Inside The “Nature Meets Scissors” Instagram

Kristen Meyer comes from a background of floral design, interior decorating, window design, and prop styling– so it’s little surprise her Instagram has an enviously splashy, sharp edge. A quick look at her profile shows a curated ensemble of clean lines and starkly bright colors with organic elements reframed in intriguing, “unnatural” ways. As Meyer says of her work, “Nature is imperfect and can be messy. I wanted to create images from natural, soft organic shapes and manipulate them into something structured, edgy and graphic.”

“It sort of evolved out of necessity and my love of a challenge,” Meyer explains of her highly stylized profile. “By necessity I mean, I didn’t want to have to spend money on the items I was using to create an image– it sort of felt like a waste.”

The result is a collection of bare but evocative images, minimal in composure but unmistakably cheerful, with just the right touch of cheek.

As for her process, Meyer relates, “I generally work with what I can find around the house, inside or out. It begins as a scavenger hunt of sorts and then a challenge as I begin to build. Sometimes it becomes a piece I feel really proud of and sometimes I’m completely unimpressed. Occasionally, I’ll have a fully developed idea and will look for the elements to make it work.”

Unsurprisingly, her work and process have shifted her larger relationship to nature. As Meyer reflects, “Before I began this kind of work, I would take walks and appreciate nature and enjoy it’s beauty as a whole. Now when I’m outside, I’m tuned in to the details. I’m looking at individual leaves, flowers, rocks, feathers and noticing their shapes, colors and textures with the question: ‘What could I create with that?’ playing over and over in my mind.”

“In reality,” Meyer elaborates, “it does take quite a long time to make most images, and I think there is a refining process that happens naturally that way. Instagram has been a huge part of the process for me. It provides an audience, a community, a platform, and all that comes with that.”

To see more of Meyer’s work, check out her website or Instagram.