LINEAR HAND-TIED BOUQUETS - Creative Edge June 2021
DESIGNS & TEXT BY HITOMI GILLIAM AIFD | PHOTOGRAPHY BY COLIN GILLIAM
“My earlier passion in art-focused floral design was based on LINEAR DESIGNING. I enjoyed creating designs which were focused on LINE as the feature element in the composition. This generally creates a more transparent design where stems and lines are generally more prominently visible. Linear design is fluid, possesses visual flow, and gives a sense of growth and direction…. Its dynamic!! It’s never static.
Artfully linear hand-tied bouquets are best created with a specifically constructed foundational structure that is created with the final vision in mind. The building of this structure is the beginning of the design process… well before flowers are touched. While building, you are already dreaming of how the flowers will be placed… Once the structure is complete, stem placement becomes automatic… you have created spots that will cradle your linear flow. Final flowering is pure joy and automatic…. you are basically fulfilling, completing your creative inspirational process!! You have visualized this design already while crafting your base structure.”
“Each of this month’s Linear Hand-tied Bouquets are built on structures which are inspired by ART NOUVEAU. They are shaped to suit transparent linear designs using flowers which have a significant and strong linear quality.”
BOUQUET #1
‘Vertical Hand-Tied Bouquet with Sculptural Structure’
“My vision for this vertical design was to build up the verticality using 2 curvaceous and triangular foamcore pieces, which were painted and waxed. Both were skewered on top of each other with IKEA ‘Torka’ Willow sticks. Additionally, layers of curvaceous repetition with Midolllino & wire vines and Monstera roots were bind-wired at various attach points to add a transitional vine-ing effect. The final layer of fresh Passion vine (with tendrils) meander through to complete the hand-held vertical sculpture. A cut-out at the base of foamcore was made so to enable the bundle of stems to be fed through it and bound underneath, finishing the hand-tied bouquet. All flower stems with the exception of 2 mini callas connected double-ended to a length of equisetum; one of the Anthurium clarinervium is in an equisetum watertube; and Tillandsia xerographica leaflets were glued into the design with Oasis floral adhesive.
The flowering was done with the structure placed in a vase supported by temporary anchor legs until close to finish… then lifted out to finish the final stem insertions and tied to complete the hand-tied process.
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BOTANICALS Anthurium andraeanum ‘Sundance’, Mini Calla (Zantedeschia elliottiana), Protea var. ‘Brenda’, Anthurium clarinervium, Hala (Pandanus baptisii), Tillandsia xerographica, Passion vine (Passiflora caerulea), Equisetum hyemale, Monstera roots (Monstera deliciosa)
SUPPLIES Midollino & Wire Vine (yarn-covered, aluminum wire, UGlu dashes), Wire Vine (yarn-covered, Bindwire (green), Oasis floral adhesive, Foamcore painted & covered with wax, IKEA ‘Torka’ Willow stick
BOUQUET #2
‘Vertical Hand-Tied Bouquet with Organic Root Structure’
“This second vertical upright hand-tied bouquet was built using organic structural components. These curvaceous, brown linear elements are sectional bundles of Ficus roots (Banyan roots) bound with brown bullion wire wrap to tapering tips. These segments were used to wrap around a length of aluminum wire to achieve the rustic curvaceous effects. This earthy ficus root sculpture is built and bound around the IKEA ‘Torka’ willow stick foundational structure. The vision for this textural structure was inspired by the desire to showcase the peach colored Anthurium and the contrasting texture of Eremurus. This combination is further flattered by the clean lines of Equisetum and the highly textured red hanging Amaranthus. Alocasia ‘Sarin’ leaf punctuates this design dramatically and creates intrigue. This texture story continues with contrasting Chinaberry and Scabiosa pod combination.
This structure in itself is an artful statement which can be flowered minimally and still be very effective. The drama is best focused on texture and color contrast.
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BOTANICALS Anthurium andraeanum (peach), Eremurus stenophylla, Amaranthus caudatus, Scabiosa pods (Scabiosa stellata), Chinaberry (Melia azedarach), Ficus roots (Ficus benghalensis), Alocasia ‘Sarian’, Equisetum hyemale
SUPPLIES Marshmallow bamboo skewers, Floratape (lt.green), Aluminum Wire, Bullion Wire (brown), Bindwire (natural), IKEA ‘Torka’ Stick Sculpture, UGlu dashes
BOUQUET #3
‘Horizontal Hand-Tied Bouquet with Art Nouveau/Deco Structure’
“A curvaceous horizontal linear design of this scale is only possible by creating the final desired shape in advance. You must have visualized this in advance and know how best to create the foundational system which will allow you to flow your curvilinear stems beautifully into the finished design.
The initial shape was inspired by the Art Nouveau/Deco Gingko Leaf form (nature’s inspiration). Unlike a fan, the 3 sides of this shape are curved. The structure built on the strength of 4 pieces of upright marshmallow bamboo skewers, and connected to the arching Midollino wire vines. Multiple pieces of these wire vines are free shaped and bindwired until clear silhouettes are created. Depth is built in between the two shape layers to create dimensionality. The structure is capped with arching, double-ended Equisetum threaded through with aluminum wire. Steelgrass accentuates and provides more linear detailing that caps the top curve and radiates like a fan from the base, upwards. Some Mini Callas emerge from the bottom binding point area, while others are water-tubed into Eqisetum segments and designed into the structure using bindwire. Echinops are glued with Oasis floral adhesive into a visual flow following the Gingko venation from top to bottom. They add the rhythmic textural flow in the violet tint, to contrast the deep violet ‘Captain Carrera’ Mini Calla blooms.
Transparency is an important result by keeping the quantities of flowers minimal with special emphasis on showcasing the beautiful linear quality of the stems. The overlay of the Jasmine Vine helps naturalize the soft romance of the growing vine on the structural surface below.”
BOTANICALS Mini Callas ‘Captain Carrera’ (Zantedeschia elliottiana), Echinops ritro, Jasmine Vine (Jasminum officinale), Steelgrass (Xanthorrhoea johnsonii), Equisetum hyemale
SUPPLIES Midollino&Wire Vine (Midollino, aluminum wire, UGlu dashes, bullion wire, yarn), Wire Vine (aluminum wire, Yarn), #18 ga. Florist Wire, Floratape (lt. green), Bindwire (green), Oasis Floral Adhesive. Marshmallow bamboo skewers
