Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman
Just Right! Floral Art demonstration: Too Cold!
- 21 August 2012
- click to send Christine a smile
This is the first design I did for my Just Right! Floral Art demonstration at the BC Floral Art Society club meeting
My four designs explored the Goldilocks Principle and how designers can use it to keep their enthusiasm for their floral art work alive.
When we are designing, it is possible to be influenced by extremes. On the one hand, if your work becomes predictable and you remain in your comfort zone you will become bored with your designs,or if you work in the opposite extreme and your work is always too hard to do you will become frustrated and give up.
What you want is to find your own Just right!
Design 1: Too cold! ... in my comfort zone.
It is our "porridge" design. We all have a staple technique.
An all too easy "go to" technique that you know well and can always rely on.
But if you are honest with yourself you have to admit that after a while it leaves you rather cold, knowing you can push further.
The aim is to avoid being bored with your own work- it means it is too easy for you to do.
Phalaenopsis or Moth orchids flutter leisurely through the long blades of wild grass
It is a very casual, easy going design. In fact, only the Phalaenopsis orchids save the design from looking like it was discovered in an overgrown field at the end of summer.
Wool details add texture and interest to the informal design
Driftwood nestles onto the glass bottles. The bottles are filled with water keeping the grass and all but a single orchid hydrated. The tiny wayward orchid flutters to the edge of the design in its own drinking straw test tube.
A sure sign for me when I am in my comfort zone is when I don’t even bother to take a picture of my design
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Tutorials
Stack and glue driftwood to rest on bottles to create a frog to keep thin blades of grass neatly in place
Wood glue not only glues the wool to the bottle but it also makes the wool makes the wool inflexible.
Fast and easy way to create a base to rest a few vases or bottles on.
When you need to keep a tiny stem hydrated this is just what you need.
Favourite Flowers
Phalaenopsis, Moth orchid
Related Designs
This was the first design I did in my "All things Autumn (by which I mean all things chocolate)" floral art demonstration
A simple placement of bud vases... with the tiniest of lemon coloured twist that makes them unusual.
That incredible moment when you realize that one good idea for your design really is enough...
Craft a haze of green around a log for a sweet pea swirl effect.