Design For Dried Arrangements
The same basic principles of design apply to dried as well as fresh arrangements. Those who accept a broad vision of both, and plan in advance, are able to dramatize dried plants in ways undreamed of by the average arranger. And this may be done all the year round, regardless of weather or season.Because a dried arrangement lasts so much longer than a fresh one, design is even more important than when you are working with ephemeral things. Furthermore, there is beauty in some fresh flowers lacking in dried ones. To compensate and to make a dried arrangement distinctive, greater attention must be given to design. It is also true that the design is more pronounced, whether good or bad, in a dried arrangement. If it is good, we are compensated for extra effort, since we have produced something that will last. In judging flower shows, particularly the dried arrangement classes, I have observed that weakness lies more often in design than in condition, which despite the hazards, is usually very good.
Design is also important because color is not always so striking in dried as in fresh materials. Therefore, artistry of design, which sometimes can be achieved with grays, browns, and somber tones alone, depends greatly on interesting placement of material and on good grooming.
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May 19, 2012