Free Standing Design

 This week we were asked to create a Free Standing Design. The first thing I did after being told this was to look for inspiration.

Inspiration

Benjamin, P., van de Sluis, M. and De Bruyne, T. (2008) Arrangements - Creativity with flowers. Oostkamp: Stichting Kunstboek.



Benjamin, P., van de Sluis, M. and De Bruyne, T. (2008) Arrangements - Creativity with flowers. Oostkamp: Stichting Kunstboek

After looking at different free standing design, I then began to think about how I wanted to do my design. I need to think about the flowers/foliage that I could use. For the design to be 'free standing' I will need strong, thick stems. 

Step by Step Journey of Creating the Design

I decided to go with my third idea. I wanted to create a structure using equisetum (snake grass), adding flowers randomly, ensuring that they are evenly distributed.

Materials used

Craspedia                x5
Oncidiun                 x3
Ornithogalum             x2
Equisetum (snake grass)  1 Bunch
Cocktail Stick

1. The first I needed to do was to get the basic outline of the design. I started with 4 stems of equisetum. I connected them together using cocktail stick. This part was the hardest to do as the design at this point didn’t have much strength behind it and kept falling over. The strength of the design and making sure it stood up on its own was something I needed to focus on.

2. I continued to build up the design using the equisetum. I needed to ensure that the design would stand freely on its own, so every time I added another equisetum, I let go of the design to see if it stood. Actually balance is a very important factor of this design. The design can’t look like it is about to fall over, nor can it physically fall over. The more cocktail sticks that were added, the stronger and more stable the design became.

The third and final step was to add the flowers. I didn’t wasn’t just one focal point within this design so I placed the flowers equally around the whole design.I started with the oncidium. I randomly placed them around the design using a hot glue gun. I decided that I wanted to place them upside down on the design to look like they were hanging and I am pleased I did because I really like the way it looks.

Once I had added all the oncidiums, I then added single heads of ornithogalum and craspedia. Again I glued them on with a hot glue gun. I used these flowers to cover the ends of the oncidiuums and also to cover any glue that I had left exposed

 

Finished Design

 

 

Reflection

The positive features of the design include:
     ● The design stands freely.
     ● The shape of the design. I like how it bows outwards in the middle.
     ● How there isn't one focal point through the placement of the flowers. The eye focuses on all of the design and not just one area of it.
     ● How minimalistic and simple the design is. The design employs negative space and I like this.
     ● The different textures created from the flowers. I like how the equisetum and oncidiun projects a smooth, soft and gentle  texture that dominants the design. The craspedia adds a rough texture that is just enough to be notice.
    

If I was to do this design again I would perhaps use a different material to connect the equisetum together. The cocktail sticks work well but to add a different effect I could use something more dominant to make it a feature of the design. For this design, yellow midelino sticks could have been used to compliment the colour of the flowers I have used.