Pressed for all time

From an early venture saving wedding bouquets, Keith Kralik and Rachel Parri of Flower Press Studio have turned pressed flowers into fine art

- STEPHANIE MAHON

Before Keith Kralik met Rachel Parri in 2015, he'd tried many lines of work.

“I've been an odd job holder my entire life,” he says. “I've always had the itch to do different things.” It seems as much of a surprise to him as anyone else that he's now one half of Flower Press Studio, creating beautiful botanical art from pressed flowers. “It's pretty random,” he admits. “The biggest achievement of my art career before this was drawing stick figures.”

The Colorado couple, who came together over a love of hiking, bought a house together in Denver in 2019. When Covid struck in 2020, they both got furloughed, and used the time to transform their garden so Rachel could indulge in her passion for growing. “She's the master gardener,” says Keith. “She's always had a green thumb.”