Gregor Lersch
LECTURE ONE NOTES
There is a very fast growing amount of interest in works which are more natural in its substance, not only botanically, not only in its figuration… but in its avoidance of visible inorganic elements. A very strong influence is coming from the current romantic styles… vintage, freeform, Bohemian and Garden Style. Much of this direction had its start in other industries with lifestyle choices being the key influencer… e.g. Fashion, Home Décor and through Cinema (reflective of the spirit of the age). Flower Lovers today (not only the professionals…) are reaching out and searching for more flower and plant materials. They are looking for flower designs that are pure… focusing on the innate beauty of flowers. In this pursuit, the structural and textural designing could become an important add-on purpose to emphasize the flowers in its full presence for the eye to enjoy. Secondary exploration is to take apart (deconstruct) in building out (to reconstruct) the botanical parts to form new ways to show the functionality with plant-based materials.
The big step at the moment is the search for organic works… to reduce the inorganic substance and to come up with organic mechanics to give the plant materials and flowers water source and to achieve a level of transportability. To approach 100% organic, we work on completing our designs to result in a biodegradable, compostable product… without the need to separate out the inorganic substance. Therefore different techniques, methodology and material use need to be explored… focusing on the botanicals, wood, fiber, bark, pods, seeds, etc. As well, we are now also in search of more organic floral supplies such as wax, wool, paper, textile, etc. The Works in this class are based on techniques that work well with plant materials such as: gluing with organic glues, knotting, binding, clamping, drilling, weaving and wrapping to hold materials together.
There are challenges to binding with the soft waxed string sticks, stems and branches… the stability, the balance, to make things stand… There are many new things to learn, to study, to get used to.
Organic Designs are now on the radar… The first wave in Central Europe was in the 90’s… due to carbon burning, lowering chimneys, filtering steam, the industrialization caused massive air pollution that caused the forests to die hundreds of km away. Also massive use of chemical fertilizers and herbicides into the soil caused lakes and waterways in the region to become acidic and polluted. The ‘Green Point’ Litter System started with bins for different kinds of litter. It was a good beginning but with continued industrialization and glamor of new technology… the sustainable behavior of society became less intense.
In the past few years, we have seen some disastrous environmental and climatic catastrophes …. messing with the ocean… system breakdowns… Its time to stand up to the problems and work toward more sustainable practices for the Green Profession.
In ‘ORGANICS’, we are looking out for solutions in floral design and in the profession of floristry as a whole. We may come up with ideas which can feed into the supply industry for more improved, green solutions for affordable mass production. We will show and share works with many alternative materials to use in lieu of the existing inorganics. We will start with ideas for hand-tied works which will provide chance to look for creative new experiences in the content of bouquet binding.
HAND-TIED BOUQUET
BOTANICAL LIST: Sanguisorba atropurpurea; Vanda hyb. ‘Lava Sunanda’; Dahlia hyb.; Sprayrose
‘Piano’; Cosmos bipinnatus (blurred purple); Dianthus caryophyllus; Sedum telefium; Amaranthus caudatus; Angelika; Malus floribundus; Miscanthus sinensis; Heuchera atropurpurea; Thalinum paniculatum; Rudbeckia echinacea; Fallopia aubertii
SUPPLY LIST: Raffia; Acer twigs; Bamboo sticks
VERTICAL WILLOW STAND
The structure for this work is made from thin, dry and hardened willow sticks.
Only the rings were soaked in water for several days to make them more flexible.
They were wrapped with wax string.
The vertical sticks are crossbound to the rings.
Lower rings are larger and decreases in size as it goes upward creating a conical shape.
The structure is wrapped from bottom up with long Hedera vines.
The hardier ones which had more sun is used… they dry slow and stay longer in form.
The vines are also attached with wax string in dark green… nearly invisible.
The body of this tower structure is a bit transparent in spots, to make the cutflower story very clear.
The Plant Live character is necessary to share… that it is very organic.
The flat tray with water level in relation to the type of cutflower used and their needs. (learn by experimentation)
BOTANICAL LIST: Angelika; Amaryllis belladonna; Sanguisorba atropurpurea; Rosa hybrida; Panicum virgatum; Carex triangulari; Dahlia hybrida; Hydrangea macrophylla
SUPPLY LIST: Square piece of wood 28 x 28cm, 4cm thick; 4 Glass aquariums; 2 Ribbons of Jute; Raffia; 4 split bamboo sticks
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
ARCHITECTURAL UPRIGHT STRUCTURE
The base for this structure is a wood board with 4 holes drilled, the size of the bamboo sticks.
They are hammered into the holes.
