Following on from an earlier post on this topic (click here to see it), I have chosen a vase that has sentimental value but often proves difficult to use ……. for me anyway!
The vase is brass and copper so the colours of plant material can be a challenge given that I generally use plant material growing at the farm. Additionally the vase suggests a more traditional arrangement – not one of my design strengths. All that said, it is an excellent challenge for me to study form and repetition.
Looking at the body of the vase gave me the form I needed to find in the plant material to repeat the form throughout the design. This is done by using the grevilleas and banksias. The grevillea also mimics part of the pattern on the vase giving the eye somewhere to travel through the overall design.
Although the image doesn’t capture it, the vase is deceptively tall with a narrow opening so I needed to have height for visual balance. This is achieved by using the woolly bush at the back of the design with a few grevillea foliage. Both these are variations of the grevillea flower shape so, again, give some repetition.
I felt the design needed some colour so added the pink grevilleas but then needed to bring that colour through the design so used a camellia flower and bud for that purpose.
Looking at the design today I can see what needs to be changed. The large camellia flower is the wrong form (shape) for this design in this vase. Another bud or two in place of the flower would work for the colour placements. Alternatively a pink grevillea flower at the base of the design could work.
I know that I was limited in the plant material available for this exercise. That will often be the case when you are designing – don’t let it be an excuse. Lay out everything you have BEFORE you start to place the material so you can “mix and match” easily.
One last tip – as I mentioned, this vase has a narrow opening. I secured the entire design with an elastic band (like a bunch of flowers) so that it would remain in place and could be easily lifted out of the vase to change the water.
