Petal Hand Trials
- Sarah Leader
- Jun 1
- 6 min read
Development for the Petal Hand started in December 2025 and was conceptualised for the 'Mary Seacole : A figure of care exhibition' held by St George's Hall.
After experimenting with 'Petalworks' through my practice my vision was to create a sculpture of a hand with lily petals with the aim to make it as transparent as possible.
Transparency was really important to me as I didn't want colour to be a factor given the nature of the exhibition.
From previous trials I knew that I could put the petals through a process of 'washing' and 'preserving' to create large areas of petals that would naturally adhere to each other through this process. However manipulating them into a shape would need further investigation. The sculpture would need to be ready for the end of January 2026 and there was a budget.
Preparation
Realising I would need an abundance of lilies I sourced different vases and vessels from charity shops to 'wash' them in, keeping in mind the budget.
My kitchen became the studio / laboratory
I ensured I had PPE such as gloves and masks given the washing process involved using chemicals.
'Turning' lily petals
During the summer and autumn of 2025 my trials in 'washing' petals in a solution provided an insight into how I might treat the lily petals in order to turn them transparent. I would buy two bunches at a time each containing approx 15 - 20 blooms. Since some had not flowered I would have to wait for them to flower.
I didn't anticipate that the colder weather in winter would perhaps slow this process down and previously where the petals were turning within 5 days it was taking substantially longer, in some instances longer than two weeks.
I realised there maybe a number of factors that would affect the petals turning in addition to this:
Temperature: 'washing' processes were dictated by room temperatures which were colder in winter and prolonged the changing state
Shaping: trials took place next to radiators but were problematic as the extreme heat tarnished the petals appearance (note 'Shaping Trial' below)
Solution ratio: changing measures of the solution didn't affect the outcome.
Solution: trials of different chemicals were used.
Shape of vase: the petals seemed to turn faster in a vase that was a particular shape. Due to the amount of petals continuously being 'washed' on rotation I had to rely on the other vases as well.
Quantity of petals: the less petals the better the result.
Type of lily: the most common lily to buy cheaply at a supermarket is the oriental lily. I started by buying white lilies thinking that these would turn transparent more easily however they seemed to retain their white colour especially towards the main veins.
Life span of the petal: the fresher the petal the larger the surface area but the older the petal (dehydrated) then the smaller since there had been shrinking. In some instances older petals seemed to turn quicker and the fresher petals retained a whiter vein area. The fresher petals also seemed to have a thicker feel to them. Due to time it was easier to encourage the lilies to expire in warmer rooms in the house and use the old petals then try and turn new petals through washing.
For the petals that did turn I noticed they would start to gain transparency on the outer edges first and gradually dissolve in colour towards the main central vein. I tried cutting the tips of the petals in some instances to promote further saturation but it didn't seem to affect them. Some petals turned better than others and as I was rotating them I would visit the progress each day and remove 'turned' petals from their vessel and put them together in one until I was ready to preserve them.
In most instances tinfoil was used for preserving - I did this as it provided a base that stayed flat enough and could be trimmed and used to protect the petals. During the preservation stage the petals would need to be manually flipped to stop adhesion to the foil.
I looked at using other substrates to hold the petals including grease proofs papers and more porous surfaces but this was not as successful.
Trial One - Rubber glove (fail)
My first thought was to fill a rubber glove (surgical type) with liquid and cover it in petals and resin. However, in applying the resin I realised I needed some form of stand, and that it was too thick.
At this point I was also keen to have writing on the petals and explored writing on them before being shaped but this was unsuccessful.
Trial two - Wrapping (fail)
Applying petals that had turned, still in a wet state, applied to a glass vessel and placed on a radiator.
The fabric of the petal was compromised by heat becoming brown and brittle.
Additional trials took place with heating petals on their own but were unsuccessful. Applying manufactured heat dehydrated the material of the petal meaning it would lose it's transparency and in most cases tarnish.
Trial three - Vacuum Forming (fail)
I discussed the concerns with shaping during an MA tutorial and vacuum forming was suggested to use as a mould. A wooden and silicone model of a hand (which provided many a giggle) was purchased ensuring the right material would withstand the heat from the process and 9 vacuum moulds were developed with a mix of 0.5mm and 1.0mm PLA. The thicker PLA was more successful in achieving a more accurate and sturdy shape. All of this activity took place with the support of the amazing staff at
Fab Lab and the 3D workshop at LJMU.
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I also looked at creating clay moulds with my own hands. While the results from the moulds were interesting, this method to create a shape was unsuccessful as the petals would have to be applied when wet and often contract in the space during the drying stage losing the intended form. During this stage it's worth noting I also looked at using glues such as PVA to try and support the structure of the shape, unfortunately these trials were also unsuccessful due to the shrinkage although some trials were cobbled together as can be seen in 'Prototype 1'.
Images left to right: 1. photo of lily petals | 2. photo of 'washed' lily petals in mould | 3. photo of personal records (1 page showcasing trials) *
After these trials and experimenting with 'Prototype 1' which was modelled by hand, I went on to shape wet petals using a tubular structure made from foil as a starter but as the sculpture became more complicated with the addition of fingers, I would create each tubular piece and then craft them together using a specific laquer (sometimes I would use my own hand to model parts). Each section was made from individual petals.
Images left to right: 1. photo of sculpture waiting to be assembled | 2. photo of 'work in progress with artist hand | 3. photo of final work with artist hand
The final sculpture can be seen within the 'Petalworks' portfolio and work continues to explore how these manifestations of petals can be displayed, preserved and improved.
Glossary
Washing - using water with chemicals to remove colour from petals, this also disinfects from any small bugs and works as a preservative
Turning - the process of turning the petal from a colour to either a transparent form or where it has discoloured to a white or brown hue.
Preserving - keeping the petals in a desired state by the process of washing and then drying them
*Note all photographs on this page are copyright S.Leader
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