The horizontal cross pieces at the bottom and across the top are dry bamboo sticks, bound with good natural raffia. 12cm wide linen/jute fabric is clamped in place with split bamboo, like big pins. The fabric is folded over the horizontal sticks. Sets of 2 reed sticks are bound together and pushed through the jute fabric.
I have in the garden some very herbaceous vines like Fallopia, which when stripped of leaves, can provide additional very fine grid within this structure.
A very upright directed work, a bit architectural feel… transparent and light.
BOTANICAL LIST: Molinia; Allium ‘Red Mohawk’; Zantedeschia rehmannii (Calla); Anemone Japonica; Cotinus cogyggria; Panicum (Smokegrass)
SUPPLY LIST: Ceramic Bowl; Willow Sticks; Raffia; Flat Midollino; 2 Bamboo tubes
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
ALL SEASON PYRAMIDALIS
Pyramidal cone shaped design with central vertical axis holding the converging stick insertions downward like a tree.
No Christmas figuration in mind here… more to create a feeling of softness and calm.
Cut bamboo as watertubes… they are drilled on the inside a bit, they are double bound and attached on the sticks.
The sketch and the photograph show the angles of placement which is very important.
The post in the center is a fence post.
The holes are drilled in the size a bit smaller than the sticks.
Sticks are cut to a point so when hammered into the tight hole, it is firm and secure.
I painted the wooden part with organic paint.
The height of this design will be about 80cm at the top with grass and vine included.
BOTANICAL LIST: Dahlia hybrida; Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabell’; Helichrysum bracteatum; Muehlenbeckia complexa; Helleborus orintalis; Chasmantium latifolium (Grass); Lathyrus latifolius;
Daucus carota; Diplocyclos palmatum; Passiflora coerulea
SUPPLY LIST: Wooden Vase (wax sealed); Wood Fence post; Chalk Paint; Willow Sticks (no bark); Bamboo tubes (many); Italian Organic Glue (Cocciala); Wood wedges to hold the post; Raffia
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
ELEVATED BAMBOO & REED STRUCTURE
Large bamboo sectional container has many little 3mm drilled holes below the bottom node.
Outside of this Bamboo Tube are 4 thinner bamboo sticks which serves as feet for the whole structure.
Little mini wedges are hammered into several holes in the Bamboo Tube and the bamboo legs (an old Asian technique).
Bamboo rings are attached waxed string or raffia.
The reeds (Chondropetalum tectorum – South African Mountain grass) are inseted into the many drilled holes and lifted up to the rings and bound which bring much strength to the bottom of the basket-like form.
More binding at the juncture of overlapping sticks as you build upward.
Structure has a very Boho feel to it.
Smaller bamboo tubes serving as watertubes to hold flowers are added to the outer limits of this basket structure.
This is a very good reusable structure/container for many fresh materials.
To preserve the longevity of the bamboo container, you can seal with beeswax.
I dyed the beeswax with wax paint to naturalize the color to the bamboo.
No paraffin wax for the 100% organics session.
This can be a perfect design for room decoration.
BOTANICAL LIST: Craspedia globosa; Agapanthus orientalis; Passiflora coerulea; Hydrangea petiolaris; Lysimachia thyrsiflora; Dahlia hyb.; Lonicera reticulata aurea; Panicum virgatum; Sparthina michauxiana
SUPPLY LIST: Big Bamboo 10cm diameter; Reed sticks; Waxstring; Bamboo tubes (small);Ceramic Plate as presentation platform (furniture protection)
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
So where does the beautiful containers, vases of the world belong in this workshop?
In this seminar, we are challenging ourselves to use maximum skills and thinking to be independent of bought, finished product. To create a place for craftsmanship for florists and the new generation of designers to own their building skills…. To hone their skills toward more sustainable methods!!
FREE STANDING CHIPWOOD VERTICAL
The grey chipwood is an excellent color.
The river cane and chipwood are my recent find from Italy, a great combination together.
Drilling holes in the chipwood sheets and bound to the river cane structure makes them stand in an attractive free order, not like a fence or wall, so that light goes through and the flowers do not always have a backdrop.
The horizontal sticks are also good as attach points for flowers.
This structure is standing with flowers which are tolerant of low water level (not heavy drinking lily family, roses, lilac or asclepias for instance).
The weight of the flowers is needed because the structure is so super light and can be like a sail (when doors and windows are open, or outdoors).
Free bound works like this were developed early with high degree of sustainability as far back as 15 years ago. But use of wire had been the fashion then, and is what need to be reconsidered.
