Re: Why they Keep Coming Back to the Flowers | Dawn Bouchard, KC Christmas, and Christina Cowan

This week on the Arts to Hearts Podcast, we’re joined by three inspiring women featured in our 101 Art Book: Floral Edition. Host Charuka Arora sits down with Dawn Bouchard, KC Christmas, and Christina Cowan for a heartfelt conversation about their love for flower art, the creative process behind their work, and the ups and downs of being an artist today.

Dawn found her way back to art after retiring as a school principal. She’s been painting full-time for five years, exploring acrylics and soft pastels, and pouring her passion into every piece. KC lives in South Carolina and balances her time as a part-time middle school teacher, but her heart has always belonged to art. She creates stunning acrylic paintings and paper collages reflecting peace and personality. Christina, based in Connecticut, comes from a background in social work and is now making the exciting shift toward becoming a full-time artist. Her oil paintings often include collages, quotes, and poetry, blending emotion and story into every canvas.

In this episode, they open up about some of the most complex parts of being an artist, like finding your unique style and managing the business side of things, which many creatives can relate to. But they also share the joy of creating art, how inspiration finds its way into their work, and why flowers continue to call them back again and again.

Their stories remind us that the creative journey is never a straight line. It’s filled with challenges, growth, and moments of real beauty. That’s precisely what our ‘101 Art Book: Floral Edition’ captures—a celebration of flowers through the eyes of 101 artists, wrapped in a stunning cover by Sonal Nathwani. It’s a beautiful addition to any space and a trustworthy source of inspiration.

Please tune in to the full episode as we dive into the world of floral art, personal expression, and the passion that keeps artists going.

This week on the Arts To Hearts Podcast, we’re joined by three amazing women—Dawn Bouchard, KC Christmas, and Christina Cowan. These women are not only talented artists but also featured in our ‘101 Art Book: Floral Edition’. This special book celebrates the beauty of flowers and how artists bring them to life in their unique ways.

Each of these women brings something special to the conversation—how they see the world, why they create, and what drives their passion for floral art.

So, Why Flowers?

You’ve probably looked at a piece of floral art and thought, “Why flowers again?”
Well, there’s always something more profound than petals and pretty colours. Dawn, KC, and Christina share why they feel drawn to flowers—and it’s not just about how they look.

Dawn loves working with colour. Whether using pastels or acrylics, she’s all about vibrant hues. Her favourite thing? Playing with contrast—warm-colored flowers in front of cool backgrounds. Her work has a soft, dreamy vibe—almost like a photo in portrait mode. She finds inspiration in small moments in nature that most people miss. Even fleeting details can be beautiful to her, and she tries to make them last forever through her art.

KC brings a twist of history into her work. She blends florals with ideas from old art history books, creating peaceful pieces, sometimes even a little cheeky. Her piece “Hope” in the 101 Art Book reflects her love of combining the past with her story. She often cuts out old images and reimagines them, creating thoughtful pieces that speak to what she wants to see in her life, like abundance, justice, and, of course, hope.

Christina is inspired by beauty, love, and feminine energy. She works with digital tools like Pixelmator to piece together images and emotions. Her art often features elegant women and uplifting vibes. Christina loves telling stories through her work, starting with a sketch and building something layered and meaningful. For her, flowers represent self-love and joy.

Being a Woman in Art

Being a woman in art today comes with blessings and challenges.

While Dawn, KC, and Christina don’t always consider their gender while creating, they all admit that being a woman does influence their journey. Whether it’s balancing motherhood and caregiving like Dawn or trying to carve out space for art amid life’s many roles, these women know how real the struggle can be.

Still, they all agree—there’s more opportunity now than ever, and being part of this wave of female artists feels empowering.

The Toughest Part About Being an Artist?

For Dawn, the hardest part about being an artist is finding the time to find her style and make it recognisable, as her work keeps morphing and changing. It is all about finding consistency that is recognisable to her style, and because she paints tightly, it takes her an extra amount of time. She struggles to find a balance where she can paint more freely and loosely.

Finding her style was also hard for Christina, especially in the beginning, and it held her back for a long time. Now, while she is getting better at finding her momentum, for her finding an audience is another challenge she must face. Even though she is reaching people through her art, they do not seem to have the space or can’t afford to buy her art, so she thinks that reaching the right audience or collectors is the trickiest part. KC resonates with this as she, too, finds the business side to be the hardest thing she has to deal with. It’s challenging to tick all the right boxes and create a balance where you are channelling your creativity, which also gets more people to see your work.

On getting published in the 101 Art Book

Each of our guests shared what it meant to be included in this beautiful collection:

KC featured her piece “Hope”, from a series based on words she wanted more of in her life. Hope was her favourite, and being in a book filled with powerful work from other artists felt incredibly meaningful. Dawn’s piece “Sunkissed Petals” was inspired by how sunlight made the petals look almost see-through. She called it a tremendous honour and a confidence boost to be featured. Christina’s artwork “Table for 2” is part of a series about self-love. She believes in setting the table with your best, even if it’s just for you—a message she hopes resonates with anyone who needs that reminder.

This episode is a beautiful reminder that behind every artwork is a story about nature, identity, time, and the artist’s life. Whether it’s about finding your voice, pushing through challenges, or just making time to create, these women show us that the heart of art is always worth returning to.

You can order copies of the 101 Art Book: Floral Edition and explore over 100 stories and artworks centred around flowers.

Our three guests offer a great example of what it is like to follow your dreams and that no matter how challenging it may seem, you must always follow your heart! Christina and Dawn are also part of the Women in Arts Network. You can check out Dawn’s work on her Instagram and website. Christiana is on Instagram as well, and her website will be up in a month. KC can be reached on both her Instagram and website.