Composto Fiori

It’s interesting to think of all the little pebbles scattered about my past that were collectively building the winding path that led me here today, as a thriving woman-founded, passion-led small business in the heart of a very artistic industry. The most revered of my dreams come true. 

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been magnetically drawn to flowers.

Something as small as a floral-embroidered coin purse my mother gave me as a small child. Or the joy that 7-year-old-me felt cross-stitching dandelions onto an embroidery hoop, that one summer when we piled 6 high into our jade green Buick and took a very long but unforgettable trip to the Rocky Mountains. Or when I gathered flowers along the walk home from school, thrilled to flatten and preserve them in the little press I had received as a birthday gift. Admiring their papery, delicate petals and how they shimmered ever so slightly when they dried. These were some of my very first interactions with flowers, so innocent and sweet. Little did I know, my passion was already growing.

 When I was introduced to still life paintings, I was hooked. If I could only remember that exact first painting that lured me in! The lush mix of vibrant flowers and fruits, mixed in alongside decaying cheeses and lobsters - some brightly illuminated while others were dramatically mystified as they lurked in the deep shadows of the background. Such perplexing pairings that made brilliant sense once I discovered the symbolism behind each in my 10th grade art history class. I fell into a deep admiration for the clever painters from the Golden Age, intrigued by how their masterful paintings still captivate many of us today. My love for flowers and moody still life paintings was unwavering.

 Over the years, and well into adulthood, I had tried my hand at many creative endeavors; each ending in frustration and doubt, and heavy feelings of imposter syndrome. Nothing seemed to quite fit, and I was so frustrated because I felt destined to do something creative. Maybe it was all too far-fetched?

 I was still so enchanted by flowers and the dark, moody compositions from the 17th century. But I hadn’t gone to flower school. I didn’t study art in college. I felt under qualified in every way to have any artistic focus on flowers.  I shook those feelings away, as they persistently tugged at my heart.

It wasn’t until I had arrived at that wonderful stage in life when you suddenly realize you’ve found the love of your life, and your dearest friends had found theirs too, that I finally had some courage in experimenting with flowers. Those years were filled with celebrations of every sort, all of which most definitely called for flowers! I used every excuse possible to play with flowers for these occasions, studying photos of other floral designers that I admired greatly, and allowing their passion and inspiration to grow within me. I was so fascinated by this hope that I held onto, that maybe one day I could really do something with this.

 When my lifetime dream of becoming a mother was fulfilled with the birth of our son Enzo, my creative dreams seemed to grow even stronger. As I held a precious sleeping baby on my chest, I realized the possibilities that this new season in my life could welcome. Maybe I could somehow make room for the creativity that I yearned for all along. In the fleeting moments of naptimes and independent play, and with more celebrations on the horizon as my once newlywed friends were now welcoming babies into their lives, I got to work with my flowers again. All the while, imagining I would be able to paint them one day with my plentiful stock of oils and acrylics. I don’t quite know when exactly it happened. I can’t pin that moment in time. But after years of all the subtle hints, the universe now seemed to be painting big, monumental messages in my heart. I had fallen madly, deeply in love painting WITH flowers.

 All those sweet and precious first interactions with flowers and the allure of moody paintings that seemed so perfectly innocently scattered about my youth, were collectively meshing and colliding, growing in number and strength until it was there. Staring lovingly at me, like it always knew I would find it. A path that was once filled with shrouds of doubt and overgrown with fear, was now certainly cleared and so very evident. The dappled light filtering in from the trees that tower above, embracing my art form: a community of floral and art enthusiasts. The gravitational pull forward from the sun shining brightly on a field of golden flowers that lay ahead: this love and adoration of the very things I consider my kin today - my flowers and my flower people, enveloped with the common love for paintings and strong forms of artistic expression.

Flowers are who I have always been. I am here, finally realizing with such purpose and passion that there is a community out there who will love and appreciate what I bring into this world. My heart is filled with gratitude and with hope that they too will discover the connection that ultimately brings them into this world of flowers, and that they can lean deeply and happily into their authentic art forms. It may take some soul searching and most definitely determination, but dreams are there to be chased. They are there to believe in and to provide hope. There is a deep beauty in the way that dreams are ever-evolving and changing, with a clever underlying commonality that weaves them together over time.  

  The origin of my artistry is woven deep, beginning somewhere centuries ago in the floral stories painted by the masters of the Golden Age, threaded softly into my youthful days, and boldly and brilliantly shining now. My days are filled with flowers, from which I have grown so many beautiful friendships and artistic opportunities. Perhaps there isn’t a precise point in time when it started, and I don’t see an end in sight. Flowers will always be my forever. 

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Lisa Composto is the Artist and Founder of Composto Fiori, a fine art floristry company based in Houston, Texas. It was her strong revere for the moody, magical still life paintings of the 17th century that led her to floral design.

As a painter at heart, Lisa set out with the intention of arranging flowers to paint her own still life compositions, and with a magical twist of fate, she fell in love with the art of floral design in the process. Lisa’s married name-turned-namesake serendipitously means “composed” in Italian; and so “Composto Fiori” was born, fueled by passion and an artful soul. Lisa strives to evoke a sense of true romanticism and old world charm with each floral design, while letting light and shadow perform their most magical work in her still life compositions. Flowers are her love language, and she truly enjoys sharing her passion with her clients through custom floral arrangements for life’s smallest and biggest celebrations, leading private floristry workshops, and planning artful and intimate gatherings.

Profile Image by Fox & Lamb Photography.