MASTERCLASS #13

Hello all,

The previous Saturday was the last Masterclass for the year. It was a small group of only three students but the class was quite enjoyable. I provided the same materials to each student but allowed them to choose their container. The materials were - a very long flower spike of the New Zealand flax, just under three metres in length, three New Zealand flax leaves, one gymea leaf and a number of dietes leaves. The brief was to create a 'dramatic arrangement'.

The arrangement, above, was done by Chris. She used almost the whole flower stem, bending it downwards and created different angles with the leaves. The arrangement was to be placed on a pedestal or at  the edge of the table with one flax leaf reaching down, beyond the edge. She chose her container for its strength and stability as well as its colour.

Akemi selected a donut shaped container with three openings, of which she used two. She shortened the flower stem to a manageable size but the arrangement was still very tall. Of her materials she used only two New Zealand flax leaves and the gymea leaf. 

Vicky, also kept her materials to a minimum. She used two New Zealand Flax leaves, four dietes leaves and a segment of the flower stem in a ceramic container with only one, small opening.

As for me, I've been enjoying my dogwood, Cornus Norman Hadden. It is an evergreen variety, with the flowers, with their long stalks, looking as though they are floating above the branches. 

But what I like most about this variety is the way the flowers start off cream in colour and, as they age, turn pink, so that, at any one time, there is a mixture of cream and pink flowers. Unfortunately the colour variation is not very noticeable in the photograph.

At our last class Shaneen's lesson was Arrangements for Celebrations. She chose to make a Christmas arrangement but avoided the usual and, perhaps, cliched Christmas colours and chose instead more subtle colours. She used the fluffy smoke bush, Cotinus 'grace', yellow roses, red dogwood stems, Cornus Siberica alba and baubles.

Dianne's class theme was 'Two or More Containers'. She used two, different sized, ceramic containers in which she placed Weigela Florida stems and exquisite, yellow peonies.

Lei's class theme was 'To Be Viewed From Below'. She made an arrangement in a basket designed to hang on the wall. She used hoya vine, dark purple clematis and billy buttons.

As this is my last post before Christmas, I'd like to wish all of you a happy and safe holiday season and, to those celebrating Christmas, may it be as merry as your hearts desire! As for me, I'm getting ready to receive 38 guests on the day, so, if you don't receive a post next Monday, you'll know the reason why.

Bye for now,

Emily