the morning, for me, it’s more of a reluctant dawdle. After a mug of Ovaltine I usually have a quick look around the garden and then write a detailed to-do list for the day.”
Describe your working environment – what sights & sounds are there?
“I work from my home which is rather small and full of far too many things, however, as I grow or forage the plants I use in my pictures, my work environment is often a flower-filled garden or a rocky beach at low tide with the sounds of the waves.”
What are the biggest challenges you face on a day to day basis?
“Taking care of my art materials is a constant challenge. Once out of the press, flowers need to be organised so I can easily find colours or species, they are incredibly delicate so this needs to be done slowly and carefully. Humidity, sunlight, and other factors effect organic materials so these are frequently checked and precautioned against too.”
What radio station/podcast/audiobooks do you listen to while you work?
“Lately, I’ve been listening to Natural Histories on BBC Radio 4, the episodes cover various plants and animals describing how they intertwine with human culture, also there’s an episode all about fern.”
What makes you smile throughout the day?
“My cat, Yaku. She likes to remain as close to my side as possible. Yaku sleeps behind me on my desk chair and slowly inches forward throughout the day until I end up balancing on the edge, eventually resorting to putting my standing desk into action - which is probably a good thing.”
What keeps you motivated throughout the day?
“If I’m creating pictures I don’t need much to keep me motivated at all. I genuinely love what I get to do for a living and am always interested in it. When it comes to computer work, it’s a completely different story!”
How do you wind down at the end of a long day?
“My desk is in the living room, so winding down can be difficult sometimes. I find going for a walk can help draw a line between work & relaxation time. I’ve also taken up playing video games to help unwind, I am quite terrible at them but enjoy them nevertheless.”
What do you enjoy doing outside of work? What are your hobbies?
“I love searching for & collecting antique/vintage clothing and textiles. Like the plants I use in my pictures, I’m fascinated by things that already have a story attached to them.”
