The life of an author might seem like one that could survive the shutdown impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The truth is itB次元官网网址檚 anything but.
Oak BayB次元官网网址檚 Christin Geall has carved herself a unique market, her niche blending her own high-end photography with the high-art of floral styling.
Her new book, Cultivated: The Elements of Floral Style, presents a next-level presentation of flowers with 42,000 carefully written words that weaves practical how-to advice with GeallB次元官网网址檚 expertise in storytelling.
ItB次元官网网址檚 for experts and beginners alike. GeallB次元官网网址檚 sharp imagery has grown her an international following on Instagram of 98,400, and growing.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 about different ways of seeing,B次元官网网址� says Geall, sitting at a weathered, wood table in her robust south Oak Bay garden. B次元官网网址淚 go through different philosophies. IB次元官网网址檓 really happy with how the book turned out, I wish I could be out there touring it.B次元官网网址�
For seven years Geall taught creative non-fiction writing and environmental writing at the University of Victoria. SheB次元官网网址檚 a former , and is proud of the writing in Cultivated, which plays off the sharp colours of her photos.
Academically, Geall is grounded in fine arts and her experience writing gave her the ability to articulate the design, she said.
B次元官网网址淚 had about 20,000 words written when I presented [the pitch] to the publisher,B次元官网网址� Geall said. B次元官网网址淚 drew from excerpts in my column, from pieces on Instagram, and I expanded themB次元官网网址� writing another 22,000 words.B次元官网网址�
| Oak Bay resident Christin Geall published Cultivated: The Elements of Floral Style, this spring, her first book. Geall's modern blend of photography and floral arranging is an international hit. Before the COVID-19 pandemic Geall was traveling regularly to run workshops and had to cancel a cross-Atlantic book tour for Cultivated. |
Before the book came out Geall was already flying every few weeks to offer one-day and weekend-long workshops at private places or at institutions such as the New York Botanical Garden. ThatB次元官网网址檚 where she was on March 16, when Justin Trudeau asked all Canadians to come home.
It spelled the end of her international book speaking tour and teaching tour which would have taken her through Eastern U.S.A., various stops in England and Paris.
Stuck behind the Tweed Curtain, Geall started a new project this spring to make up for the income lost on the tour.
ItB次元官网网址檚 another first, as she is selling large prints of her floral arrangement photographs is a series called B次元官网网址楽anctum.B次元官网网址�
The series uses boxes to frame floral arrangements, which evokes the shadowy dark contrast that makes the flowers pop in so many of GeallB次元官网网址檚 photos (but not all). Geall built a new website for it and sales are going well.
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B次元官网网址淏asically I was on a plane every few weeks to make my living,B次元官网网址� Geall said. B次元官网网址淚 enjoy the Sanctum series. ItB次元官网网址檚 a new B次元官网网址� challenge.B次元官网网址�
One thing Geall didnB次元官网网址檛 expect was when her publisher offered to purchase the rights to a few of the photos in the book so they could use them to make jigsaw puzzles.
B次元官网网址淧uzzle sales are up during the COVID-19 pandemic,B次元官网网址� Geall said. B次元官网网址淭hese are the times.B次元官网网址�
Cultivated: The Elements of Floral Style, is available at local bookstores IvyB次元官网网址檚, Demitasse, Bolen Books, MunroB次元官网网址檚 Books, as well as online and Chapters/Indigo.
