'OLD AND NEW'

FLORAL TRENDS' OPENING TEA

We were tremendously impressed by the response to the funky, pink invitations to Floral Trends' Opening Tea. Over a hundred people filled the Library Hall in Somerset West on the afternoon of Saturday, 23 January, 2010 – we truly were 'bursting at the seams' with floral art enthusiasts!

Guests were welcomed upon entrance with a glass of champagne or punch and it was wonderful to see so many old flower friends, some of whom had travelled from far to share in the fun. Pieter Coetzee, from Paarl, who has been actively involved in floral art for the past fifty years told us about the many shows, weddings and other notable functions at which he has arranged flowers. His chat was accompanied by a slide show and it was amazing to see how this art form has evolved from the days when flowers were relatively inexpensive and the triangular mass was pretty much 'the order of the day'.

Tea (and plenty of eats) followed and, then, we were treated to a young designer from Durbanville, Christine de Beer, showing us her take on contemporary floral art. What an absolute treat this was! Her whole demonstration evolved around a visual concept of '2010' but also illustrated her ideas on what is new and relevant to anyone concerned with the preservation of planet Earth. What was so good about Christine's demonstration was that she was not only focussed on giving her audience a pleasing 'picture' to look at. She also emphasised how she had achieved what she did by sharing innovative ideas for mechanics and making structures of plant material or to support it.

Floral Trends has started the year 'with a bang'! Old and young and everyone 'in between' could relate to the beauty of our art form by something that they saw at this event. Thank you to everyone who came along and supported our floral group and to those who ensured that the function ran so smoothly.

See you in February!

Christine de Beer's '2010'

(This was turned sideways on to form the numeral '1')