Art in Bloom at Milwaukee Art Museum

Once again I participated in Art in Bloom. This is where a bunch of garden club members, florist, landscapers and people that like to arrange flowers get together to compete for the best interpretation of an art work in flowers. It is anything but a cake walk. Most garden clubs and individual competitors are limited by budget and flower resources. Others, wow the crowds by using an obscene amount of material. I guess that's one of the things that make it fun. That is why I do it....for fun!

This one won people choice all 4 days

In January we meet and are given our art pieces through a lottery process. Our art museum has furniture, statues, iron work, classic and contemporary works as well as painting large and small. Each year, after some designer pushes the limits, we are given new rules to abide by. Someone did an under water design and the next year we were limited to no more than a gallon of water with none exposed. Another time someone replicated a big contemporary structure with full size haliconia and the next year we were limited to 48" high and a few inches wider than the 24" pedestal that holds each piece with nothing allowed to touch the floor.

Fun interpretation

Great idea

Seems so simple, NOT!

Everyone's favorite dog!

Another fun one

This started as a long weekend event. Now it opens on a Thursday with judging by an accredited flower show judge, an accredited judge in the florist industry and an expert from the museum. It's a crap shoot.... As you see the pieces being installed and are wowed by everyone's creativity, you just never know how it is going to go. The group of judge's select the 3 big winners and some honorable mentions. Then the public votes daily on their favorites. I think pleasing the public is great and one year I actually one that award, ha!

The BIG winner this year, creating her masterpiece

A friend of mine has won first place twice including this year. Another has won honorable mention twice (this year, too). And another won second place last year. We are all in Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging) together. That says a lot. More isn't always better.
Sometimes it's just more.

This year another student of Ikebana was trying her hand at competition.
You go girl!

Mine. How would you create a portrait from flowers?