Poppies dancing by the window in artist Claire Basler's studio in rural France. I took this photo for my book 'A Room of Her Own', which features 20 creative women in their homes and studios around the world. ⁠ ⁠ A simple flower has heightened meaning for Claire and she believes the words 'décor' and 'decorative' have been abused, leading to the demise in the appreciation of flowers as a subject in art. 'A flower is not simply an element of décor, it is alive!’, she explains. 'Décor can be a fundamental expression of beauty, and beauty is intelligent, the motor of wisdom and understanding.’⁠ ⁠ Claire’s use of flowers in paintings and interior installations invites the viewer to experience colour, form and space in new ways, offering respite and hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable global problems. 'In the face of the world's violence, I express my pain and incomprehension with my hands’, she explains. 'I turn to the complex beauty of flowers, and I communicate with them in silence: crying, laughing or simply smiling in their wonderful company.’ She explains that this unspoken dialogue with nature is her lifeline: 'If I couldn't be surrounded by nature, I would invent it through my artwork, or I would die’.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ ⁠ @thamesandhudsonau @thamesandhudson @kirsten_abbott @clairebasler @robynleaphotography #aroomofherown #thamesandhudsonau #newrenaissance #womenartists #creativewomen #creativity #artists #painting #stilllife #designers #design #interiordesign #studio #womeninart #femaleartist #womenpainters #artiststudio #flowers #interiors #floralart #wallmural #robynlea #robynleaphotography ⁠ ⁠ Photo © Robyn Lea