Charlotte Moss, author of “Garden Inspirations,” spoke at SCADshow on Wednesday, April 13 about her book before signing copies in the lobby.
Moss has won many awards including, Timeless award, Vision award and the Circle of Excellence Award. She came to share some of her wisdom with SCAD students and faculty.
Her overall presentation was about her book, accompanied by pictures of the different gardens she has seen around the world, from the United States to Versailles and the experiences each one came with. Moss explained, “This book isn’t about how far apart to plant seeds. It’s about my journey through all of the different gardens I’ve seen.”
Moss spoke about how this book is a thank you to the person that helped her when she first began gardening. This segued into her giving a piece of advice to students by saying, “The best work comes from great collaborations. When you start your own businesses some day, you won’t already know everything, so you should hire someone that does.”
One of Moss’s biggest influences, Nancy Lancaster is noted as because according to Moss, “She didn’t know how to decorate a house, but did what she could to make her home feel great for her husband. She is even known for being such a good hostess that people would say when they went to her house all they had to do was chew because she did everything else for them.”
Moss had a very positive influence on students as well. Fourth-year M.F.A. photography student Ralph Watkins said, “The talk inspired me to dream and take in life as I create. She was able to show me how engaging my world can inspire and help me develop my art. The hard work of developing my craft comes from the travels I take and take in as they move me to create new work. I was also inspired by her calling us to allow our tools to speak to us. My cameras actually lead me and empower me to do the work. They are conversational partners in the creation of the work. I was very inspired by how her work informs and shapes her personal life as well.”
She left with final words of encouragement saying, “Wherever it is you choose to go – and I can’t encourage you enough to go places – just get in your car and go. I’ve spent so much of my time on planes flying to cities. I’m going to hop in my car and see what’s in between those cities. You all are far too young not to see the world.”
