A Sweet Floral Life

I have been thoroughly enjoying my immersion in Natasja Sadi’s new book A Sweet Floral Life. The book is a feast for the eyes with its full-page photos of Natasja’s floral arrangements styled after the Dutch Masters. Each blossom is exquisite, carefully chosen and placed and the effect is mesmerizing.

The text of the book tells the story of Natasja’s roots in Suriname and her ancestors toil in the sugar fields of that South American country under the rule of the Dutch. Natasja, who now lives in Amsterdam, ties her present life to the past with another art form: sugar flowers. Each part of the flower is shaped from sugar paste, painted or colored, and then brought together into a blossom that resembles its real counterpart. Natasja’s work celebrates life and beauty as she acknowledges the pain and injustices suffered in real life.

Besides offering a bit of her life story, Natasja gives practical instructions on recreating flower arrangements like the ones she shows in her book. She also gives step-by-step instructions for creating some of her realistic looking sugar blossoms.

If your heart needs an immersion in overwhelming beauty, or you need some inspiration for a few flower arrangements, you just might find that inside this beautiful volume.