The online Journal and Shop of Artist & Writer Krystal Festerly

Herbarium Calendar

noc·tu·ary (n.)

a record of what passes in the night; an account kept of the events or thoughts of night.

I've always had an affinity for the night, it's when I work best, I find comfort in the absence of light and its quiet stillness, my thoughts become clearer and more pronounced then, maybe that's partially to do with our three young children filling all other moments throughout the day.

In my current body of work, I am exploring the fleetingness of time through the absence of light, causing the viewer to look deeper into the illusion of void, which in reality has much less depth than you think. Representing life, its shorter than you think, therein lies the beauty.

The Passion

After becoming a caretaker for my husband, I realized just how fleeting time is, how the concept of tomorrow is a promise not easily kept. My garden became my refuge, a place to tend, a place to laugh, a place to cry, and a place to marvel. The more uncertainty that filled our lives, in regard to how much time my husband has left, forced me to evaluate every aspect of my life and confront why I routinely scheduled joy instead of seeking joy every day, even in the mundane.

My work in flower preservation is a lesson in growth, in learning to let go of what I should, and only holding on to what I can.

My work is a continual reminder that there is always beauty to behold and joy to be found simply because it bloomed, because it lived, no matter how fleeting a time, or harsh the weather, or rocky the soil, flowers, they bloom,

and so should we.

- Krystal

Materials

It starts as a seed, a small fragile thing, nothing but a promise in need of tending. Water, sunlight, care, weather, pestilence, and most of all time. They bloom, carrying with them every moment past within its brilliant color; beautiful, stunning, and fleeting. Preserved as a perpetual reminder that joy can always be found, even in the dark.

Krystal Festerly

Krystal Festerly (born in 1985 Loma Linda, California) is a multidisciplinary artist interested in the concept of time and joy found within the human experience. Focused on visual storytelling, functional art, and the exploration of minute details within organic matter.