I recently had a request to create a floral piece to
complement an artist’s work for her opening. What an honor! Of course I was thrilled at the opportunity
to stretch my creative wings, but of course it had to be just right. In viewing her work, I saw that she loves
color and whimsy. Lots of color.
Typically when I design, I prefer to use one to three
colors. Given the rainbow of colors in
her work, this presented a new challenge for me. I knew I wanted to use some tropical flowers
to give structure and color, but not so many tropicals that it screamed “aloha
y’all”! I also know that for a last
minute project that if I really wanted something, chances are, that it will not
be available. I visited my supplier with
my wish list in hand and an open mind.
Good thing I had the later, because I needed it!
When it was all said and done, I had an interesting
collection of blossoms (antherium, allium, kangaroo paw and sea holly, to name
a few). Color, texture and wow—it was
all there. Now it was the challenge of
what to do with it all to complement this amazing artist’s work.
After visiting the gallery and seeing the table it would
adorn, my plan was to go horizontal. I
ripped a burlap liner out of a chicken wire type container and then turned it
upside down. That would work. I could weave flowers in all sides to create
an interesting horizontal piece. 
After many, many insertions, the creation started to take
shape. Given the variety of colors, I
had to be careful not to create a “salt and pepper” effect with the petite
blossoms. Doing this would lose the
visual impact of the colors. That said,
I opted to create textural canvases of color by grouping individual blossoms. Vivid in color, with bold mix of flowers,
crowned with a touch of whimsy—this piece was ready to take flight.
After studying Jacquie’s work, you can’t help but notice her playful use of
dolls and other unique objects. Feeling
inspired, I decided to take a gamble (with my 4 year old daughter’s blessing)
and top it with a small blue Pegasus.
That small detail made a huge statement. I’m so glad my daughter was
willing to donate her toy for the cause of art.
To see Jacquie’s work, follow the link below:
