5 May 2008
Hi everyone
A big, big thank you to all who were involved in our tremendously successful show ‘Plugged into Africa’ on Saturday, 19 April. So many people have phoned or e-mailed and complimented us on a great day. Congratulations to René van Wyk whose fabulous design ‘Afro Rhythm’ won ‘Best on Show’ – and in the Beginners Section too! It was definitely the design that averaged the highest mark and all three of the judges gave it excellent results. The winning design in the Intermediate Section went to Rondebosch Saturday Group’s Ann Brown’s interpretation of ‘Afro Dizzy’. And, in the Advanced Section, Ilse Holroyd and Kathy Potton shared top honours. Well done, everybody!
In retrospect, I’m not sure how the judges found the experience and responsibility of judging alone. Do hope that all of you who entered enjoyed the fact that you received individual comments from each of them – even if the marks were conflicting. Remember, in terms of design, we all see things very differently.
I’ve actually just got back from a cruise of the Mediterranean which came rather ‘out of the blue’. My husband’s company won the holiday as part of a Cell C initiative but we could only join the ship a day late as mom and I were doing flowers for a wedding on the Saturday before. So, the last two weeks or so have been rather surreal. I’ve gone from organising a flower show, to doing flowers for a big wedding, to relaxing for a bit on ‘The Splendour of the Seas’ and seeing the incredible sights of Kusadasi (a port in Turkey), Santorini and Corfu. Also saw a little of Dubrovnic in Croatia and Venice. Wow – it is certainly a different world over there. We were lucky to do all this sight-seeing at the beginning of the high season in Europe. The weather was ideal (already hot!!) and there were lots of other tourists (but in a couple of weeks all these spots will be teeming with people).
Anyway, it’s now a serious dose of ‘back to reality’. Firstly, our workshop meeting on Saturday, 17 May is called ‘Reconciling Discords to Create Harmony’. Basically, this is all about bringing along plant material and/or objects/ideas that wouldn’t ordinarily function together and somehow making the combination work harmoniously. This exercise may sound difficult but the challenge is actually tremendous fun. It essentially involves finding two or three elements that ‘don’t match’. So, you may think of working with clashing colours e.g. neon pink and khaki yellow/green – yuk! But, it can work. Or you may try using a traditional container with a modern design. Or perhaps you’ll attempt an unusual combination of plant materials. What about mixing different containers and making the combination work with a clever selection of foliage and/or flowers. It is all possible in the design world.
When we go into the discussion/assessment phase of this workshop, we’ll first ask you about the challenge you set yourself so we know what you are trying to achieve i.e. what discords are you trying to reconcile in your arrangement? Obviously, the more advanced you are in your ‘flower arranging career’, the bigger the challenge we’ll expect from you. So, come on everybody! This is really an opportunity to put together something different – and contemporary. Design these days is all about that ‘shock factor’ and then standing back in admiration and thinking, ‘Now, why didn’t I think to do that?’
Again, we’ll meet at the Girl Guides Hall in Lourensford Avenue at 09h00 and follow the usual format – short chat, put up our work, indulge at tea and then discuss everyone’s arrangements. We’ll try to move the last section of the morning along as quickly as possible as I know that some of you find it a bit long and tedious – even though this is where we learn the most! Again, I’d like to encourage the Beginners in the group not to be overwhelmed by those ‘in the know’. You guys are our group’s biggest asset as you bring with you lots of fresh ideas – and, judging by the work you did in last month’s show, your talents are evolving beautifully.
Please be reminded of our local floral art demonstration ‘CAPE CAPERS’ which takes place at de Hoop school on the Old Stellenbosch Road on Saturday 24 May, 2008 at 14h00. Most of our group’s designers will be ‘strutting their stuff’ as we journey through some of the Cape’s ‘top spots’. Merle Christie, Marietjie de la Bat, Brenda Eksteen, Jeanette Hablutzel, Pam Harris, Judy Gray, Thelma Green, Kathy Potton, Suzanne Trafford and Kim Zimmerman will be interpreting such places as Kirstenbosch Gardens, Chapman’s Peak, Lion’s Head, Khayelitsha, the City Bowl, Grand Parade, Green Market Square etc. etc. It will be a great afternoon’s entertainment (so please encourage all your your friends to come along) followed by tea/coffee and some traditional South African food – koeksusters and melktert featuring predominantly! Tickets are only R50 which is an absolute steal. And, this is to raise some extra funds for the Italian designers who are coming out in November and who will really WOW us.
All of our club members received tickets for the above event along with last month’s newsletter. Please try to sell all of these – and more, more, more, if possible. The group has put a lot of effort into this and if it is poorly attended, it will be such a pity.
Other flower events in our region in May 2008:
Paarl Flower Club: listed ‘in the orange book’ as having a fundraiser on 10 May. Please phone Mareke Smit at (021) 863 2152 for further information as date and details were not finalised by W.C.A.F.A. meeting in April. (But, Paarl’s fundraising-dems are always fun to attend if you have the time.)
Durbanville Flower Club presents ‘Nature’s Treasures’ at Durbanville Shopping Centre
16 –18 May 2008.
Tygerberg Flower Club are having a flower festival in the Ned. Geref. Gemeente, Vrijzee.
14 –17 May 10h00 – 18h00. R20 (reduced to R15 if you are a pensioner) entry fee which includes tea/coffee. Twenty three scriptures will be interpreted in flowers around the theme, ‘God creates, God promises, God calls you.’
I have schedules for the Piketberg Show (6 – 9 August 2008) for all interested and also details of Trish Carter’s (from Eastern Cape) two workshops called ‘Contain Yourself’ which will be held on 12 June 2008 at the N.G. Church Hall, Stellenberg at a cost of R100 each.
I have promised to run a Beginners Course for all those interested (you don’t only have to be a beginner) at the end of June. I will chat to all of you at the meeting to find out how you would like to structure this course – whether we run it over four mornings as we did last year or whether we do two days (in which case it will spill into the afternoons). I’m looking at the week 23 – 27 June so please start thinking about which dates suit you. There is no charge for this course.
We are also relooking at the Winter School which was scheduled to run over two days. Increasing costs, especially around petrol, mean that we are considering doing this in one day as before and just ‘stuffing’ the time full with lectures, a mini demonstration and workshop. Any thoughts?
Anyway, I’ve certainly filled this letter with all sorts of ‘floral-ly’ things. Will see you all next Saturday with your ‘Harmonious Discords’! Go on everybody – get designing around some things that you wouldn’t ordinarily put together – try and make it work.
Lots of love to you all - KIM ZIMMERMAN (tel: 021 852 2656) Tight squeeze!
