Artist finds beauty in dried flowers, orange peels

Jack Davis sees more than beauty in the flowers and plants in his backyard. He sees the possibilities beyond their time in bloom.

But then again, Davis sees possibilities in sticks, banana leaves, orange peels and potato skins.

Davis has spent his retirement perfecting his craft of using dried flowers, stems, and other natural items to help create collages of framed folk art. He knows the perfect time to pluck a flower, how long it should dry and the pressure it takes to flatten something out enough for framing. Even the time of day you pick a flower can make a difference.

“If moisture is in it, they’ll mold,” Davis said.

The 80-year-old Dothan artist will be among the artists whose work can be seen and purchased at this weekend’s Piney Woods Arts Festival in Enterprise. This will be Davis’ third year at Piney Woods, one of the oldest juried art shows in the area.

Davis’ art work starts as a waiting game. Depending on the material, it might take a couple of days or even weeks for it to completely dry out. Same goes for pressing material flat.

“It’s not the work that’s hard, it’s getting all of this together at the same time,” Davis said. “It only takes a little bit of Elmer’s glue and a whole lot of patience.”

He uses cutouts from magazines — National Geographic is his favorite — and paper to create backdrops. From there, he might use needles from a fir tree, rose petals, pansies or grass to complete the scene. The detailed work suits his meticulous nature.

“It relaxes me, but some people it would drive up the wall,” Davis said.

His art work can be seen at local festivals like Piney Woods, and he has won several ribbons at the National Peanut Festival. He does classes for children and senior citizens.

Davis retired from Civil Service at Fort Rucker in 1983 after 30 years of typing, printing and editing instructional program manuals. In his retirement, he tried different hobbies — photography and driftwood arrangements. Then he turned to dried flowers and found his niche.

Before he moved to larger pieces of wall art, Davis started by making smaller cards to give to people — friends or strangers — in need or grieving. The cards usually have a Christian element and a Bible verse on the back.

“I call this my ministry,” Davis said. “ ... It just seems to make a difference in their lives.”
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If you go ...
What: Piney Woods Arts Festival
When: Saturday, March 28, and Sunday, March 29
Where: The grounds of Enterprise-Ozark Community College in Enterprise
Hours: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 4 p.m.
Features: Original art and crafts, a children’s fun center, food and entertainment. Special events include a Civil War living display and the Weevil City Cruisers Car & Truck Show.
Cost: Admission is free.
Info: Call 406-ARTS (2787). Visit http://www.CoffeeCountyArtsAlliance.com.