My Creative Workbook

Christine de Beer - effortless floral craftsman

"I found it this way" Floral art demonstration at the Capilano Flower Arranging Club

This was my "I found it this way" Floral Art demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging club

I found it this way Floral art demonstration

Concept: As the temperature starts to cool down here in Vancouver and we are heading into early autumn, we are all starting to spend more time indoors, we looked at nests crafted outdoors.

Floral art structures

I began all four of my designs with basic armatures made of Twig Tangles (see the Tutorial below for more detailed instructions on how to craft a stable twig tangle) and we discussed the importance of a stable structure as a foundation to a structural design.

The twig tangles create a basic armature for the designs to be suspended from. Each design is crafted that it almost looks like a foraged or "found" natural object

Over the next four weeks I will add the designs with related Tutorials.

The first design: Spiderweb

Designing the spiderweb

This is the first design I did for my "I found it this way" Floral art demonstration. The demonstration Looks at flowery nests

Spiderweb

My spiderweb is made of wool, beaded wire, and dried tillandsias (see Tutorial below. The web is wound around acrylic rods with a connector piece printed on a 3D printer (but you can, of course build a web with twigs. See the Tutorial below)

My spider is a large Tillandsia Xerographica plant with three stems of rosary vine draped over the web

Here is a link to the mechanics and the Floral Art structures, constructions and armatures used in the demonstration"I found it this way" Design demonstration Floral Art Twig Tangles The second design: Wasp nest

Papier Mache

The wasp nest was made from washi tape glued onto a balloons in different sizes to create a nestling effect.

Wasp nest design

Dendrobium orchids buzzed happily around the structure.

Papier mache wasp nest

Papyrus stems adds balance to the design.

The third design: Leaf nests

Butterfly  nest

This is the third design I did for my "I found it this way" Floral art demonstration

Leaf nest

A leaf nest made of folded over Mini Monstera leaves nestles in the twig tangle to create a home for the Sempervivum “greenwheel” succulents.

Leaf folded with succulents

Just like the butterflies spin the leaves together and onto the tree I spun the the leaves to the twig tangle with hot glue strands

The fourth design: Birds nest

Bird's nest

The bird’s nest is made from bark wire and lily grass.

Cymbidium orchids in the bird's nest

A flock of cymbidiums adds balance to the one side of the design with cymbidium baby birds inside the nest

Cymbidium bird's nest

Fireworks fountain grass adds movement.

Thank you

Thank you to the Capilano Flower Arranging Club for inviting me to demonstrate

Every week I add a new design with related tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to receive an email notification with design inspiration.

Tutorials

21 September 2016 "I found it this way" demonstration Floral art Structures: Twig Tangles

For my "I found it this way" Floral Art demonstration at The Capilano Flower Arranging club, I began all four of my designs with basic armatures made of Twig Tangles and we...

29 October 2014 Spin a Single Strand Spanish Moss Spider Web

Weave a barely there all natural spider web.

14 January 2011 Beaded wire

Thread thin wire with tiny beads

21 September 2016 Acrylic Spiderweb

For this design I made the inside connection bit on a 3D printer with the spikes made of acrylic tubes.

Favourite Flowers

Cymbidium

Cymbidium, Boat Orchid

Salix matsudana "Tortuosa"

Curly Willow, Chinese Willow, Tortured Willow, Globe Willow, Dragon's Claw, Hankow Willow

Ceropegia woodii

Rosary vine, Chain of Hearts, Collar of hearts and String of hearts

Tillandsia

Air plants

Related Designs

28 September 2016 I found it this way: Wasp nest design

This was the second design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration

5 October 2016 I found it this way: Leaf nest design

This was the third design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration

12 October 2016 I found it this way: Bird nest design

This was the fourth design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration

7 April 2011 Floral Art Demonstrations

When I demonstrate I focus on sharing the art of contemporary floral design, as I see it.

30 March 2016 Floral Designs From Around The World

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21 September 2016 I found it this way: Spiderweb design

This was the first design I did in my "I found it this way" floral art demonstration