Basic Design "At Home With Flowers"

UNIT 4   Fruits & Vegetables     class notes, page 1           PDF of Class Notes Unit 4

• Tease the eye and tempt the palate
• Appeal in the pocketbook because it can be used as food later
• Offers a wide variety of forms and textures to work with
• Seasonal interpretation possible.

• many shapes and textures
• choose fresh, free from blemishes, slightly green lasts longer
• test for firmness
• avoid cutting
• determine lasting quality of specimens
• your design may be either fruit or vegetable, or a combination. Best effect is usually when you stick with one or the other.
• may be combined with flowers and/or foliage
• combination of materials must be harmonious

III.  Planning an arrangement

• Mainstays: cabbage, eggplant, pineapple, small pumpkins and large squashes.
                  1. have good form, color and lasting qualities
                  2. basic to designs because of their size and interesting shapes
                  3. provide a foundation for fastening other materials
                  4. establish height and focus
• Round-medium-sized group:  apples, artichokes, avocado, beets, bell peppers, coconut, kohlrabi, mangos, papaya, pears, persimmons, pomegranates, squash, turnips, red and yellow onions.

• For Height: carrots, corn, cucumbers, sweet peppers, horseradish root, parsnips, red or green bananas, yellow squash and zucchini.

• Clusters: smaller fruit and vegetables - brussels sprouts, cranberries, cherry or kidney beans, garlic, grapes, kumquats, limes, mushrooms, nuts, okra, radishes.

Cluster elements can be strung on wire or bunched and used

- to cascade over the lip of a container to soften the edge

- to rest on a base as transition to the design

- to fill spaces left by uneven shapes.

Remember: Each shape has a particular function - cylindrical for height, round for weight and center of interest.  Any vegetable that combines two shapes (turnip) is good for transition.

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