Air plants or Tillandsia in their scientific naming are one of the most forgiving to grow, even for people with a habit of neglecting their gardening duties. For Long Beach, California-based photographer, art director and designer Cathy van Hoang, these air plants were a solution for her ‘black thumb’ and ever since she translated her love for these low-maintenance plants into the creation of unique air plant sculptures placed within sea urchin shells that look like colourful jellyfish. Van Hoang calls her creations ‘petit beasts’ which inspired the name of her Etsy shop. In talking to Dearest Nature she explains how the idea came about: The idea of turning air plants into jellyfish was an accidental one. I had the right ingredients to make them from the start. Sales really started to pick up and I was running out of space, so I started to hang them from the ceiling and voila. All of the positive responses I’ve been getting from people makes me very happy. I’m really glad that people are able to relate to them.” Van Hoang sees her creations – that bear shells painted in hues of teals, magentas and gold – as ‘pets’ that she “adopts, cares for, raises, and then sends out into the world.”