Art in Bloom

[Sarah Jane]

So I am really nervous about this arrangement I have to make. The museum in downtown Pensacola is doing their annual "Art in Bloom weekend". Basically there are 30 paintings being shown and they've picked 30 floral designers to make a piece for the exhibit. I'm not sure why I applied because I'm not good at this sort of thing, but I did and I got picked. So, now I have to try to bring this painting to life in a flower arrangement. My painting is 60"x48" and I have to make a piece that will sit on a table next to it. There are a lot of events going on at the museum this weekend where people will get to see all these floral creations so I really want mine to be good but I'm not sure what to make. I know it's a tough question but does anyone have any ideas they would like to share? I am making the arrangement Thursday morning. Photo of the painting below. Thanks for any ideas.

 

[Flowermomma]

WOW now thats a challenge!
can you get red lilies? do you have any bing from christmas in that blue/teal colour? some funky sticks..... feathers maybe?? pods for sure painted even....
fern branches??

 

[secretgarden]

I'm with flowermomma ~ I would go with red lilies, some seeded euc to drape out of the vase. I love the pod idea painted that teal color. Maybe some wire in the teal or red/orange that you could do some swirls or something with. We have used bulbs from plants, I wonder if you could spray one and it would give you the tentacles you see on one of the squid things. The branches could be any kind and you could cover them with moss or something.

 

[anytimeflowers]

I would find a very tall aquamarine vase. Use foam in it to ensure that all of the flowers stay in place. I guess red lilies OR AMARYLLIS would be the focal point, very low. Then use bamboo or something painted aqua, maybe even glue shells to the branches and also some branches coming down the vase and shells. It can be very minimal, you don't have to fill it with flowers.

Just my thoughts

 

[secretgarden]

The ladies here say Kiwi branches. They have a very curly look and spiral everywhere.

 

[Sarah Jane]

Oh wow. This is great. I'm feeling more inspired already. I will go shopping this afternoon for some of this stuff and a suitable container. So far all I have is dark orange lilies, manzanita branches, and some kangaroo paw. I've had a month to work on this and should have ordered things but just was sort of at a loss about what to do with it. I was thinking inspiration would hit at the last minute but not really so far. Then I suddenly got the idea to ask you guys for input. Thank you for suggestions. If anyone else has any please share. Thanks so much! I will take a picture of the arrangement next to the artwork once it's finished and show you guys how it turned out.

 

[Sarah Jane]

Kiwi branches and pods? Are these fresh type things or artificial? Trying to figure out where to go to find them.

 

[anytimeflowers]

Your manzanita will work excellent for a coral-type look. But, while you're out, see if you can find any of that new wired wool, that would look awesome spiraling down your container.

 

[Johan]

I would make a scene rather than an arrangemnt in a vase. Use branches and vines or twist teal coloured wire around the branches that curl away from the branches. I would put blue/teal lights on the base that I would cover in moss. You could then have the red flowers growing through the design. The lights would make the design glow. You could even put flowering pale blue hyacinths on picks and wash of the roots and let them hang down off the bulb.

 

[Sprout]

For inspiration, go to Go Dutch Baby's blog and check out their pics from the San Francisco Bouquets to Arts event. She has lots of posts from other years on there too. You can also go to my blog and search for Flora in Winter or Art in Bloom to see some stuff from other similar museum events.

Having done this kind of thing, my tip to you is keep in mind that museum climates are regulated for the art, not the flowers, so they are often hot and dry. So - no blue flowers LOL! Blue flowers just don't seem to hold in the museum environment. Make sure everthing has a decent water source since it will be on display a few days.

We get good feedback all year long from the museum event we do, so it's well worth doing. Have fun! Good luck! Post pictures here!

 

[Rhonda]

agree with the kiwi or curly willow.. I'd go low in the container with the red flowers but what about a branch of blue eryngium?? tipped with a teal?? (Cathy, would eryngium hold up in that atmosphere?)

 

[sandytf]

My suggestion would be DO NOT try to literally replicate the painting. Study the painting and think about how it makes you feel and what it says to you....then use those "feelings" to create your own work of art! My favorite art in bloom pieces are always the ones that make me look at the art in a new way that I hadn't thought about....not the ones that try to recreate the art in flower form.

HTH

 

[CarverFlowers]

Wow, Sarah. Did you pick this piece, or did they assign it to you?

The Minneapolis Institute of Arts does the same thing, but they have over 150 florists who participate. And you get to pick which art piece you want to interpret. I did it for the past 3 years, although I missed the selection meeting (had a conflict) this year so I'm not in it this year. I was scared to death the first year, too. But I selected a piece that I knew was compatible with my style and I just did the best I could. And it was fun! I even got comments from people who said, "I saw your design at Art In Bloom." I guess I connected with some people.

But the point is, art is so subjective. Everyone's tastes are different and everyone's styles are different. Some people will LOVE what you do, and others will just breeze right by without a second glance. The key is to have fun with it, learn from it and get better and better every year.

 

[flowerlady58]

I see in my mind pin cushion proteas and blue bom orchids, love the curly willow stick ideas as well.