Former Firnew Artist: Justine Platt

Born in Connecticut and raised in the Cotswolds region of England, I now live on a cattle farm in Fluvanna county. As a product designer, I develop and design products for the home- especially home textiles, ceramics, wreaths, wall art, and rugs – with manufacturers around the world. A particular love of mine is collaborating with artists to create prints for coordinated ranges of textiles and home décor.

Growing beautiful and useful things is very important to me. Learning new creative skills and sharing those with others is what fuels me. I use the botanicals, edible flowers, culinary and medicinal herbs, fruit, and vegetables that I grow to nourish my own family and to create projects for my workshops with The Bluebird Barn. Connecting communities in a time when many are so hurried and disconnected makes me happy.

My current creative interests are basketry using foraged and natural materials, food photography, wreaths using materials from my garden and farm, and creating with edible and medicinal flowers.