Art in Bloom Dazzles with Creativity in North Carolina
By Jill Brooke
All across the country, museums have found that an Art in Bloom event – where floral artists interpret the museum’s existing paintings- are both crowd-pleasers and moneymakers.
The North Carolina Museum of Art has its annual event and here are some of the floral artists’ interpretations of favored paintings. The museum often staggers this great event with two-weekend installments. What a great idea.
So get inspired by these artists – both the floral ones and the ones who use paint instead of branches and blooms.
Perhaps consider what to do with your own paintings in your home. It matters. Consider it accessorizing. It’s also such delightful eye candy too.
Even those who are advised to buy art for investment are told to “buy what you love” so you can live with it. Therefore, art pieces that are purchased for a home are both treasured and valuable either sentimentally, financially, or both.
But sometimes people don’t think of how to enhance these paintings with other objects.
Here are some ideas whether it’s for modern art or more contemporary art in how you can learn from these masters and think of accessorizing art with floral designs.
Some of the trends we liked seeing include using structures such as frames to house vases. Clever, right? Also clearly fashion was on the minds of many. of the artists. Another thought to consider. Many of these floral artists are professionals but a large batch are just garden enthusiasts.
These shows are a wonderful opportunity for floral enthusiasts and professionals to stretch their creativity. Plus it raises needed money for the museums and their educational services.
McCausland, inspired by Formulation: Articulation, Folio 1/Folder 15, by Josef Albers
Scot Buck, Emerald City Flower Co., inspired by Station (577-2), Gerhard Richter
Christopher Batts, A Prideful Place
Seraph Sharpe, Wake Forest Florist, inspired by Torah Crown, Torah Pointer, Torah Shield, Moshe Zabari
Bess Treadwell, Raleigh Garden Club, inspiration Miss Everything (Unsuppressed Deliverance), by Amy Sherald
Margaret Knox, inspired by The Adoration of the Shepherds, Jacob Jordeans
Vicki Thompson, Raleigh Garden Club, inspired by Landscape in Equador by Louis Remy Mignot
Tonia Gebhart and Jeffrey Batchelor, Trader Joe’s, inspired by Winter 1946 by Andrew Wyeth
Erica Winston, Garden Club of North Carolina, inspired by Saint Jerome and His Study, Flemish, Antwerp School
Erica Greenwold Reisen, Folie a Deux Events, inspired by Corn Harvest, Albin Egger-Lienz
Stacey Burkert, Figtree Designs, inspired by Figures, Rico Lebrun, with her Director’s Choice ribbon
Diane Makgill, former NCMA docent, 3DbyDdesign.com, inspired by Forward, Jacob Lawrence
Elizabeth Zimmerman, Elizabeth Zimmerman Florals, inspired by Mrs. James Russell (Katherine Graves) (1717-1788), John Singleton Copley
Joseph Barnes, inspired by Night Wing: Metropolitan Area Composite II, by Yvonne Jacquette
Carol Dowd, AFID, Botanicals Fabulous Flowers and Events, inspired by Virgin and Child with Saint John the Baptist, by Andrea del Sarto
Frankie Garcia and the NCMA Teen Arts Council, inspired by Saul under the Influence of the Evil Spirit, by William Wetmore Story
Sally Robinson, inspired by Still Life with Strawberries and Chocolate, by Juan Bautista Romero
Julie Vaughn, Seraph Sharpe, Alison Creekmore, Wake Forest Florist
Jill Brooke is a former CNN correspondent, Post columnist and editor-in-chief of Avenue and Travel Savvy magazine. She is an author and the editorial director of FPD and floral editor for aspire design and home magazine