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Summary

Now available in paperback, A Master Guide to the Art of Floral Design is a fresh approach to an ancient art. Exquisite photography and illustrations join with a unique, comprehensive theory to reveal the beauty of flowers and their role as teachers of floral design. Practical, hands-on information about color, the science of lighting, floral care, containers, construction, and alternative techniques complements the concept. A wide-ranging photo gallery provides stunning examples of floral designs, from Continental to Asian to contemporary in spirit, and demonstrates great ideas for casual living, parties, and weddings. A visual delight grounded in practical understanding, this book is directed toward the advanced practitioner but is equally accessible to the floral designer who is just beginning.

Acknowledgments

(2)

Introduction

(4)

Nature's Designs

(42)

The Flower: A Source of Inspiration and Teacher of Design

(1)

Nature's Basic Rules on the Art of Design

(28)

Nature's Principles of Design and Art

(4)

Nature's Designs for Flowers and Leaves

(9)

The Art of Composition

(30)

Concepts: Art and Floral Design

(7)

Contemporary Floral Design: Botanical to Abstract

(1)

Effects of Color and Light

(13)

Considering the Container

(9)

Working with Flowers

(54)

Floral Care

(4)

Construction: Materials and Techniques

(6)

Plants and Bulbs in Floral Design

(9)

Design: Materials and Techniques

106

(35)

Photograph Gallery of Floral Design

141

(82)

Supplemental Materials

What is included with this book?

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

Excerpts

In floral design, there is no better teacher than the flower itself. This is the essential maxim. In a flower's perfection, we instinctively recognize the infinite creativity and wisdom of nature. By looking closely at each flower, we take the first step in discovering how best to display its beauty, arrange its placement, and find possible companions in a floral design. Our introduction to this journey of discovery is an exquisite magnolia blossom from the gardens of Filolir in Woodside, California. This blossom exemplifies the basic rules of floral art. The harmony of "color," "form," and "function" that defines this flower is the hallmark of timeless design.The magnolia is among the most primitive flowers on earth but does not differ in function and basic botanical structure from the more advanced forms. Floral structure remained a tantalizing mystery until an artist's eye and sense of wonderment read the secret: after what must have been years of intimate observation, the German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe realized that, whether of a magnolia or an orchid, the petals, sepals, stamens, and pistils that together constitute the flower all evolved from a cluster of modified leaves.Nature's brilliance as a colorist is shown by the Filoli tree's yellow blossoms, which depart strikingly from those of the typical white or pink magnolia. This difference automatically provokes subtle parallel alterations to all the hues of the plant, from the various parts of the flowers itself to the leaves. Thus, in this flower's soft pristine yellow, deep burgundy-red, and complex of greens, we discover an essential lesson, not only in color harmonies and combinations but also in color composition.From color we become aware of the array of textures that grace the bloom. The beautiful soft matte of substantial petals, the coarser matte of the stem, the hairy surface of the sepals---all appear clear or muted in hue as the sunlight plays across them. In this we observe too how texture affects color intensity and depth perception, and how a bloom's physical presence attracts the tactile and visual senses.The magnolia's elegant simplicity of structure underscores how the importance of clarity and the avoidance of the extraneous equal good design. The totality of its parts demonstrates nature's innate sense of rhythm and proportion. In its complete form---buds, flowers, branches---the magnolia contains a wealth of creative inspiration for individual design choices in such areas as height, width, companion plants, containers, and surroundings.At any level one chooses to work, simple or complex, flowers awaken a creativity and joy that grow boundless with time and practice, ultimately bringing freedom in floral design. This freedom is also a responsibility. For all the achievements of science, we still cannot make or replace a petal. Standing in awe of such fragility and beauty, we in turn cannot help but treat it with respect.Photo above: The open blooms of Magnolia x soulangeana, Filoli Estate.