Hitomi Gilliam
LECTURE ONE NOTES
Through Elements of Inspiration Series of workshops so far, we have presented ‘Wood Talks’ and ‘Green Talks’, addressing the wood and herbaceous nature of botanical materials in its respective seasons. We began with studying the attributes of botanicals for potential use in structure building to feature in design works. This naturally led to our current topic ‘ORGANICS’… to explore and experiment ways in which we can challenge ourselves to go 100% Organic through the whole design.
Gregor had already arrived at this mindset… while I was still dealing with whether I can let go of some of my favorite go-to supplies like bindwire, aluminum wire, bullion wire, UGlu dashes, cold glue, florist wire, waterproof tape, watertubes, etc. These are items that have given us efficient result needed in floristry….
So why dive into 100% Organic NOW?? Because by committing to this process, you learn that it is possible, and that it is not as far-fetched as you once thought. It sets a new direction of intent that is clearly the future. The commitment to challenge ourselves turns into a new revelation to embrace…
‘ETHICS OVER CONVENIENCE’
This filled my conscience with pride… to start to think hard about designing with good intention…. Flowering in a way that is SAFE for the planet. Having gone through the pandemic crisis where SAFE was an important word…. It encompasses range of purview… from concerns for safety within our family and pets, to the community, to all living things, to the sustainance of healthy soil, to the cleanliness of waterways, to the healthy ocean and marine life, to the wholeness of earth… to the future of our planet. Our commitment to individual small gestures of change, using an alternative to the pollutant… multiplied by each additional intentional decision, makes us truly a GREEN profession.
It is a matter of identifying the contaminants and replace them with SAFE alternatives. When using materials which are longer lasting organics, let it be reusable or recyclable…. Be creative with Recycling program for glass containers… Reuse of built structures for rentals… Avoid single use material of any kind that piles up quickly in the landfill. As you may struggle through the start of this necessary change tying wax string again, instead of twisting bindwire… just think ETHICS OVER CONVENIENCE…. until with plenty of practice, the ETHICS BECOME THE NEW CONVENIENCE!!
Thank you Gregor for pushing me to 100% ORGANIC!!! It is the way of future teaching in floristry!!
So my approach to my Session #1 demo was to see if I can still design creatively and accomplish some of my favorite methods with alternative materials first.
As I began formulating the ORGANIC direction, there was no denying that when a florist sells a hand-tied bouquet tied with raffia…. He is selling a 100% compostable Organic product. Just think… we are already there!! So what not to do… don’t add contaminants such as plastic zip-ties (single use)… or wrap to complete the handle with waterproof tape and tie with synthetic ribbon…. If we are mindful of what we tie with… we can create 100% organic!! Wrap with plain paper, or recyclable organic sleeve.
When designing an arrangement…you can use a recyclable organic container, but make sure the flowers when finished can come out easily to go into the compost or green bin.
There is a purpose to re-thinking the whole process of design, it helps us re-invent the steps all over again. Many new ideas are bound to pop up as we review the age old traditional study of floristry with a new set of eyes.
HAND-TIED BOUQUET 100% ORGANIC
My more creative hand-tied bouquet requires a built structure that allows me to add an extra flair or dimension or effect. Holly’s pillow and egg has added the ability to keep the stems held in place and manage a wider distribution of stems to achieve larger size without over-stuffing… a convenience and a profitable advantage. These can also be made with chickenwire, and with this medium, we have the ability to build rolls and other shapes + size. None of these options qualify for an Organic bouquet because these mechanics are embedded within the flowers and are difficult to dismember for composting, so it all ends up in the landfill.
So in this hand-tied bouquet, I created the pillow with reed coiled and bound with waxed hemp string. This reed is stronger than midollino to shape without breaking.
Also added a willow stick structure bound with wax string to extend the verticality of this bouquet to create attach point for the Clematis vine to float above the flowers, adding size and desirable transparency.
I also added the Banyan root bundles which are self-wrapped, and some loose roots for texture.
This bouquet was designed on top of a vase with placement and adjustment easily made in the process.
The bouquet than is pulled out of the vase to be tied at the hand.
I created a reusable bongo tie on a bamboo skewer that helps with easy tying, and when the flowers are finished… you can pull on the skewer to release all the stems to compost.
