Going back to my days in art history class there were many ‘still life’ slides to memorize… artist, title, date… next slide please ( gosh am I dating myself or what?! ) It became a game… my friends and I would make up little rhymes to remember the style, painting, artist or year. To this day I cannot think of Homer Realistic without Kim and Kara coming to mind…
Some of the earliest examples of floral still lives were created by Northern Renaissance, Dutch and Flemish painters… The sixteenth century brought an explosion of interest in the natural world and flowers & fruit became a common them. ( hey, thanks for the little art history refresh wikipedia! )
Blending fruit and flowers is certainly not a new trend… in fact, most ‘trends’ are recycled versions of some idea from long, long ago with a fresh spin, new twist and a modern update. My first experience working with veggies in lieu of floral elements was to create a traditional boutonniere for a friends prom ( now, I am really dating myself… ) My best friend since I was six, Lori, is a few years younger than I. Having delved into the life a florist as she was heading for her senior prom she asked me to make a boutonniere for her date…. out of broccoli. Sure! why not… and so I did.
I’ve always been interested in textural elements, green toned blooms, grasses, foliages and other elements as opposed to or in harmony with lush blooms and traditional floral selections. Try it, you might like it!
Pomegranites, lady apples, seckle pears and cranberries all make great harvest/holiday elements…why not float a candle amongst the cranberries for a table setting?! I’m not a fan of eggplant to eat but I love white eggplant or asparagus in a bouquet. Like brussel sprouts? Keep an eye out for a WHOLE ‘branch’ of them at your local farmers market! Take a peek around your market to see what you can find … it’s fun to use items you may generally look at as food in a whole new way!
Several years ago I had a bride request green asparagus in her bouquet! I was happy to oblige and had a super great time creating the bouquet for her special day.
Did you know that artichokes, when sitting in water for an extended period of time, will bloom?! A spiky purple thistle like thing will emerge from the center…
I challenge you to pick up a few extra limes, an artichoke or some other super cool thing in the produce section and make a table setting… send your photos to kQ@kerryQuade.com! I’d love to see what you come up with, until then… here’s a little inspiration!
