The de Young This Week: Bursting With Art — And Flowers

At the de Young Bouquets to Art show, Kren P. Rasmussen of Bloomster's interprets Diebenkorn's, Berkeley No. 3, 1953. Photo by BF Newhall — At the de Young Bouquets to Art show — Kren P. Rasmussen of Bloomster’s playful comment on Richard Diebenkorn’s, “Berkeley No. 3, 1953.” I like the way this arrangements lets you see the painting through it, while elaborating on the painting. *Photo by BF Newhall*

By Barbara Falconer Newhall

Art. Bouquets. More art. More bouquets. And crowds and crowds of people. My idea of a good time. I spent the day yesterday at the annual Bouquets to Art show at the de Young Fine Arts Museum in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park — joined by two friends who enjoy flowers and art as much as I do.

Kaori Imaizumi of Blooming Floral Design, Inc., created a floral design for Henri's "Lady in Black with Spanish Scarf." Photo by BF Newhall — Kaori Imaizumi of Blooming Floral Design, Inc., captured the mystery of Robert Henri’s “Lady in Black with Spanish Scarf.” I love this painting; I want to be her. *Photo by BF Newhal*l

The show runs through Sunday, March 23. Don’t miss this chance to see how San Francisco Bay Area floral designers interpret pieces in the museum’s collection. The designs run from opulent, to funny, to sublime to knock-out gorgeous.

For those who can’t make the show, here are some highlights. My favorites are the designs that are meant to be looked at along with the piece they’re paired with, so that together they create yet another work of art.

From Fantasy Florals of Fairfax, CA, a floral comment on Andy Warhol's "Marilyn Monroe I Love Your Kiss Forever Forever" Photo by BF Newhall — Fantasy Florals’ flashy, lipsticky comment on Andy Warhol’s “Marilyn Monroe I Love Your Kiss Forever Forever.” *Photo by BF Newhall*

From Waterlily Pond Floral Design Studio, San Francisco, an aeriel design of twigs and red blossoms. Photo by BF Newhall — From Waterlily Pond Floral Design Studio, a huge, swirling aerial design of twigs and blossoms hangs from the ceiling of Wilsey Court. *Photo by BF Newhall*

Detail, a tulip, of floral designer Judy Cochran Ward's response to Hitchcock's "Tulip Culture" for Bouquets to Art show at De Young. Photo by BF Newhall — A tulip from floral designer Judy Cochran Ward’s pastoral response to George Hitchcock’s 1889 painting “Tulip Culture.” *Photo by BF Newhall*

A yellow cala lily, a detail of floral design by Takako Ikebana Studio for Bouquets to Art at the de Young, Photo by BF Newhall — A detail of a floral design by Takako Ikebana Studio: a simple calla made elegant by the addition of a spig of texture. *Photo by BF Newhall*

Rhonda Stoffel created a bouquet of white anthuriums in response to Alexander Pope's black and white painting of dead swan. Photo by BF Newhall — Rhonda Stoffel created a stark bouquet of white anthuriums and black leaves in response to Alexander Pope’s dead swan. *Photo by BF Newhall*

Catherine Matsuyo Tompkison puts last touches on floral design reflecting Sean Scully's "Wall of Light Horizon, 2005." Photo by BF Newhall — Catherine Matsuyo Tompkison of San Jose touches up her design for Sean Scully’s “Wall of Light Horizon, 2005.” This was one of my favorites at the show: the red sticks seem to float, repeating the subtle horizontal red lines of the painting. *Photo by BF Newhall*

Church Street Flowers spherical bouquet for Bouquets to Art Show at the de Young. Photo by BF Newhall — A golden sphere of blossoms from Church Street Flowers. Delicious color upon color upon color. *Photo by BF Newhall*

For Bouquets to Art at the de Young, Constance Oakson of the Empire of Flora, Los Altos, created a melange of textures for James Budd Dixon's"Untitled, 1947-1948." Photo by BF Newhall — Constance Oakson of the Empire of Flora, Los Altos, created a melange of textures for James Budd Dixon’s equally textured “Untitled, 1947-1948.” *Photo by BF Newhall*

Bouquets to Art show at the de Young Fine Arts Museum, San Francisco showing room of glass and ceramic art with floral arrangements, including glass by Dale Chihuly, top right, and bouquet by Bonnie Hart.. Photo by BF Newhall — The de Young glass and ceramics gallery includes Dale Chihuly”s blue and orange “Ultramarine Stemmed Form with Orange,” top right, with bouquet by Bonnie Hart. *Photo by BF Newhal*l

An austere floral design of calas and leaves reflects Robert Motherwell's painting, "At five in the Afternoon, 1950," at the Bouquets to Art show at the de Young. Photo by BF Newhall — Im Chan Cindy Ho’s austere floral design of leaves, callas and hydrangeas frames Robert Motherwell’s painting, “At Five in the Afternoon, 1950.” Like Catherine Matsuyo Tompkison and Kren Rasmussen’s designs above, this arrangement works with the painting to create a new and pleasing whole. Photo by BF Newhall

An orange and yellow cymbidium flower, a detail from Bloomster's Kren P. Rasmussen's floral design to accompany Diebenkorn's painting, "Berkeley No. 3" at Bouquets to Art show. PHoto by BF Newhall — Cymbidium from Bloomster’s floral design, above. *Photo by BF Newhall*

Comments

Anne Pardee says

March 21, 2014 at 10:22 am

We were there at the same time and I missed you – lots of folks oohing and aahing though. I was there with my daughter, Jaime Brunetti, a local floral designer “on leave” with 2 babies. You took wonderful pictures! Hope to see you soon, your Tri Delt “sister” Anne

- Barbara Falconer Newhall says
  
  March 21, 2014 at 7:22 pm
  
  Anne, There were a *lot* of people at that show. I mostly had eyes for those beautiful flowers — you could have been standing right next to me and I’d have missed you!
  
Marsha Diane Arnold says

March 21, 2014 at 7:42 am

These are wonderful, Barbara. I’m so glad I had that memory card because your photos came out much better than mine. Lovely!

- Barbara Falconer Newhall says
  
  March 21, 2014 at 7:18 pm
  
  Marsha — I have to admit that I’m one of those people who takes tons and tons of pictures — 587 in this case — in the hopes that I’ll luck out and have a few really good ones in the mix. And some credit has to go to my trusty Canon point and shoot, which can see in the dark. I’ll bet you caught some good ones, too. And thanks for the loan of the chip, btw. But
  
Jache says

March 21, 2014 at 3:53 am

Thanks for this, Barb. It has two immediate associations for me: the wish to know what is current at the DeYoung, which I never visited but regularly heard about and often studied objects in their African collection; and, thanks to you, am reminded that my father ‘always’ went to the ‘Flower Show,’ unaccompanied by me. I always admired the presence of flowers but was never much at putting them there. It must take a certain sensibility that for me does not extend much beyond the appreciation. I will have to think about that.

- Barbara Falconer Newhall says
  
  March 21, 2014 at 7:14 pm
  
  Jache, If there were no people like you who like to look at flower arrangements, most of the fun would be lost to people like me who love to go out into the yard — or the woods or the weedy empty lot — pick a few flowers and seed pods, bring them home, and try to make some sense of them.
  
Jean Gallagher says

March 20, 2014 at 9:23 pm

Great job with the pictures, Barbara. Beautiful!

- Barbara Falconer Newhall says
  
  March 20, 2014 at 10:23 pm
  
  Thanks, Jean. What a great day — all that art, all those flowers, all that fun conversation.

Reader Interactions

Comments

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply Cancel reply