In the first two articles of my series on Ron Morgan's A Glass Act, I have shown you that it's within each of our abilities to create innovative and meaningful floral art for our own homes. In this final article of my three-part series, I will present an additional Morgan design plus share some of the designer's hints for creating your own successful and enduring floral sculptures.
As the wedding season is just about upon us, Ron Morgan has redefined the phrase "simply elegant," with his interpretation of the color white. Morgan has grouped a handful of tall, narrow vessels that have a defined hourglass shape, and poured just a teaspoonful of water in the bottom of each. Out of the millimeter or so of water, extends a single, perfect stemless calla lily. The shape of the vessel reinforces the softly cylindrical nature of the calla lily, and supports the graceful petal. In the center of each calla lily, stands a single, narrow white candle taper, that is approximately three times as tall as the lily bloom and twice as tall as the glass vessel. The magic of this arrangement is two-fold. Obviously, the height of the arrangement is striking, but I am truly enchanted by the interplay between the flickering candlelight, the sleekness of the design, and the hint of color (pale green) at the base of each calla lily. Morgan provides a truly economical, yet elegant means to provide ambience to any wedding!
A Glass Act tempts our senses and encourages us to step outside of our traditional notion of fresh flowers in our homes (a store-bought bouquet tossed into a vase of water). With few materials and a tight floral budget, we can create art that will be incorporated in our homes, our parties, and our lives. To make this venture more successful, author Ron Morgan concludes A Glass Act with his favorite tips on flower care. Several are listed below:
- Cut flowers in the morning, when the maximum amount of moisture is in the stem
- Use warm water -- at least room temperature
- Do not leave flowers standing in bright, direct sunlight, as they will wilt faster
- To ensure crispness, submerge large flowers, like hydrangeas and dahlias, in water for a few minutes
- Use oil of cloves or oil of cinnamon on the tip of a wooden pick, before inserting into fruits and vegetables. This will make them last longer.
Over the years, I have reviewed many tomes on entertaining, party design, floral centerpieces, etc., and I usually don't get overly excited about any one publication. That being stated, I can candidly say that A Glass Act has taken a priority spot in my own personal entertaining library!
Book information
A Glass Act by Ron Morgan, photography by Keith Lewis
Published by Half Full Press; 1814 Franklin Street, Suite 815, Oakland CA 94612
ISBN: 978-0-9719552-5-7
$34.95
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© Text by Janice Benoit. [February 2007]. All rights reserved. Any unauthorized use will constitute an infringement of copyright.
