Hitomi’s Final Lecture Notes

Compiled by Hitomi Gilliam | Photographs by Colin Gilliam

CIRCULAR HORIZONTAL RING DESIGN (Extended Complementary Color Harmony)

BOTANICAL LIST: Parrot Tulip ‘Carmine’; Carnation ‘Terra’ (Dianthus caryophyllus); Disbud Mum ‘Romancero Peach’; Rose ‘Pearl Avalanche’; Rose ‘Toffee’; Spray Button Mum ‘Doria Cherry’; Spray Santini ‘Calimero Peach’; Equisetum hyemale; Tillandsia xerographica; Stipa grass; Plumosa fern (Asparagus setaceus)

SUPPLY LIST: IKEA Bamboo platter; Bamboo skewers; 4” clear Watertubes; UGlu dashes; Raffia; Midollino Extenders (Midollino, Bullion wire, Aluminum wire & Yarn)

STRUCTURE:

The structure that provides the abililty to hold flowers in this design are the 4” watertubes which are attached to bamboo skewers with 2- half tabs of UGlu dashes, wrapped with Raffia from top down to the bamboo skewers.  UGlu and bullion wire help finesse the raffia wrap.

Random holes are drilled in a ring formation around the bamboo platter to insert the watertube on skewer units. 

These are inter-connected with variation of neutral color yarn and raffia covered Midollino extenders and vines, meandering in and around to keep the stand of watertubes upright and rigid.  They are bind-wired solid.

BOTANICAL SELECTION BY COLOUR:

The color combination started with Tulip as the feature inspiration.  Tulip is an exquisite form flower but also have beautiful stems and foliage.  While some of the lower foliage were removed… some of the twisted and curvy upper foliage were left to be part of the composition.  This was a commitment to Green as a color right from the onset. The colours to bridge became the 2 complementary colors… red violet and yellow green of the tulips. Searching for colors to use as bridge…. Ranged from soft pink Disbud mums, Peachy Rose, Brown Rose, Brown button mums, Terra carnation, peach brown Santinis, to yellow green foliage, extended to grey blue green of Eryngium to Tillandsia.

BOTANICAL INSERTION SEQUENCE:

1. Tillandsia plant and individual leaflets (these were bullion wrapped at the trimmed bottom ends to make them somewhat decorative).  This adds the cool grey tone to the warm brown tone structure.

2. Stipa grass clusters placed for soft ethereal texture in the brown scale.

3. All cut flowers are either designed into the watertubes or in Equisetum segment as watertubes. The latter are inserted into the structure and attached on the bottom end to the platter with half tab of UGlu.

4. Tulip stems are inserted into the watertubes. The weight of the flower head and the general nature of the stems allow horizontal, attractive placement to showcase the beautiful character of the unfurling petals.

5. Short Carnations rhythmically placed to jive with the tulips.

6. ‘Pearl Avalanche’ and ‘Toffee’ Roses are featured as secondary flower of importance by size and beauty.

7. Soft pink Disbud mums to balance out the larger flowers and to lighten the color palette.

8. Button mums and Santinis in small groupings to add the darker brown tones to balance out the last insertions of lightness.

9. Touch up with Eryngium… the cool blue grey texture.  These can be very short pieces, just tucked alongside flowers already in the watertubes.

10. Overlay with Asparagus setaceus for the delicate transparent veiling to romanticize the combination.

HANGING VERTICAL SILVER PLATTER DESIGN (Extended Analogous Color Harmony include Green)

BOTANICAL LIST: Allium christophii ‘Gladiator’; Carnation ‘Metallica’ (Dianthus caryophyllus); Clematis ‘Amazing Havana’; Hyacinth var.; Beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax); Equisetum hyemale

SUPPLY LIST: Lamp stand; Threaded metal rod; Square metal bracket rod; IKEA Aluminum platter; Nylon fishline; Midollino extenders and Midollino & wire vine (Midollino, Aluminum wire, UGlu dashes, Bullion wire, Yarn); Glass rods; Bindwire

STRUCTURE:

A Silver lampstand was made into a makeshift stand with retrofitting threaded metal rod (stronger), covered with square bracket rod. 

The container is an IKEA aluminum platter, both attractive and very lightweight.  It is also easy to drill holes into it so that nylon fish line can be threaded and tightly taut to create a light gridding on the surface.

The ‘Veri Peri’ inspired color sculpture was created with Midollino extenders and wire vine bindwired together to create an attractive 3D grid. To keep it rigid and solid for flowering, 2 clear long glass rods were bindwired to the underside.

A short length of chickenwire roll filled with cut boxwood is also attached in between the glass rods on the underside, with bindwire,  as the catching mechanics for the stem insertions when flowering.

The midollino extender art structure can now be attached to the stand at top and bottom using the glass rods as the attach point, with bindwire.

BOTANICAL SELECTION BY COLOUR:

Since ‘Veri Peri’ is a Periwinkle blue with Red Violet undertone, I selected the blue Hyacinth which comes closest to the hint of the blue with red violet undertone within its florets.

The Metallica Carnation possess a grey dusty tone of blue/red violet, with a richer red violet in the core.

And the Allium and the Clematis provide the 2 varying dark and light tone of red violet.

Since the stems of Allium is very visible green and showy, and the foliage of Clematis is light, soft and natural, the commitment to the green as a color was instated.

