Bouquets to Art - 2010 Part I

It's hard to believe that it's been over a month now since the Bouquets to Art Exhibit at the M. H. De Young Museum in San Francisco. Since I had a very busy travel schedule, I have not taken the time to go through my photos until now. Tracy and I participated in the student competition held during the Gala Night. I will post about that later because I'm hoping that Tracy's photos came out better than mine.

After the competition, Tracy and I did get a chance to tour the galleries and see the fabulous floral interpretations of the permanent art collection at the museum.

Our first stop was at urban painter Charles Demuth's "From the Garden of the Chateau" (top photo). We both gasped at the boldness of the arrangement. Neither of us could recollect a Bouquets to Art entry that was as daringly two-dimensional and presented to be viewed from above.

We admired how Diane Barret of Indigo V perfectly echoed the Precisionism style of the painting. The hala and New Zealand flax leaves plus the sparing use of hydrangea blossoms fit the bill exactly.

Josette Brose-Eichar of Lavender used white phaleonopsis and dendrobium orchids to depict the billowing stacks smoke on the steam ships of the harbor scene. I like the use black ti leaves served to represent the dark elements of this painting and thought the frothy foam of carnations against the blue-green hen and chicks succulents was unique.

When I first saw this painting in the many years ago, I didn't know what to make of it because of its two-dimensional, naive quality. Now I appreciate its depth more each time I visit it and I always look forward to seeing what floral art has been paired with it during Bouquets to art. This year, I like the soft touch of replication it's been given. The amaryllis with the deep orange throats marvelously depict the glow of the sky and the peachy calla lilies represent the nude beautifully.

Laurelle Hartley Thom accomplished what she set out to do when she interpreted Albert Bierstadt's landscape painting.

"It has been said that in California Spring 'Bierstadt offered a war-torn nation images of a landscape unbloodied and full of promise.' I have tried to capture the pastoral serenity and simple beauty of the sun shining brightly on the valley replete with wildflowers and majestic oaks."

- Laurelle Hartley Thom, Lafayette, CA

Martin Johns Heade's "Orchid and Hummingbird" is my mother's favorite painting at the De Young Museum. I think it reminds her of the best aspects of her seven years in Indonesia.

I commend Carolyn Russel and Wanda Nash of Orchard Nursery & Florist for recreating the jewelbox feeling of this small painting and also for finding the exact same cattleya orchid (George King's "serendipity') as in the painting.

There is always at least one work that creates an indelible memory of the show. Last year it was the birch-bark dress with the red anthurium shoes and this year it has got to be the "Bust of the Lone Horse". This surprising entry by Talin Tascian of Fleur de Vie was designed to accompany Virgil Williams' "Knight's Valley from the Slopes of Mount St. Helena. It was beautifully executed using reversed leaves, bear grass, and berzillia berries and I dearly hope this entry was intended to be tongue in cheek.

The flowers spilling out of the box are an apt reflection of Joseph Decker's oil painting "Upset". The lime green satin ribbon was also perfectly draped in an artfully casual fashion.

I can't say I ever noticed this ceramic work of art before Amy Kee chose to interpret it for Bouquets to Art. Her floral interpretation depicting a giant tea cup was quite understated from afar...

... but a look inside allows you to do more than just read the tea leaves. A striking combination of purple odontoglossum orchids and bright green geranium leaves were floating in a swirl of white calla lilies.

Stephanie Foster of Church Street Florist creatively represented the swan's wing by using protea petals and phaleonopsis orchids.

April Abbott of April Flowers in Mill Valley did a convincing job of describing what the windswept scene of this painting looked like beyond the bowl of berries.

That's all for today, more next time.