Discovering while learning.

A few years ago I was invited

from the book entitled Art in Bloom by Victoria Jane Ream

to participate in an event, sponsored by the 
Utah Museum of Fine Arts, entitled 
"Art in Bloom" 

Floral Designers were selected and asked to interpret a painting into a floral arrangement. 

I selected the above painting by Jose Aparicio Y Inglada 
(1793-1838)
entitled "Portrait of Jean Louis Reynier"

The challenge for me was to attach a rose to my sword which would match the color of the ribbon on the soldier's chest.  
The rose had to last for 2 weeks, and out of water. 

The solution was to attach a dried-in-sand rose.

It sounds easy.  But roses change color once dessicated. 

  

My comment why I chose this particular painting.  

 I own a sword similar to the one in the painting and I wanted it to be part of the story. 

Keeping cut Phalaenopsis fresh presented another problem.

In the above photograph you can see that the flowers are beginning to fade.

I actually cut these yellow Phalaenopsis from a plant when I noticed that several stems were beginning to wilt.  

If you cut the stem and place it in water,

 in a few hours they will have revived and will last in water for many more days. 

If you want them to last even longer as cut flowers, do what professionals do.  

"Condition" by placing them into cold storage for 24 hours.  

That means 54 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

(Your household refrigerator 40 to 45 degrees F)

Cut your stems every day and replace water. 


Have a great week ahead, dear Friends. 

Gina 

http://betweennapsontheporch.net/

Art in Bloom

An event held at the Museum of Fine Arts, University of Utah, Salt Lake City

I was invited to interpret a painting with flowers

The rose you see attached to the sword had to last for the duration of the Exhibit.  I dried many a red rose in sand from the Great Salt Lake to match the exact color of the ribbon on his chest.

Only a few Floral Designers were invited to participate from our Salt Lake City area.  I was one of them.

Making these exotic flowers last for an entire week was a challenge.  They had to be "conditioned" properly.

The German Officer's  sword was given to Gene from a very dear Friend.

The antique French Urn was purchased many years ago.

Floral Designers, Rob W. McFarland and Jerry Stanger

Floral Designer, Amy Lewis, Diane Donahue, Peggy McLean, Carrol Mitchel, Lake Roland Garden Club

Floral Designers, Barbara Baldwin, Georgia Grey, Garden Club of Denver

Floral Designer, Holly Clark Wright

Gina

From the book entitled "Art in Bloom" by Victoria Jane Ream

Photography by Sjur Fedje

Publisher-Deseret Equity