Bouquets to Art 2010 - Part IV

For the last part of the Bouquets to Art 2010 tour, we will explore the lobby areas of the De Young Museum where San Francisco Bay Area floral artist created floral arrangements for the annual fundraiser.

I was delighted to find the lobby display by Howard Arendtson of H. Julien Designs in Berkeley. I saw these giant fiddlehead ferns all wrapped up in newsprint on a special-order shelf at the San Francisco Flower Mart a few days before this event. I guessed that they were intended for "Bouquets", as everyone at the mart calls it, and couldn't wait to see how they were going to be pressed into service.

The fiddlehead ferns looked like they were ready to uncoil and grow into tree ferns like the ones in the atrium situated along the gently sloping staircase directly behind this arrangement.

The repetition of slate and triangular green grass was clever and I'm guessing that the "T" refers to the torqued tower of the museum building.

Diane de Pauli of Woodlands Floral in Kentfield created an explosion of green anthuriums, red gingers, kangaroo paws, and golden pincushion proteas spewing out of a grouping of glass cylinders.

Around the corner, in the foyer by the elevator to the observation tower, is one of my favorite collections at the museum. Local artist, Ruth Asawa, crocheted heavy gauge wire to construct a dazzling set of hanging sculptures that create two-dimensional shadow partners.

Leighsa Montrose AIFD carefully chose plant materials that also cast intricate shadow patterns.

The glass globe fishing buoys and succulents completed the nautical mood of Asawa's "fishnets".

To learn more about Ruth Asawa, watch this enlightening video. It showcases more of her inspiring art and shows the crocheted sculptures hanging from the rafters of sun room in her home.

To see more flower posts, visit Today's Flowers here.

Macro Monday: Bouquets to Art 2010, Part III

Now that we finished touring the Upper Galleries of the 2010 Bouquets to Artin the of the De Young Museum, please follow me downstairs to the Concourse Level to see the 20th Century Contemporary collection. Bouquets to Artis the San Francisco Fine Art Museum's biggest fundraiser where floral designers from the San Francisco Bay Area are annually invited to interpret the art in the permanent collection. The first couple of interpretations were decidedly literal but each adds a trans-formative element. For example, Heather Dunne and Mari Tischenko matched William T. Wiley's witty art when they replicated the blue palette and then created an unexpected explosion of splattered "paint" using Giant Onion (allium schubertii).  Read what the floral designers wrote here.

Gail Emmons of Orinda carefully, and literally, duplicated the black and white walking stick, Japanese wooden shoes, and wizard hat, but then added a wonderful dynamic element to her work by featuring the S-shaped Hala leaf to convey the bent figure in a more abstract way.

For a closer look of artwork, click here.

Even in all its complexity, Sue Morford's arrangement worked well with the simplicity of Edward Hopper's depiction of Main Street, USA in "Portrait of Orleans". Floral artist Sue Morford writes:

"When I found a photograph of the location depicted in the painting I was struck by the unchanging quality of the location 60 years after the date of the painting. Some of the details had changed (the name of the gas sstation, the addition of a second station, different building, etd.) but the character of the scene remains. The place has retained the same sense of a quiet crossroads on the to Someplace."

--Sue Morford, AIFD

See the photograph Morford referenced here and Hopper's painting here

The tall stature of the yellow heliconias provided a great line while their green stems and tinge of red aptly implied "traffic light". The black calla lilies were a great choice to complete the line of the rubber tire. The esso sign on this side of the arrangement was a nod to its faded past...

...whereas the Mobil sign on its reverse side depicted the present:

Read a wonderful blog post about the donor of this painting here.

The next room is normally only black and white...

...but during Bouquets to Art it was splashed with of understated color, like this green and white grouping by City College of San Francisco

The intricate pave design made effective use of the bright green button chrysanthemums that many in the business call "Kermit mums" but are officially called "Yoko Ono" chrysanthemum.

On the opposite wall was a stark study in texture that looked like plant life emerging after a volcanic explosion.

Or maybe this is what we would find if we flipped over the canvas of the original artwork.

In the adjacent rooms, we are greeted with more color. The urban painting of skateboarders was matched with the urban arrangement using what looks like concrete blocks.

Hats off to first-time exhibitor Marian LeBrun of SSavage Rose Florals for her beautifully-balanced entry.

Pico Soriano's entry lampshade of yellow Billy Balls (craspedia) is filled with whimsy and sparkle

Continuing the whimsical theme are these bathing beauties frolicking in a swirl of Contorted Filbert branches (Harry Lauder Walking Stick -corylus avellana)...

.. in contrast to the abstract interpretation of this bathing beauty.

Speaking of abstracts, the Orinda Garden Club's creation, by Diana R. Kennedy and Phoebe Kahl, is geometric bliss.

Mrs. Lurline R. Coonan's perfectly-matched tropical arrangement of proteas and birds of paradise straddles beautifully between these two paintings.

Richard Diebenkorn's "Seawall" (1957) is a favorite amongst the Bouquets to Art designers. Pomegranate's idea to use materials found at the seawall was great.

The last rooms we will visit today feature fine art photographs. Ron Morgan's designs never disappoint. His turban of ti leaves, flax leaves and dark purple mini calla lilies was a work of art.

Alena Jean's sunflowers brought bright sunshine to the poignant portraits they accompany.

Svenja Brotz of Chestnut and Vine Floral Design in Berkeley created an artful urban garden in this sepia setting. 

Next time, the lobby arrangements.

For more Macro Mondays, visit Lisa at Lisa's Chaos.

Wordless Wednesday - Gumballs

"Three Machines" (1963)  Wayne Thiebaud (1920 - ) 

J. Miller Flowers

Bouquets to Art - 2010 Part II

For the next leg of your tour of Bouquets to Art 2010 I take you to a gallery where I saw several people swiveling their heads trying to match this floral pergola with a work of art. Then when I walked around the arrangement I realized that the designer created a grand entrance for the portrait of the man in the yellow turban. I did not notice the window panes adorned with pressed flowers until I reviewed my photos at home.



The literal interpretation of James Abbott McNeill Whistler's  hunched, scaly-looking piano player in "The Gold Scab"  drew a lot of attention,

particularly because the sheet music was enhanced with editorial commentary about rich industrialists.

The luscious, traditional arrangement, composed of foliage from Filoli, is a perfect complement to Hudson River School artist Albert Bierstadt's "Sunlight and Shadow, 1862".

I like how Mary Ellen Wilson and Arnelle Kase of The San Francisco Garden Club mirrored the circular frame for these portraits.

Deidre Rastelli of Tutti Fiori Floral Design wanted to "represent the vows of poverty taken by the priests of that era."

I've always been fond of the chair collection at the De Young Museum. Pat Miller's entry featuring fiddlehead ferns and jasmine is an enchanting addition.

This display of white football mums in three barrel-shaped wooden vases atop the equisetum-covered table with hen-and-chicks (echeveria) finials would be the perfect addition to a room featuring Frank Lloyd Wright's Barrel Chair. The designer definitely achieved her aim for "the flowers to mimic the cushion of the chair... (and) follow Wright's philosophy that every piece is meant to match and compliment the building it goes in."

Kathleen Derby's purple Biedermeier-style design was a great choice for Rockwell Kent's seascape.

Of course I'm biased, but I thought Wendy Pine's selection of yellow kangaroo paw flowers, tall orange Mitsumata branches, with the blue cylinder worked well with the painting she selected.

Next time I will take you downstairs to the modern collection.

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.