2015 Fair Flower Show Artistic Designs Class 1105 – Adult Artistic Designs #1 – Speaking in a Monotone – monochromatic; using shades of one color This design calls for a fairly strict interpretation of color. You are allowed to use only the shades, tones, and tints of one color, and that includes the container. Shades are created when black is added to a color. For instance, if you add black to red, the result is a dark burgundy. Tones are created by adding gray to a color. If you add gray to pink, it becomes a dusty rose. Tints are made by adding white. If you add white to royal blue, it becomes sky blue. Stems are always green, so it’s OK to have the stems showing, but pick off the leaves unless they match your base color. Brown may be considered a shade of red. Find a good color wheel at the library or online, pick a color, and look at the variations along that one strip. Those are the colors that can be used in this design. Notice in the first design, pink is the chosen color with darker pinks and burgundy added. This design also includes touches of green which would not be allowed in a monochromatic design. The exhibitor should have chosen different flowers or used dried materials that had been painted. The second design uses all shades of lime from the palest, almost yellow lime, to the darkest lime green. Even the container is lime green…perfect. The third design is also a great example of monochromatic. The container is wrapped in green mesh to match the green tones of the leaves. The leaves are good examples of “leaf manipulation,” a technique in which leaves are bent, curled, cut, or twisted to add drama.
#2 – White House‐Black Market – a creative design using black and white A creative design is one that challenges the typical rules involved in flower arrangements. Still, the design must be balanced, dimensional, clean, and generally bold. Creative designs usually rely on fewer plants or flowers and are less detailed than traditional designs. In this class, painted dry material may be used for the black portions of the design. Unlike Monochromatic designs, plant material and objects of different colors can be used in the design as long as black and white stand out as the predominant colors. The size of the design is less important than the balance, depth, composition, and use of materials.
#3 – Orange You Happy? – vertical design under 24” featuring orange plant materials A vertical design shows the upward thrust of plant material with few lines leading in other directions. The container should be rather tall and narrow as well. Remember that the plant material should be at least 1‐1/2 to 2 times the height of the container. Orange flowers, plant material, and/or leaves should stand out in this class. A dried palm tree husk formed the basis for the curved, architectural line of the first vertical design. Preserved orange roses were used in the first design along with bleached, dried amaranthus hanging like fringe along the palm husk. The second design features orange Bird‐of‐Paradise, a tropical flower that is very showy. Note that the base of the design is wider than the top. That’s one of the characteristics of a vertical design. The third design also uses a container that is wider than the top of the design. There are only 2 orange flowers, but they really stand out against the tall, narrow snake plant leaves.
#4 – Blue Skies – L‐shaped design featuring the color blue The design should look like the capital letter “L”. A low container works best for this type of design. Since blue flowers are sometimes hard to find, this is another class in which painted dry plant material can be used. Other colors can be used as well. The purple liatris in the first design could be dried and spray‐painted blue to conform to the specifications for this category. Even so, the other flowers could still be used since they complement each other. The second design is shown just to give an example of a perfect L‐shaped arrangement. Dried carnations or any other round flower could be dried and spray‐ painted blue to fit the definition of this category. The handle of the wagon‐container is set to match the flowers forming the base of the letter “L”. The deep blue poppies contrast beautifully with the other flowers to form an L‐shaped design. The cut leaf forming the upright portion of the L is another example of leaf manipulation.
#5 – Follow the Yellow Brick Road – a collage or assemblage featuring yellows and/or golds A collage is an abstract, creative design created on a flat board or panel with plant material and accessories glued on to it. The result is 2‐dimensional with overlapping planes, patterns, and color. An assemblage is 3‐dimensional and includes plants, objects, and accessories that are usually not found together. Think “quirky.” Either one of these designs are created for fun since there are very few rules other than the design should be interesting to view and complex enough so that the viewer will want a closer look to see all of the details. Of course, in this category, the emphasis should be on yellow and gold objects and plant materials. The patchwork quilt look of the first design is an example of a collage. The flattened flowers are glued onto what looks like a divided shadow box. The second photo shows another collage design mounted on canvas. The two assemblages are composed of totally unrelated items combined with plant material. An assemblage differs from a collage in two basic ways: 1) An assemblage can be free standing or upright while a collage is flat or low‐relief; and 2) A collage is composed mainly of plant material; an assemblage contains an eccentric variety of “found” objects and a few pieces of plant material. Objects and plant material in yellow or gold should replace the color of the materials shown above.
#6 – Going Green – a transparency design emphasizing green A transparency design involves the use of “see‐through” materials to give the illusion of space and depth. Exhibitors might use materials like baby’s breath, glass/acrylic, mesh screens, or leafless branches for the transparent part of the design. The rest of the transparency design should emphasize green. The first transparency design utilizes clear glass (or plastic) plates with a silver charger behind the entire arrangement. The combination of green, white, and silver is simple, yet elegant. The second designer chose green fishnet as the see‐through portion of the design, but added dark green elements. The third design shows airy leaves as the transparency factor. Transparency doesn’t have to mean entirely clear.
