Artist Ignacio Aracil transforms pressed flowers into ephemeral sculptures

The <a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/art">art</a> of pressing and preserving flowers has been around for countless centuries, and with reason! Not only is it a beautiful and simple way to retain the memory of a moment, but it's a green way to create an incredible piece of decor. Spanish artist <a href="http://el-nogal.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Ignacio Canales Aracil</a> has taken this crafty technique and bumped it up a notch with his airy and delicate <a href="http://inhabitat.com/compostable-sculptures-human-forms-sprout-from-wheatgrass/" target="_blank">sculptures</a>. Part dome, part surrealism, Aracil's flower sculptures are woven together and explore the fragility of time.

Aracil hand-picks flowers, flattens them, and then weaves them together over a cone-shaped paper mold.

After a couple of weeks, the flowers dry out to maintain a shape stable enough for the mold to be removed.

A layer of varnish is used to keep the flowers from absorbing moisture.

Other than the varnish, no other substance is used to hold the sculptures together.

Looking closely, one can see the beautiful individual flowers, ferns and stems emerge.

Aracil's series, entitled the Fragility of Time, illustrates their temporary nature rather perfectly.

The sculptures maintain their shape via the interwoven stems, leaves, and petals.

Bright pink and white flowers maintain their hues once dried.

It almost appears as though the slightest gust of wind could break up the sculptures and send them scattering.

Some of the dried flowers used to create the sculptures.

A peek into one of the dried flower bells.

Close inspection reveals just how delicate the dried flowers are.

Dried wildflowers in complementary colors juxtapose gorgeously against green stems and leaves.

Ferns, and wildflowers intertwine to create the bell shape.

It's almost impossible to believe that this piece can stand upright on its own.

Some of the flowers Aracil will press to create his art.