Art in Bloom = Silk Design

watercolor by Britt Daw

Today I set up my window design in preparation for Art in Bloom 2012, coming to the Lynnfield Library on March 12-16, 2012.  I chose to interpret my artist's painting with silk flowers as part of my window design. Creating a focal piece/point for visual effect will helped to support my design concept. Art in Bloom is...

As I mentioned before, interpretation is an individual thing. This painting spoke to me, as I have fond memories of visiting Paris, and the Eiffel Tower as a teen. I love the winter scene of this painting with its stark muted tones highlighting the Eiffel Tower's shape and structure. It's easy to picture yourself standing in Paris after a snowfall, admiring this massive creation.

As I was designing, I needed to keep in mind the size of the library window. My silk design would need to be on a smaller scale, and therefore I would be slightly limited on container choice.  I found this amazing french-inspired wire basket at Jacobson, in Boston. I knew that the basket would help to show the towers architectural structure, and that the color was an ideal choice.

I had some birch on-hand from my yard, which proved to be handy. The piece above just slipped right into the basket without any modifications. The birch texture symbolizes the trees, snow and the mottled sky which is depicted in the painting. The birch also hides the Sahara brick foam used to hold in the silk flowers. It is a win, win all around.

Here is the beginning process of my flower placement. I chose seeded eucalyptus as my filler for its unique color. The muted green, and multi-textured appearance of the eucalyptus would provide the perfect backdrop for my silk design.

White roses symbolizing freshly fallen snow, and tallow berries to represent the leafless trees.

Lotus flower pods were added last minute, as they provide some weight and dimension. Picking up on the street lights that lead up to the tower.

Look for me at the Lynnfield Library on March 12-16, 2012, my final interpretation of the Eiffel Tower painting will be on display. I will demonstrate how to re-interpret the same painting with fresh flowers using a completely different approach. Stay tuned.



Until next time...L.