Carmen Almon abandons traditional artistic mediums such as paint and canvas for… metal. She uses copper sheeting, brass tubing, steel wire and enamel paint to create botanical art. Her work is magical. The Bordeaux-based artist captures the fragility of a delicate flower, of time: a stage in a plant’s life and moment of its encounter with the world. Beautifully original, her works are well sought after by global art collectors.

Carmen works from her ateliers in Bordeaux and in the Lot where her country garden serves as an endless source of inspiration. Sheet copper, brass tubing, cuticle scissors, a soldering gun and oil paints are magically used to create not botanical replicas of nature, but rather her personal interpretation of her memory of a particular plant, flower, branch or bud. One is reminded of the beautiful illustrated botanical books of the 17th and 18th century – Linneaeus, Ehret, Redouté – which Carmen often refers to for inspiration. Because each piece takes so long to complete, very few are realised each year. Each piece is a rare treasure.

Carmen, who grew up in Washington, DC and Barcelona resides in France with her husband Thierry Job, also a sculptor.