BOTANICAL LIST: From the Garden – Dahlia ‘Totally Tangerine’; Stocks ‘Vintage Brown’ (Matthiola incana); Clematis montana ‘Rubens’ vine; Butterfly Ranunculus asiaticus; Chocolate Lace (Daucus carota); Asclepias tuberosa; Miscanthus sinensis ‘Red Cloud’; Pepperberry (Schinus molle); Scabiosa stellata pods; Hanging Amaranthus (Amaranthus caudatus); Banyan Roots (Ficus benghalensis)
SUPPLY LIST: Bamboo skewer; #4 Reed (3/4mm dia); Rubber band; Waxed Hemp string
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
ORGANIC VERTICAL WITH ORANGE
Water source most often is a container of some sort, but depending on what botanicals you use… it can be a fruit. Per Benjamin used oranges as water source for his Craspedia design at the World Cup 2001. Grasses and pods in this design are very tolerant of their stems directly inserted into fresh oranges.
The oranges are corralled into the middle of 3 upright bamboo skewers which are wedged tight into drilled holes on the 1 x 6” poplar board.
Some crisscross pieces of additional skewers connect and bound with wax string secure the oranges in place.
The tall upright marshmallow bamboo skewers are inserted into the oranges to establish the vertical height of this design.
Dried fasciated willow stems help connect the upright bamboo pieces securely, bound at each junction with waxed string. This creates a solid window structure to design in.
Water source for heavy drinkers are Polygonum tubes.
For light drinkers… Equisetum tubes.
Equisetum conveniently pierce over the pointed bamboo skewers.
Polygonum tubes are bound to various uprights with waxed string.
All the steelgrass are pierced directly into the oranges, followed by the Explosion grass and Scabiosa stellata pods.
All the Love in the Puff vines are inserted into the taller equisetum water tubes across the top to float over the design with its soft texture. (Quick Dip helps the vine hold up for 5+ days with foliage intact)
The Dahlia, Asclepias and Chocolate Lace are designed at random heights for a very natural summer botanical (vegetative) design.
BOTANICAL LIST: From the garden – Love in the Puff Vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum); Dahlia ‘HS First Love’; Chocolate Lace (Daucus carota); Scabiosa stellate pods; Asclepias tuberosa; Steelgrass (Xanthorrhoea johnsonii); Explosion Grass (Panicum elegans)
SUPPLY LIST: 1 x 6” Poplar Board; Dried Fasciated Willow stems; 12” Bamboo Skewers thick (1/2” dia); 12” Bamboo Skewers thin (1/4” dia); 30” Marshmallow Bamboo Skewers (1/2” dia.);
Waxed Hemp String
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
LAUREL WOOD & PALM SPATHE VERTICAL STRUCTURE
Building with wood is possible without nails or screws or glue. Simply the process is drilling a tight holes through the 2 connecting pieces of wood and hammer in with bamboo skewer. It is advised to attach at 2 junctures in different direction to create the most secure attachment.
I chose to leave the bamboo extension exposed for the spikey appearance, but also for point of attachment.
Same process to connect the spathe to the wood, and also to bridge the 2 spathes - exposed spikes.
The several midollino are bound in random spacing with waxed string, the ends of string are left untrimmed to repeat the spikey effect. These midollino structure is woven between the spathe to provide attach points and cradle for the tulip stems.
Repetition become the system.
Spikes allow for Polygonum to attach to, for Equisetum and Okra to pierce over or through,
Okra pods can wedge in between spikes, also for tulip stems to flow in between… multi-task system.
The drama created by the sharpness of the spikes and the rhythmic stops of Craspedia and the exotic Alocasia leaves, provide an intriguing contradiction to the curvilinear, lyrical flow of tulips with its exquisite blooms.
Parrot tulip stems are either in Polygonum water tubes or capped with Equisetum tubes filled with water.
