Hello,
July Flower Thoughts
Welcome to Flower Thoughts July 2024.
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Design of the Month
Is it an urn or a basket? Of a hybrid of both? One thing is more certain - the garden style feeling of this composition. It contains diverse botanical varieties, the floral section has a loose silhouette and the placement of materials feels free-flowing and organic - features common to rambling, classic garden settings.
This intricate 'garden style' interpretation was crafted by Gregor Lersch for the International Teachers Seminar earlier this year at the Boerma Instituut in The Netherlands. |
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Design - Gegor Lersch. Photography - Mark Pampling
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When it comes to versatility and ready availability, Bamboo is high on the list of design ingredients. Firstly, it comes in many shapes, sizes and varieties, and can be used both fresh and dried. And secondly, there are many parts to the plant, each of which can be used and manipulated in a host of ways - providing myriad design solutions.
Consider its many usable forms (stems, poles, twigs, leaves, husks and bark) and the numerous possibilities they hold (cut rings, pipes, water tubes, split strips, etc.).
Access to fresh or dried Bamboo is almost universal - wholesalers, roadsides, garden centres and maybe your own backyard (or a neighbour’s!). I enjoy using both fresh green parts and light brown dried sections, and I especially like using the black variety.
Bamboo offers both structural support and aesthetic appeal. Its sturdy stems are ideal for creating natural frameworks, enabling stable compositions. Bamboo can be cut, bent, and shaped into various forms, making it a versatile material for designing. It can be hollowed out to create unique vases or containers, adding an additional organic touch to floral arrangements. In minimalist and modern designs, Bamboo's simple elegance is highlighted. It is often used in Ikebana to evoke a sense of peace and natural beauty, and it can be symbolic of growth, strength, and resilience.
An increasingly valuable quality of Bamboo is its sustainability credentials - it’s relatively fast growing and replenishable, and has a low carbon footprint, making it a compelling choice for eco-conscious decorators and designers.
How will you incorporate Bamboo into your designs?
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Floral design incorporating multiple dried Bamboo parts - stems, twigs and leaves - by Mark Pampling.
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Our August workshop and seminar in Sydney with Gregor Lersch are nearly sold out and I'm excited about what’s in store for those who are coming. And what a group, from around Australia and beyond, even from as far as Singapore, Japan and Canada! There is still time to join us .. in just over 3 weeks.
What are we planning (in case you’ve missed it) ....
3 Day Workshop Experience - Displacement, Distinction, Disruption
Saturday 10th, Sunday 11th, Monday 12th August
Over three immersive days, Gregor will explore the themes Displacement, Distinction and Disruption.
Through demonstration and instruction, Gregor will reveal his thinking about displacing focal areas, formal-linear, garden and minimalist styles, and working in
more environmentally friendly ways. We'll respond to the theme with our own designs, which Gregor will discuss with the group.
Each day will be filled with floral demonstrations, discussion, hands-on creating and learning.
More details for the workshop can be found here:
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Floral Leaders Seminar
Tuesday 13th August
One day with Gregor and myself exploring and examining floral design principles, some current trends and the pressing subject of sustainability. The seminar is for anyone who creates with flowers and occupies, or aspires to occupy, a leadership role in floral art, judging, education or presenting. We already have a well rounded complement of teachers, designers, floral artists, judges and florists joining us.
Details of the seminar can be found here:
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Gregor Lersch analysing and discussing participants' compositions at our last workshop with him in Fremantle.
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Directions for Better Designing and Winning
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Are you looking to boost your skills through practice and the careful consideration of the principles of design? Our next two courses on offer could be just what you need - both give you multiple opportunities to explore a variety of design styles with feedback and support along the way - with the convenience of online delivery, so it doesn’t matter where, or in what time zone you live.
Design Directions challenges you to create linear, long, low and leaning compositions, and start 29 July. If you’re looking to begin sooner, then Advanced Directions provides targeted assignments that will stretch your current thinking, and it begins next week - 22 July.
There is still time to join.
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Our very popular Designing to Win program will be back for a second round in 2024, with a different theme (still under wraps!) and once again with opportunities to participate as an audience member or more actively as a contributing designer.
Designing to Win launches for registrations in September, with our engaging online forums in October and November.
Check out our gallery of submissions from the last Designing to Win program when the theme was ‘Uncommon Threads’:
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Thanks for reading and until next month, once again I wish you more good designing!
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Floral design presened by Gregor Lersch at a '5 Days 5 Stories' Seminar in Germany.
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