A gorgeous autumn floral arrangement inspired by the timeless beauty of a still life painting and the seasonal bounty Mother Nature is still gifting us. On this last day of October, we’re exploring “Still Life” in floral design…..
Still Life {noun} // often describing a work of art that shows inanimate objects from the natural or man-made world; such as fruit, flowers, dead game, and/or vessels like baskets or bowls. Essentially “Still Life” depicts pieces that are “still” and don’t move, yet appear as if they flow creating their own story. Still Life in any art form, can often be considered as “a depiction of the brevity of one’s pleasures, and of human life.”
Paintings celebrated the bountiful beauty and refined simplicity of food or voluptuous flowers, but they also featured a hint at how fleeting nature is. Wilting flowers, or leaves and petals that had naturally been eaten by insects — Still Life Floral Designs celebrate the imperfections and details of nature that showcase its evolution along the four seasons.
Gourds that have naturally begun their decay, with its colors aging and its corners showing the wear of the season past, now become gorgeous focal pieces for this autumn season. With a plethora of different shapes and colors, gourds are beautiful elements to use as your seasonal decor, and a “still life” design.
Homegrown gourds balanced and stacked alongside the tiniest garden daisies,
compose a bountiful still life.
Creating an intriguing floral still life arrangement, whether being photographed or painted, should retain one’s interest. An inspired composition may seem as if naturally or accidentally placed atop a table as such, but creating that visual intrigue within a still life design, does require at least the notion or idea of a story being told. The arrangement may tell a story by making a bold statement, or be an entirely self-contained and delicate world that creates a glimmer in someone’s day.
Like a transcendent piece of music, still life designs should have harmony. Essentially creating a sense of harmony within your piece is what I think makes Still Life Florals such a special design style. It’s that organic feeling of drawing one in for a reason not quite defined. To do this, you want to arrange objects as if they appear to flow into and support each other, like all the musical notes creating the complex melodies of a composition. If you remove any one of the notes— or elements — away, and the composition doesn’t captivate and leave an impact.
a defined focal point
movement — shapes & colors that create movement leading the eye to your focal point
rhythm—repetition of similar shapes & textures
contrast — distinct shapes, colors, textures & quantity of elements
set the mood for an intriguing visual harmony
creating your own floral still life…
Contemplate Color
Successful color combinations, are ones that have a slight unexpected twist that makes for an alluring mix of hues, even if subtle or muted. The miniature daisies, that have too begun slowly drying and withering when looked upon closely, had those delightful yellow hues still popping through. This pop complimented the creaminess of the gourds and linen used for layering, while bringing a lighthearted jovial feeling to the design.
Our eye is first drawn to the light earthiness from the gourds in the center, then to the serene paint strokes of the wall that resemble sandy shores, and finally down onto the brightly drying daisies. Complementary colors create harmony, as warm yellows and creams balance the cool greens. Playing with light and shadow is important, here the colors of the small flowers and gourd’s natural bruises dramatically stand out.
Consider Composition
Choosing containers/vessels or focal piece with character, is an integral part of creating a still life composition. Avoid vases that are clear, modern or too recognizable, as floral designs can easily become just a beautiful arrangement. In Still Life design the connection between the flowers and your container/focal piece with its surrounding environment is integral in creating your story. When choosing a vessel, I say choose something with a bit of individuality.
Create Movement
An important skill in any style of floral design, and creating in general, is to allow movement to occur as it naturally does. When a rogue bloom refuses to bend to your will . . . when a branch searches for something to support itself. Let these elements act according to their own nature. That glorious falling motion or the lovely swoop towards the sky, celebrate those natural movements for the sake of creating art. Encourage it. Sometimes movement in floral design, and yes still life, is all up to chance, so do not fight it. Embrace the innate curve of a tulip stem, or the way your gourds sit and balance onto each other. This random but beautiful occurring flow,. will create the movement in your flower arrangements to keep them bursting with life.
Choose a Shape
There are distinct shapes when working with flowers; like the Crescent, the Sphere, the Y, and the Hogarth Curve. If making a formal and structured floral still life arrangement, it’s essential to remember that its shape and movement go hand in hand. With your desired floral shape you can create a painterly effect, especially if using flowers with a natural shape that ebb and flow within any composition. Here I wanted to create the visual of forgotten gourds left within the overgrown bushes of daisies … one autumn gourd standing tall, the others using it, their weight and floral support to flow around it.
Add Texture
Texture can be introduced into a still life arrangement in several ways, either with flowers, fresh berries or produce, textured or aging foliage and of course the choice of vase/focal piece. Here the fresh tiny white petals slowly begin to discolor and wither, their leaves and stems drying brittle to touch. Their sharp edges a contrast to the smooth yet roughened gourd skin, and soft linen.
Gather your intimate autumn gathering essentials, place each piece atop a table alongside these gorgeous gourds and some dried stems organically nestled within. I envision candlelight, both low and high with neutral colored tapers — the warm comforting ambiance settling in.
Creating a “still life” floral design or styling requires elements that tell a captivating story of emotion, lighting and movement. Get inspired with these ideas that are airy and romantic, or dark and passionate.
One can effortlessly create the beauty of a still life painting with florals and cherished heirlooms found around your home! Hope this inspires you to create something special this holiday entertaining season…
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