Creative Flower Arranging Floral Design for Home and Flower Show

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Creative designs have few rules and no set patterns. Designs are usually bold in color, form, and size, yet show great restraint in the amount of plant material and number of components used. They may have more than one point of emergence, more than one focal area and some abstraction. If a container is used in the design -- and it need not be -- it is almost always non-Traditional, with several openings. It is not necessary to use all the openings, nor is it required that the container be subordinate to plant material and other components. A brightly colored, shiny container may be an asset in a Creative design. Sometimes two or more containers are used together in a creative manner.Spatial relationships play a major role in Creative designs; they are designs of space, not merely designs within an allotted space. Space is incorporated into the design and interacts with other components. An interpenetration of space occurs, with spaces and solids becoming one. In fact, all elements in a Creative design are considered solids, either in or of space, and are equally important to the scheme. All are organized to achieve great depth in the design, and each component, solid or spatial, maintains its own character even as it relates to other components and to the design as a whole. This is known as plastic organization.As we have noted, Creative designs, like all designs, are based on the geometric forms of the cube, cone, cylinder, and sphere, though in Creative designs these forms may be manipulated or combined into an almost unrecognizable form. A sharper eye than is necessary in Traditional work may be needed to identify the particular form upon which the design is based.The principles of design, though not set aside entirely, are applied to Creative designs in a different manner than they are to Traditional designs. Elements may be exaggerated in size. There may be no gradation between a very small and a very large element. Typical color combinations may be ignored in favor of new harmonies that would have been unthinkable in Traditional designs. In Creative design, one finds greater tension, unpredictable rhythms, and more designs which are dynamically or asymmetrically balanced.Those who wish to arrange flowers for their own enjoyment are guided only by personal taste, what they find appealing, materials available, and the principles of design. If a design is planned for a flower show, however, the schedule may determine what is permitted or required. It sometimes stipulates an actual type of design and at other times simply calls for a Creative or abstract Design, with no further specifications. In this case, as long as the arranger adheres to the principles of design and remains within the parameters of the policy of the sponsoring organization, the designer is completely free to follow his or her fancies and to create.Photo above: Banana blossoms and ti leaves carefully isolated in space allow the viewer to enjoy the simplicity of form and color in this Creative design. Tiny, immature bananas have been retained on the stems, adding unexpected color and texture. The luscious, bold, pink blooms are delicately balanced by the pink-edged foliage.