But now is the time to leave our previous fashion with the reality of World Litter Crisis which urge us to think more for the fairness to the planet. But what we should learn through this transitional phase is that very nature does not put Floristry alternatives in a ‘Dress of a Penitent’. Color should be the creator of the life affirming character of work.
In the free-standing technique are so many possibilities – classic and modern, elegant and rustic, in all proportions. We will experiment and study the physics of static equilibrium with some mini-engineering involved.
BOTANICAL LIST: Miscanthus chinensis ssp. ‘japonicus’; Sanguisorba atropurpurea; Allium hyb. ‘Red Mohawk’; Rudbeckia echinacea (or Echinacea purpurea); Dahlia hybrida; Sedum telephium;Cotinus cogyggria; Passiflora coerulea; Strelitzia reginae; Vanda rothschildeana (Air roots)
SUPPLY LIST: Greyish Chipwood; Wax string; Flat Ceramic Tray
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
LUFFA VERTICAL
The wooden pot is the new home for the elevated work with Luffa pods.
Deep in the pot is an open sphere of harder vines wrapped tight together to hold the peeled willow sticks with pointy cut ends to hold firmly in balance.
The crossing lines above bound with waxed string gives solid sustainable stability to the structure.
Up in the air are Luffa pods with upper end cut with all the seed and fiber pulled out.
The best thing to seal the pod is wax, 2 or 3 times, Or put bamboo tubes in the capsule.
Some longer sticks go higher than the pods for lightness.
The vines create a certain tension between the straight and curved, still and movement.
Few pods are placed upside down, hanging on a stick.
Luffa is also known as sponge kind of material where you can use to insert flower stems – more on this later in class.
Think on designing white on white with a touch of green.
BOTANICAL LIST: Luffa; Eucomis bicolor; Lilium longiflorum; Cucumis (fruit); Miscanthus sinensis ‘Silver Feather’; Hydrangea petiolaris; Amaranthus caudatus viridis; Celosia plumos christata; Allium Sativum ophioscorodon
SUPPLY LIST: Wood Vase; Vine Ball (waxed); Bamboo tubes (waxed); Luffa pods; Willow sticks; Bamboo tubes (waxed inside); Waxed Luffa; Wax String
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
WOODEN POT WITH SUPER COLLAR
This very hard wooden pot has a carefully crafted willow stick collar.
Radiating sticks with pointy ends are pushed deep into the drilled holes of the thick membrane of this unusual container.
Thousands of little willow sticks are wrapped with one turn around each with the brownish grey wax string continuously makes this collar become very strong and straight.
Good looking pattern result to create a part of the whole form/shape.
Inside the pot is an interesting mechanical aid made with midollino (not too thin) from the coil.
Wrapped and coiled into itself, and bound, knotted with wax string.
Sphere is put in a bath of beeswax few times to make it resistent to water (makes the ball durable and reusable multiple times)
Long grasses and pointy growing willow sticks can then be used for elegant upright lines.
Flowers can attain some height in this. Mechanics, radiating upward and outward.
The mass at the bottom need contrast.
This work is done by insertion… pushing into something, a more conventional process… but why not? Into an organic ball mechanics.
So which way can the container be lined or sealed? An organic sap or wax? I don’t say it often but… here is a place.
It would be for the good of our future, if we, the people in the Green Profession could not be named as those who have the unsustainable packaging and other avoidable industry supplies. We can together participate in this phase of creativity for change!!
BOTANICAL LIST: Agapanthus orientalis (white); Lilium longiflorum; Phalaenopsis x miriabilis (plant); Diplocyclos palmatum; Heuchera atropurpurea; Hydrangea macrophylla; Hydrangea petiolaris; Brienya
SUPPLY LIST: Big Bamboo Tube (wax inside); long Bamboo Sticks as feet; Waxstring; Midollino; Bamboo tubes (waxed)
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
FLOWER LADDER
A ladder for flowers… but not to climb.
Wooden base board holds 2 beechwood posts, they are lifted up on hard dry bamboo sticks which are hammered into the drilled holes in the wood base.
The bamboo sticks are wrapped with fiber.
The horizontal crossbars are greyish sticks drilled into the beechwood.
They are overlapping (see the sketch) On the sticks are few wooden rings to hold flowers in position.
The bowl on the wooden base is made of limestone, a natural container.
All the flowers lean against the grid, bound with waxed string or raffia.
Thinking Polyanthes, Calla, maybe Lily… tall and slim materials.
And the softer movements of vines like Hops or Orchid roots and grasses.
The grey, black and white color of beechwood could also be wintery.
The base board is weathered, with no paint… a more rustic and calm… not too summery in its temperament.
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge