I just want to gouge my eyes out...

It's an unexpected Saturday off... phone has been ringing off the hook.. (that means more than 4 calls).

what to do?

I have mentally redesigned my Bouquets to Art piece a million times.. Can't wait to gouge those eyes out. Trust me, that will make sense and not seem so violent on Monday.

Bouquets to Art is a fundraiser for the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Florists, Floral designers and garden clubs from all over the bay area are asked to interpret a piece of fine art in flowers.

On a Monday in January, 100's of us trudge off to the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park and wander the galleries looking for the piece of art that inspires us. Well, actually we specify our top 5 choices and then a committee assigns us one of those choices. This year I did not receive any of my choices. No worries... I let them know I would be happy with any location they gave me. I forgot about the neon...

Flash forward, I get the letter telling me of my location. I remembered the neon. ugh.

What I love about doing this project is the total lack of design "requirements". No one to tell me what I "have" to design or what they want me to design, no budgetary constraints other than the amount of cash I have in my pocket.

The only design restrictions are on certain types of materials. Obviously the museum is concerned with keeping the art safe, and flower pests can do irreparable harm to some of the more fragile pieces of "art". Taking all these requirements into consideration, causes the designer to really have to think about their design.

Some think harder than others.

So, I've spent the last couple of days constructing the design in my mind. All of which will probably go out the window as I actually design my piece on Monday morning.

Being a floral designer, one that is employed and has clients, my designs are subjected to the tastes of the consumer. It's very rare that a client doesn't play at being the designer or impose their favorite flowers, styles, colors and ideas (magazine pics, pics of other designers work, et al) on the process of designing an event. One just goes with the flow.

My definition of a florist... one who copies a pic out of a book or catalog...
A Floral designer is one that composes all the elements, textures, colors, vessels and accents to form an original creation. Possibly inspired and influenced by others, but the end result is his or her original perspective.

Monday's creation will be my original perspective.

Stay tuned...


For a glimpse at my past Bouquets to Art compositions visit ...

http://patrickknight.net/bta_001.htm