All photos courtesy of Ryan Vai

As a kid, Ryan Vai wandered through the conservatory at Longwood Gardens thinking, “I want to live here when I grow up.”

She didn’t quite move into Longwood. But step inside her home today, and you might think she built her own version: ceilings strung with drying flowers, shelves holding bird’s nests and wasp nests, and a studio that’s equal parts fine art and glue gun.

Wreath on a table, made by Ryan Vai — A wreath she made

Vai, a Chadds Ford native, is now a full-time artist working with dried florals. Her bouquets, wreaths, and custom installations are lush, romantic, and a little undone. They’re decadent arrangements that look like they stepped out of a folk tale. Neighbors can see her work in person at the Unionville Art Gala in November.

A Brandywine Valley education

Vai’s first art teachers were family. Her mother and grandmother were both artists who enjoyed working with dried flowers. They taught her to forage, identify native plants, and preserve what she gathered.

She was also shaped by the deep visual traditions of Chadds Ford and the Brandywine Valley. This “Wyeth country” has a long history in botany and horticulture, from Longwood to Winterthur. Vai soaked it up, along with a fascination for folklore and for art that is whimsical, opulent, and imaginative.

She later studied at Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia, training as a classical painter. After school, she landed an internship with Anthropologie, designing window displays. For years, Vai put much of her energy into working alongside other artists. This year, she decided to return to her own practice full-time.

Grown from seed, dried at home

Ryan sources nearly all of her materials herself. She grows her flowers from seed, harvests them at their peak, and dries them at home. Blooms hang everywhere and need careful handling to stay intact.

For the rest, she forages: bird’s nests, wasp nests and beehives, feathers, mushrooms, leaves, eggs, even bones, and anything that adds a wild, organic structure to her pieces. Friends, family and even customers have caught on to what she likes and now bring her their own finds, so her collection gets richer every year.

Vai calls it “a lifestyle of acquisition.” You never know what you’ll come across.

Working on flower time

Her process follows the seasons: their colors and whatever is growing. But growing her own materials also means planning far ahead. Deciding she wants a particular flower in a piece can mean waiting many months. She starts it from seed, grows it, harvests it, dries it, and only then designs with it.

She especially has to plan for winter. With nothing new growing, Vai has to put away enough material during the warm months to carry her through to spring. Foraged finds help fill the gap.

Beauty with an expiration date

Most fine art is made to last as long as possible. Vai’s work takes a different view. Her pieces typically last six months to a year or two. Eventually, they fade.

She picks flowers in their prime and works to keep them looking perfect, but knows they won’t stay that way forever. For Vai, it mirrors the way we treat aging. We spend enormous effort trying to hold on to our own beauty and youth, even though time moves forward regardless.

It begs the question: what is beauty? What qualifies as beautiful when we know that aging is an inevitable part of the process?

What she makes and where to find it

Vai’s work ranges from mini bouquets starting around $25 to large bouquets and wreaths in the $350 to $400 range. She also offers custom installations built in collaboration with clients.

Locally, you’ll find her pieces at Rooted in Kennett (656 Unionville Road, Kennett Square), a women-owned boutique featuring small artisans. There she sells dried bouquets, ornaments, pumpkins, and other seasonal pieces.

She’s looking to grow her local footprint. Vai wants to partner with more businesses — decorative boutiques, hair salons and other spaces looking for unique art to display and sell — as well as interior designers and creators who want to bring her work into their own spaces and projects. If her work is up your alley, reach out and connect with her!

See her work at the Unionville Art Gala

Vai will be among the 70+ artists at this year’s Unionville Art Gala, which marks its 50th year and supports the Unionville High School PTO.

When: Friday, Nov. 20, 6–9 p.m., and Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Where: Unionville High School, 750 Unionville Road, Kennett Square. Use the Gymnasium Entrance — it’s new this year.
Cost: Free. Thirty percent of art sales and all silent auction proceeds benefit the UHS PTO.
More info: unionvilleartgala.com

It’s a chance to see Vai’s pieces up close, meet the artist, and support a long-running community tradition.

Connect with Ryan Vai

You can reach Ryan through the channels below. Her work is gorgeous. She graciously shared one of her bouquets at the Electrify Everything at Home Open House, so I got to see her work in person. It’s very cool.

She’s also hosting an open house in her studio on October 24! You can see all the amazing flowers drying in her space.