Italian grandeur in floral art

The beautiful Italian Amalfi Coast was the setting for the prestigious La Bella Vita workshop from May 20 to 25. Here, Per Benjamin, Max van de Sluis and Vincenzo Antonuccio presented an international floral wedding and event experience in floral art.

'From the impermanence of flowers comes much beauty'

Floral artist Franca Logan-van den Berk is originally from the Netherlands from where, via Canada and England, she ended up in New Zealand where she has been living for the past eighteen years. She still speaks Dutch well but prefers the English language for answering the interview questions. Her passion for the trade is undeniable: "Flowers are my livelihood and also my hobby.

Wavy

On two wooden planks, holes have been drilled at random in which copper welding wires of different lengths have been inserted to create a wave. Small glass tubes are attached to the ends with tie wraps. Stripped Asparagus branches form the airy base. Gloriosa ‘Exotic Orange’, Asclepias ‘Soulmate’, Anemone ‘September Charm’ and Briza media are inserted into the tubes.

‘Nature is full of beautiful materials’

‘An ode to nature! In all its design, color and growth.’ Freelance floral stylist Thijs Harmens is extremely enthusiastic about the Lush Natural Elegance theme. ‘During our vacation to Bali last June, I got a lot of inspiration from the design of hotels, but also the way of life and the unspoiled nature with all the beautiful plants, flowers and fruits.’

‘As a freelancer, I work with all kinds of materials. Fashion, nature, flowers, but also the shape of a vase can be inspiring. I get motivation from my environment and how people are constantly innovating, developing, and thinking about the future. That makes me think about how to contribute in a positive way without detracting from what I stand for. Previously, I was very concerned with what others would think of it; now, I am increasingly following my own feelings.’

'Besides ordering cultivated flowers, I also looked at what grows here in Zwolle. Nature is full of beautiful shapes and materials. I like to work with dahlias, roses and, if possible, fragile flowers with small details.'

'Plants play a big role'

‘Deep red and burgundy are welcome,’ says floral designer Hanneke Frankema, ‘with accents in gold, cream or white tones and surfaces with an oil luster or mother-of-pearl, you make it special. Distinctive color and powerful design: the Lush Natural Elegance theme doesn't need much.’

‘Within this theme, plants and organic shapes play a major role. These can be characteristic strong leaf shapes, but also flowers with special shapes that often match beautifully with each other. Consider the Guzmania, Gloriosa, Phalaenopsis, but also Celosia, with which you as a florist can really make a statement.’

‘Everyone knows it, you have nice vases but a piece is missing or the paint is peeling off. But you don't throw them away either, so they often gather dust in the closet for ages. Yet they offer many possibilities if you think 'out of the box' for a moment and breathe new life into them by sprucing them up. For example, I applied dark red and gold accents to pots and vases with self-adhesive mourning ribbon made of woven fabric. A product for which I see many other applications.’ 

On discovery

Oasis TerraBrick Floral Media is placed in a beautiful handmade bowl. All processed flowers are first carefully cleaned, after which all flower heads are processed at one height and only using insertion techniques. Many beautiful varieties in colors appropriate to the theme are incorporated into the disc shape, which is built up with a curve. To be discovered are: chrysanthemums, Zantedeschia, Sanguisorba, Guzmania, dill, Talinum, Dianthus, lisianthus, Rudbeckia, grasses, and Clematis fluff.