Futuristic

With the amount of change that has occurred since I first started floral art competitions, it’s a wonder I could think of anything that might feel “futuristic” !!

So I went with a combination of shapes, textures and plant materials that seem to be coming in to competition work but are also considered a bit “edgy”. Some would say that is my floral art style – in fact, a number of recent designs were described by a judge as “interesting, adventurous, challenging, controversial” ……..

Here I have adjusted the 70s and 80s art fad of string pictures to be a free standing structure on a timber block. In a separate technique post I show you how to make the loops for the stringing along some pieces of flexible fibreglass rod. Click here for the step by step technique.

The bottom arc is held in place by a “U” bracket whilst the upright is pushed into an angled hole in the timber. There is a piece of fishing line keeping the top of the upright in line with the base but it is the actual stringing that keeps the structure together and in place.

Working out the sequence and spacing for the stringing was a task on its own with many tries to get the angle and tightness correct before the staging day. Added to this, I had to travel by plane to this national competition so the whole design needed to be one I could pack down for flight.

Simple placements of craspedia and pincushion leucodendron in aluminium covered vials are designed to add a futuristic touch (as opposed to a traditional, modern or contemporary design). Added sections of silver “scrunchie” wire (much like a pot scrubber) cover any mechanics not already covered by aluminium foil.

This design was awarded highly commended.

Judges Comments: A very futuristic structure which dominates the space allocated. Not enough plant material to counteract the harshness of the silver, however a very creative interpretation of the class title.

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