Spring is back in our beautiful region of the French Riviera. The Mediterranean plants are starting to bloom, the spring colours are coming back to life and are ready to fill the pretty villages of the south of France… This is for our greatest happiness and especially for the happiness of our dear Madame Mimosa!
It is indeed time for this young herbarium artist from the South to go back to the picking to offer us superb creative herbarium paintings! Discovered during the Festival des jardins sur la Côte d’Azur last April, I had come to take part in the watercolour painting workshop (painting being one of my great passions along with dancing), I suddenly find myself charmed by this workshop led by Madame Mimosa in which we have to create a composition with herbs, but I am also sensitive to the person herself, her gentleness and her kindness
Although I have a little difficulty finding inspiration for my creation, this does not prevent me from becoming more interested. I check out her blog and her instagram, I feel like there is something to talk about. Beyond the love that she transmits in her creations and that I deeply feel, I want to know her story, her path… I contact her. After more than an hour of very rich discussion, I listen to her story and it is with astonishment that I realise that we are experiencing practically the same feelings, the same doubts, the same fears, but above all, and most importantly, the same faith in life that guides us towards what animates us in the depths of our being.
1. From Paris to Bormes les Mimomas
I am definitely not the only one to have left Paris for the south. The only difference is that I opted for Nice and Madame Mimosa opted for Bormes les Mimosas (obviously!). After 30 years spent in the Paris suburbs, more precisely in the 92 district, and after a 10-year career in communication, Emilie (her real name) decided to leave everything behind and move to this incredible village of Bormes les Mimosas. A village that means a lot to her, recalling childhood memories with her family, the smell of the mimosa that carried her as a child. Who would have thought that 20 years later, she would create her own company bearing part of the name of her beloved village?
Emilie settles down without any real plans, but it doesn’t matter, she follows her heart and her intuition, something is brewing but she doesn’t know it yet..
2. The revelation
In the summer of 2020, Emilie decided to opt for an original gift for her mother’s 60th birthday. No more material gifts that end up in the bin or at the back of the cupboard most of the time. Emilie decided to mark the occasion by offering her a creative experience: a herbarium workshop. It was love at first sight! Handling natural materials, dried flowers, different textures… But also sharing a moment of conviviality with her mother and other people… gives her a feeling of being in her place, of having found her Ikigai as she mentions on her website. The seed has settled in Emilie’s heart and will never leave her.
3. The birth of Madame Mimosa
Already having a certain artistic fibre due to the many activities she practices (salsa and gospel among others), Emilie has no knowledge of botany… and then? This is where it gets interesting. I’m not interested in telling a story without conflict, without difficulty. I like to see the way in which humans manage to surpass themselves in order to live their “personal legend” (you will have recognised Paolo Coehlo’s alchemist). Despite the doubts and fears of running a business on her own, she learns on the job, documents herself, reads books to learn more about flowers, the pressing and drying process, contacts suppliers in the region who could provide her with frames and paper made in France.
She held her first workshops at the Valbray nursery in Hyères in April 2021 and began to produce her first compositions which she was able to sell. Things are slowly but surely falling into place. By dint of patience, hard work and faith, it was not until this year that Emilie began to make a name for herself as a herbarium artist and to receive more and more requests.
4. Her creations
Emilie has an undeniable artistic fibre. Just looking at her compositions, the mix of colours, the choice of different dried flower petals… Everything seems so natural. And yet, there is a lot of research work that she shows me without any filter. Her creations are unlimited, you can ask her for a figurative creation as well as a fantasy one (letter, animals, flower, word, …) where she puts all her heart. In addition to the paintings, Emilie also offers bookmarks and cards as prizes.
5. Herbarium workshops
If you want to explore your creativity yourself, Emilie offers herbarium workshops at home and at the Valbray nursery in Hyères and Ollioules once a week. A friendly and caring workshop, in which Emilie will teach you how to press and dry the flowers and then guide you in the creation of your own A4 size picture. Everyone is welcome, adults and children.
6. Contact
If you would like to know more about the services she offers, you can contact her either by:
- mail : contact@madamemimosa.com
- telephone number: 06 68 34 69 90
You can also follow her via social networks on
