A Sea of Red: Finding the Common Poppy in Spring
At Nostos Creative Studio, inspiration often arrives unannounced, carried on a breeze, found along a quiet roadside, or blooming suddenly in the heart of a city park.
This spring, it came wrapped in red. From Amsterdam to the open countryside, the red common poppy has taken over every green space, filling the landscape with a soft, wild energy. These spontaneous blooms, so full of life and light, reminded us why we do what we do: to honour nature’s briefest, brightest moments and give them a chance to last.
Everywhere we look, the world feels red, dotted with the glowing presence of the red common poppy (Papaver rhoeas). These delicate flowers bloom boldly, without invitation, in unexpected places: by the roadside, in city parks, across open meadows. It’s as if nature is celebrating, reminding us that spring is here, full of life, warmth, and renewal.
A Spring Moment, Made to Last
This year, we found ourselves drawn again and again to these fields of red. Their color is impossible to ignore. There’s something hopeful about how they bloom freely, wildly, often where the soil has been disturbed, as if they are nature’s way of healing, of reclaiming space with beauty.
We felt something stir as we stood among them, the joy of spring, the fleetingness of a moment, and the desire to hold on. That’s when we knew: these poppies were meant to be preserved.
We gathered a small number, always with care and respect, and brought them back to our studio, not to tame them, but to keep their story alive in the only way we know how: through pressing.
Preserving the Wild
Before each flower is placed into the press, we pause. We study its curve, its paper-thin petals, the inky black center that gives it contrast and strength. The red poppy is fragile, yet defiant, and pressing it requires a gentleness that matches its nature.
In our wooden press, we layer each bloom between acid-free blotting paper and smooth card. The moisture is slowly drawn out, and over the course of a few days, the flower flattens while its form and pigment are preserved, a quiet transformation led by time and patience.
The result is a poppy that still holds its vivid red, not just in color, but in spirit.
A Piece of Dutch Spring
To us, these poppies are more than flowers. They’re memories of a season, of walking through a sea of red in the Dutch spring. They’re tiny symbols of hope, resilience, and beauty in unexpected places.
Now pressed and resting in our studio, these blooms are ready to become timeless art, part of a frame, a story, a moment you can hold onto. In a way, they’re still blooming, only now, forever.
At Nostos, we believe nature’s beauty deserves to last. And sometimes, a single red poppy can carry the whole feeling of spring.