#7 – Pastel Prints – a miniature design incorporating materials in pastel colors; no taller or wider than 5” The trick to this class is selecting a very small container in order to keep the overall design under 5”. The design can be traditional, creative, or oriental, but must be balanced and pleasing to the eye. Pastel colors should dominate. Low‐growing sedum and the tips of a white flower spike (possibly verbascum) form the basis of this miniature, award‐winning design. Note how the floral portion is almost exactly 1‐1/2 times the height of the tiny container. The second design also illustrates the proportion of the floral elements compared to the container. The edges of the flowers drape over the rim of the container. The third design proves that you don’t need a lot of filler in a miniature design. The tips of many larger plants, the individual florets of larger flowers (such as hydrangeas), and the budding leaves of many plants work well in miniatures. Containers have included empty lipstick tubes, thimbles, dollhouse furniture, and seashells.
#8 – Old Glory – using red, white, and blue This design can be traditional or creative, but the traditional motif seems to work best for the title of this design category. All three colors must be used. The American Flag should not be incorporated in the design…not wrapped around the container or stuck within the plant material…not used as a placemat…not at all. All three of these designs are traditional, but all of them include a variety of plant material in red, white, and blue. One important thing to remember in any design is that if you are using a white container, there must be at least some white flowers in the design. Since blue flowers are often difficult to find, blue‐purple is close enough.
#9 – All that Glitters – creative design using metallic colors Since no live plants are metallic, the glitz should be in the container and/or in the added accessories. It is acceptable to spray paint dry materials or accessories in metallic colors or glitter paint. Fresh plant material can never be painted or dyed. A shiny, dark brown container, a golden leaf (spray‐painted), and silver eucalyptus offer subtle metallic accents. Silver‐painted fan palm leaves and everything painted silver as well…except for the metallic‐purple wiffle balls. The third design looks as though it would work beautifully over the holidays. Hole‐punched metallic ribbon is usually available in a variety of colors. Ting‐ting is often used in holiday and/or metallic designs. Ask for it at craft stores or garden centers that carry silk flowers and accessories. It comes in various colors and textures: matte, satin, metallic, and even glittered.
#10 – Purple Mountain Majesties – a stretch design using purple or violet A stretch design uses 2 nearly identical containers with a straight piece of line material connecting the two. Containers should be alike in color and/or form, but one container is always taller than the other. The connector should be as straight as possible and should be as long as the tallest part of the design. It doesn’t need to be anchored, but should look as though it is. Exhibitors have used a piece of bamboo, a painted dowel rod, a Snake Plant leaf, a metal skewer, a PVC pipe wrapped in colored duct tape, a daylily stem, and many other creative components. Take care to make sure the materials are in proportion/scale with the container. Notice how the bamboo piece connects the two containers in the first design. The straight pieces of dwarf cattail mimic the lines of the bamboo. The straight line material connecting the two containers in the second design is actually a pair of daylily stems that have been wrapped together in opposite directions. Clever! However, the tiny figurines inside each of the containers are a drawback. They detract from the otherwise elegant design. The two containers in the third design aren’t exactly alike in shape, but they are close enough in color, and one is definitely taller than the other.
Class 1106 – Junior Class (ages 17 and under) #1 – Along the Bluebird Trail – using a decorated birdhouse as a container Buy a birdhouse or use your own, but remember to add live or dried floral components to the design. Since this birdhouse is for display purposes only, it does not have to be functional. These three birdhouses are obviously not functional, but they are certainly decorative and fun. Remember not to use feathers or eggs from wild birds since this will automatically disqualify the design. But dried or live materials can be used in almost any imaginative way.
#2 – Kaleidoscope – using several different colors Traditional flower design often contain many different colors, but this category can include creative designs as well. The only restriction is that several different colors must be used. Several means 3 or more. Keep the container simple and let the flowers do the talking. Each of these designs is full of color, and all three are traditional designs. Generally speaking, creative designs use fewer colors and fewer flowers. But notice how the colorful flowers rightfully overshadow the rather plain containers. Either fresh or dried plant material may be used, but don’t dip the stems of any live plant in colored water to change the color of the flower. This is not allowed.
#3 – Pretty in Pink – using pink as the predominant color Creative or traditional, this design is limited only by your imagination. Foliage and flowers abound in various shades of pink, so don’t be afraid to experiment. Other colors can be included while pink stands out. The pink roses in the first design suggest a traditional design, but this exhibitor chose to hide the stems with pink jelly beans, making this a hybrid traditional/creative arrangement. The second design combines light pink peonies with darker pink Livingstone daisies, variegated ivy, large leaves that cover the rim of the container, and thin grasses bent and secured over the flowers. The only problem with this very nice design is that the stems probably show in the clear, glass container. Unless the stems are very artfully arranged, this would detract from the overall design. The third design uses a beautiful, hand‐crafted container, gorgeous plant material, and a whimsical way of arranging the plant material on top and draping over the sides of the container. The silly things at the base of the container are totally unnecessary and add nothing to the design. If you decide to try something like this, don’t make the same mistake. If you have any questions on any of these designs, please don’t hesitate to contact a member