BOTANICAL LIST: Craspedia glauca; Okra pods (Abelmoschus esculentus); Alocasia amazonica;
Parrot Tulips ‘Apricot
SUPPLY LIST: Cut Laurel Branches (Prunus lauracerasus); Dried Palm Spathe; Bamboo skewers;
Midollino; Waxed hemp string; Equisetum Water tubes; Polygonum water tubes
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
REED STRUCTURE, YARN WRAPPED ARCS AND COCONUT ON HEMPCRETE
Building a constructionally strong curvilinear sculpture is possible with combination of 2 sizes of Reed secured at all intersections with waxed hemp string.
This airy structure allows for linear flower and foliage to weave through sinuously.
The stems slip easily into its perfect position leaning into the multiple lines it encounters.
Repetition of curvilinear flow is the focus throughout this design.
The structure is mounted on organic hempcrete block and bound to the 2 marshmallow skewers drilled in securely.
The water source for this sculpture is the coconut.
A hole was drilled on the top to make it a perfect container.
Holes were drilled on the upper side also, to thread the wax string to tie the coconut secured to the marshmallow bamboo skewers.
The round shape of the coconut perfectly repeats the circular linear movement of the reed sculpture.
The reed sculpture is complemented by multiple placements of yarn wrapped reed arcs that I was able to create without the use of aluminum wire, taking full advantage of the curving shapes of the reed in the coil.
Red violet Mini Callas and Dahlias contrast beautifully to surface linear texture of the split Curculigo capitulata foliage, complemented with Tillandsia xerographica curving leaflets.
The light and floating Love in the Puff vine with its cluster of lime green pods waft through the structure ever so buoyantly.
BOTANICAL LIST: From the Garden and Houseplant – Dahlia ‘Crème de Cassis’; Love in the Puff Vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum); Tillandsia xerographica
Mini Calla (Zantedeschia elliottiana); Curculigo capitulata
SUPPLY LIST: Hempcrete Block; #7 Reed (5mm); #4 Reed (3/4mm); Yarn (100% Linen); Yarn (52% Cotton & 48% Hemp); Waxed Hemp String; Marshmallow Bamboo Skewer; Coconut
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge
REED EXTENDER CURVILINEAR VERTICAL
Finding ways to replicate something close to the effect of Midollino Extenders was my ambition, to keep my favorite go-to components possible creating with organic supplies only.
The material used were 2 sizes of Reed #7 (5mm) & #4 (3/4mm), the thinner one is just a little thicker than midollino and much stronger. They naturally have the curve so cutting the thick size to length and adding 3 or 4 extra lengths of reed to thin out to single tips on both ends makes a perfect extender.
These are wrapped with thin hemp string from end to end and tied and knotted to hold the shape.
Then the whole length is wrapped with raffia, knotted to finish.
Rubber banding with different tension allowed the shaping of these components into sinuous tighter curvilinear flow.
These were soaked in water overnight to form so that the new shapes became set when air dried.
The rubber bands were removed.
The 1 x 6” board is drilled to set the Marshmallow skewers in place to create the vertical spines.
The curvilinear reed extenders are attached, bound with cut rubber band ties. They were easier to tie tight after my fingers were shredded from repeated tying and knotting with waxed string.
The Polygonum and Equisetum tubes were attached in random placements for water source.
Order of stem placement…
Love in the Puff Vine – soft textural canopy and draping downward, add in extra cluster of Puffs for emphasis
Anthurium clarinervium – Surface drama, asymmetrical placement, point of intrigue and visual oasis
Scabiosa ‘Purple Monster’
Dahlia ‘Crème de Cassis’
Chocolate Lace – light and transparent
Ficus Roots – Overlay with strands of dark, rich drizzle of nature’s chocolate
RESULT: Transparent Flower Wall
BOTANICAL LIST: From the Garden – Love in the Puff Vine (Cardiospermum halicacabum); Dahlia ‘Crème de Cassis’; Mini Callas (Zantedeschia elliottiana); Chocolate Lace (Daucus carota); Scabiosa ‘Purple Monster’; Anthurium clarinervium; Ficus Roots (Ficus benghalenses)
SUPPLY LIST: 1 x 6” Poplar Board; Marshmallow Bamboo Skewers; #7 Reed (5mm); #4 Reed (3/4mm); Thin Hemp fiber; Waxed Hemp String; Raffia; Rubber Band; Polygonum tubes; Equisetum tubes
SKETCHES:
*click to enlarge