Here is another contemporary design that features the use of floam mini cubes.....
Foam mini cubes---brought to us by the folks at Smithers-Oasis, are a terrific medium for creative floral art with a 21st Century flair. We love them.
The foam mini cubes come in a variety of colors.
They are easy to use and they give a cutting edge look to designs in glass bases.
Bear grass
Beargrass---Foam Mini Cube Arrangement---Variation One
Start by preparing the base. The foam mini cubes come precut into small one inch sections. The glassware in this case is approximately eight and one half inches long, and rather narrow.
Fill the glassware with the mini cubes as shown. Make sure they are saturated with water.
This arrangement makes great use of beargrass. Bear grass is a wonderful design element. As a foliage it can be used for structural or architectural purposes, rather than as a means to cover mechanics. One thing that I love about bear grass is the fact that it makes a design quite large very quickly and easily.
One bunch of bear grass, placed right in the center of our container, really creates a strong visual impact.
Next let's surround the beargrass with our roses.
Because the container is rather oval in shape, an oval placement is quite easy to achieve.
Quick, easy and very large, this arrangement would work quite nicely in an entry hall, a receiving area, or even on a mantle.
We could stop at this point..... But wait.... There's moooorrrreeee!!!!
Beargrass--Foam Mini Cube Arrangement-Variation Two
The roses alone are pretty.
But let's add a few more flowers to the mix!
Notice how the addition of a few red-violet poms changes the appearance of this arrangement.
Contrast is sometimes a very potent floral art tool.
Beargrass--Foam Mini Cube Arrangement-Variation Three
Let's start with the last design:
Let's embellish it a bit with a few miniature carnations.
I rather like this variation....It gives a very rich and inviting effect. I think you can also get an idea from this one, that this arrangement is not a teeny tiny piece. It actually fills a lot of space!
Beargrass---Foam Mini Cube Arrangement---Variation Four
You notice how we can go from one style to another, from classical to cutting edge, sometimes simply by the addition or subtraction of a few items.
Variation Three felt more "abundant" and therefore a bit more "classical."
Now just for fun, let's go to the opposite extreme and go a bit "way out!"
Let's go back a few steps to when we were first making this arrangement.......
Remember this? Ok, now instead of simply making an oval out of the roses, let's play a bit!!!
Let's add another flower or two and then weave some of the gold decorative wire into the remaining space!
The wire provides an interesting abstraction and focal area to the arrangement. This is definitely one for a more adventurous personality or avante garde architectural setting.
We hope that you really enjoyed this brief floral design lesson. At
Rittners Floral School in Boston we provide floral design instruction
that includes a wide range of different styles and techniques. Folks attend Rittners Floral School, because we are great floral designers, and just as importantly because we are outstanding teachers!! So come and take a course with us!
Your Webmaster is Dr. Steve Rittner, who may be reached at Stevrt@tiac.net.
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