To bring more visual flow vertically downward to flatter the elegance of the whole shape of the sculpture and to avoid overflowering, the decision to use flowing beargrass to add more green was made.

BOTANICAL INSERTION SEQUENCE:

1. First, the preparation of the Beargrass… small bundle of 7/8 pieces of beargrass, stacking them neatly to get a nice tight bundle at the bottom end – this wrapped with yarn about 1” wide band, overwrapped with couple rounds of silver bullion to hold in place. Then wrap the tip end to catch all the loose ends with silver bullion to tidy up and create beautifully silver tipped ends.

2. To design the best placements…. Cut and design all the flowers free-stemmed (meaning no water source yet) to get the precise placement that looks the most attractive compositionally.  This becomes the first draft for editing.

3. Short stems of ‘Metallica’ Carnations sunk into the structure, with variation of levels…. None to come out too far forward.  They are the flowers selected to provide the foundational flower colour background. Place them rhythmically vertically to the middle, slightly off center to both sides to create a vertical flow of spots.

4. Allium on long stems placed attractively first, upward and downward, carefully designing in an attractive stagger. In various spots, the previously placed carnations will serve as visual punctuation to the flow.

5. Most of the stem ends are going into the chickenwire roll to secure the spot. 

6. Blue Hyacinth has a thick stem so place them into the structure opening that will hold it securely. Allow these to come forward to bring the focus color front center.

7. The bundled Beargrass can now be placed, yarn-covered end inserted into any part of the grid and allow the tips to curvilinearly flow downward.  Each placed attractively to flatter the flowers that have been placed.The repetition of the downward flow adds grace to this vertical design.

8. Clematis lightly float over the whole composition … they add the natural growing tips that add life to the design.

9. After you are satisfied by the stem placement… one by one, pull out the stem and add watertubes (i.e. for the hyacinth), and Equisetum watertubes for the other stem ends.  When you look at this design from the side, the mechanics still look attractively graphic and sleek.

10. Finally I would place an overlay of thin yarn-covered aluminum wire in the periwinkle color to add that final touch with mimicry of coloured tendrils growing over the flowers in various spots.  This strengthens the original sculpture underneath.

     

TAPESTRY STICK SCULPTURE FOR FLOWERING (Extended Analogous Color Harmony)

BOTANICAL LIST:  Rose ‘Pearl Avalanche’; Carnation ‘Metallica’; Carnation ‘Terra’; Stocks (Matthiola incana); Mini Calla ‘Purple Spirit’ (Zantedeschia elliottiana); Clematis ‘Amazing Havana’; Hypericum androsaenum ‘Coco casino’; Astrantia major ‘Star of Love’; Ginestra (Cyctisus scoparius)

SUPPLY LIST: Tapestry Sticks (Midollino, Aluminum wire, Bullion wire, Yarn, UGlu dashes); Megawire; Yarn balls (Yarn, crumpled up paper, Floratape, #20 gauge Florist wire, Bullion wire)

STRUCTURE:

The initial concept was to create a Tapestry stick Sculpture which can sit on the top of the 12” tall 4” dia. Glass cylinder in a slightly tipped position to create a balancing color structure of interest that the fresh flowers can interact with.

Tapestry Sticks in variation of yarn colors were created to build into a double flare shape.

The range of color varied in similar proportion as that of the flowers used.

The Analogous Color Harmony bridged over the Red Orange to Red Violet (a little push to Violet) with its varied warm and cool tones.  Little touch of silver bullion garnished the tapestry sticks, not only to finesse the ends but to add a little bit of metallic shine to catch the light.

These tapestry sticks were attached to 2 rings made with megawire – 1 to sit over the 4” opening, and the other a little wider to create a more shapely flare. 

The tapestry sticks are attached one at a time to the rings with half tab UGlu dash and wrapped with double bullion wire around the rings.  The sticks should be staggered with more tips attached to the small ring, and fatter mid-stick to be attached to the bigger ring.  Some gaps that will result on the bigger ring end of the structure allows for squeezed stem insertions.

BOTANICAL SELECTION BY COLOUR:

Colour selection pre-determined by the colour of the Tapestry sticks created.

Red Orange/Red /Red Violet Analogous with recognition of a little green.

BOTANICAL INSERTION SEQUENCE:

The sequence of stem placement in this design was done differently… designed in section at a time in relation to the color of the tapestry sticks that frame that section.  Probably better explained as designed in 1/3 sections.

1. Started working into the peach tapestry stick opening with ‘Terra’ Carnations and peach roses, bleeding into the red violets.  Since this is the prominent frontal opening, the extended stems of mini callas and Clematis flow forward and outward here.

2. The next third begins with Red violets to complement the violet of tapestry sticks… spilling them out of the squeeze.

3. Followed by the last third sequence to be in balance with the structural color.

4. Fill into the middle to create depth with the combination of these colors. 

5. Last but not the least, 2 yarn balls made out of crumpled paper, florataped and wired with #20 gauge wire is covered with yarn and finessed with silver bullion.  The 2 balls of varying shade punctuated the focal emphasis area on the front side of the design.

6. The almost corseted look of the structure with the tight squeeze in the middle, calls for a very outward flowing feel as if some of the flowers got squeezed to extend out more. This structure allows this vision of a built in action and reaction in flowering.