Flowers do not lose their beauty when they fade. They simply become something different.

High in the Swiss Alps, at 2,100 metres above sea level, Nadja dried a collection of mountain flowers on the wood burner in our mountain hut.

As the flowers dried, their shapes changed, revealing delicate structures and unexpected beauty.

Nadja's Dried Flowers is an original watercolour and Indian ink painting on paper, created during one of my summer painting stays in Graubünden, Switzerland.

A quiet celebration of Alpine flowers, nature's transformations and the beauty we discover when we take the time to look closely.

Flowers from the Swiss mountains

Have you ever dried flowers and noticed how their character changes?

Their colours soften, their petals curl and their stems take on new shapes. Details that may have gone unnoticed when the flowers were fresh suddenly become fascinating.

These particular flowers were gathered by Nadja and dried on the wood burner in a mountain hut high in the Swiss Alps.

I spent a week each summer from 2019 to 2022 painting en plein air in this beautiful part of Graubünden, surrounded by mountains, wildflowers and extraordinary changing light.

The dried flowers offered a different kind of subject from the sweeping mountain views outside.

They invited me to look closely at the small wonders of Alpine nature.

Finding beauty in transformation

We often think of flowers as most beautiful when they are in full bloom.

But I find their later stages equally fascinating.

As flowers dry, they reveal new forms and textures. Their changing appearance reminds us that nature is never static.

Everything grows, changes and becomes something else.

My artistic practice is rooted in the belief that the natural world is alive and that we are part of its continual transformations.

Through painting, I want to explore this vitality, whether I am looking at a mountain landscape, a flowering garden or a handful of dried plants.

In Nadja's Dried Flowers, watercolour and Indian ink allowed me to respond to the delicate structures and individual character of each flower.

The result is both a botanical study and a personal memory of time spent in the mountains.

A little piece of Alpine nature

Some of these mountain flowers may look familiar if you have a rockery or enjoy growing plants that thrive in shallow soil.

Alpine flowers have a remarkable ability to flourish in demanding conditions, often growing in the smallest pockets of earth between stones.

Their resilience is part of their beauty.

I love the idea of bringing a little of this mountain world into our homes through art.

A painting allows us to preserve a moment of observation and discovery, long after the original flowers have become brittle.

And unlike a dried bouquet, these painted flowers will not crumble with time.

An original botanical painting for your home

Measuring 24 × 34 cm, Nadja's Dried Flowers is an original watercolour and Indian ink painting on paper, presented in a 40 × 50 cm cardboard mount.

Its intimate scale and botanical subject would make it a lovely addition to a study, living room, bedroom or a quiet corner where its delicate details can be appreciated.

It would be particularly appealing to anyone who loves Alpine landscapes, wildflowers, botanical art or the changing seasons.

For me, this painting is a reminder that beauty is not confined to a single moment of perfection.

Nature continues to surprise us, even as its forms change.

An original Alpine botanical watercolour celebrating wildflowers, transformation and the quiet beauty of the Swiss mountains.

Artwork details

• Title: Nadja's Dried Flowers

• Artwork: Original, one-of-a-kind painting

• Medium: Watercolour and Indian ink on paper

• Painting dimensions: 24 × 34 cm (width × height)

• Mount dimensions: 40 × 50 cm

• Orientation: Portrait

• Subject: Dried Alpine mountain flowers

• Location: Painted in Graubünden, Swiss Alps, at 2,100 metres

• Inspiration: Flowers dried by Nadja on a mountain hut wood burner

• Presentation: Supplied in a cardboard mount, ready for framing

• Artist: Sibylle Laubscher

This is an original painting, created entirely by hand. There is only one in the world.

Presentation and care

The painting is supplied in a 40 × 50 cm cardboard mount, ready for you to choose a suitable frame.

I recommend framing original watercolours with archival-quality materials and UV-protective glazing, avoiding prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.