Congratulations to the ultra-talented Tracy Lou, representing College of San Mateo, for winning not one, but two awards in the 2011 AIFD Student Design Competition.
Competing is a nerve-wracking experience. Each student is given materials they have not seen before they enter the venue. After a few minutes of planning and sketching, they are given approximately an hour to complete their design. They are judged on the strength of the design, the use of materials, and their workmanship.
In the Napkin Decor Design category, "the competitors are asked to make two identical napkin decorations with fresh floral/foliage accenting. Duplication accuracy is a part of the point structure for just this category"*. Tracy placed second with her napkin design featuring an intricate use of bear grass and deco wire:
...and third in Sweetheart Table Design:
College of San Mateo's capable coach was Wendy Pine AIFD, who won the top prize when she competed in the student competition.
Tracy did not win in the bouquet category, but I thought her entry was impressive. I loved the beautiful lines she created by wiring the equisetum and how the tiny spray roses sheltered by the ti leaf invited closer inspection:
Other College of San Mateo students turned in beautiful designs.
I thought Shannon's napkin design was beautifully balanced and airy:
Victor's dynamic, asymmetric bouquet was my favorite of his four entries:
...and I loved the dramatic lines in Kim's tall buffet design in monochromatic green:
There were other wonderful CSM student entries, but I regret that those photos did not turn out.
Over fifty students competed and fifteen awards were given this year. See all results here.
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*Competition guidelines here.
17 comments:
Oh my goodness, these are just beautiful!
What amazing talent!
Gorgeous - so beautiful.
Beautiful displays. So many talented young artists!
Oh wow, she is very talented...wish I had this kind of talent...very cool designs!
I love how the forms of each element are allowed to stand out, simply. It's not easy to create unique designs! And these are wonderful.
How talented these people are Just amazing to see all this beauty
Thanks for sharing these beautiful designs. I always love seeing the flower arrangements you share. BTW, I was in Seattle recently and saw a display of glass pumpkins - I thought of you and took a few pictures, which I will share soon.
Very interesting!! Was pink and green a color criteria? Like all the use of bamboo. Yes, Victor has a great aesthetic!!
ps
When we lived in Burlingame, it was across the street from San Mateo. I love that part of California. Have you ever been in Morning Glory in Burlingame?
These people are extremely talented! Their entries are a joy to look at. Thanks for sharing.
It really blows my mind that after all these years and flowers, there are still so many new ways of looking at and doing design. WOW!
Dear lisa,
I think these entries are a tribute to the strength of the floristry program at the College of San Mateo and what a great teacher Wendy is.
Dear Relyn, Kala, and Chesney,
Thank you for leaving your praise here. I know it makes all the students proud.
Dear Ruth,
You are right it is difficult to come up with a new design. I credit Wendy who coached her students to come up with designs that are uniquely theirs.
Dear Marilyn,
You're welcome! I would love to see the glass pumpkins from your neck of the woods.
Dear Constance,
That is an excellent question. All students are given the same flowers and this year they only provided pink and green materials. This generated a bit of a buzz because it means that the participants can not be judged by their use of color. Since color is a critical design element, I feel this is a huge omission.
The bamboo you mention is actually a water plant called equisetum. It is segmented like bamboo, so I can see how you could mistake it.
Best Reader Wil,
Ik ben blij dat je van dit hebt genoten.
Dear Ginnie,
Indeed! And the Dutch are on the leading edge of creating new designs every day.
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