Written by Bryan Swann

Art In Bloom has been a growing trend over the past few years, with museums opening their collections to floral designers who interpret the artwork through flowers. The DeYoung Museum in San Francisco, The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, and The Larz Anderson House in Washington, DC are just a few of the museums involved. Floral designers can choose to be literal or more figurative in their interpretations, creating stunning, temporary masterpieces.

Quilling is an art form that uses strips of paper that are rolled, shaped, and glued to create intricate designs. Its origins are somewhat mysterious, but it is believed that the technique began in China or Egypt with the invention of paper. The paper strips were initially wrapped around the quills of feathers, giving the art form its name. You can find some beautiful examples of this art form at Karin’s Florist with our wide selection of Quilling Gift Cards.

These creative concepts have inspired our summer window displays at Karin’s Florist.

Some of the Quilling Cards use significant artworks as inspiration to create beautifully quilled cards and art pieces. Some of these artworks include “Almond Blossoms” by Van Gogh, “The Scream” by Munch, “Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Seurat, “Luncheon of the Boating Party” by Renoir, and “Basket of Apples” by Cézanne. According to Quilling Cards, “Every card is a labor of love; each Quilling Card takes one hour to create by hand.” The larger art and gallery sizes can take more than 40 hours to complete.

For our window displays, I chose to feature “The Path through the Irises” by Monet, “Water Lilies” (1916-19) by Monet, and “Starry Night” by Van Gogh.

The Path through the Irises by Monet

With “The Path through the Irises,” I loved how the path meanders through the artwork. It draws you in… Where does it go? What is just beyond? I opted for a literal interpretation, first laying out the garden path and then arranging the flowers as if they were growing naturally. I clustered the flowers together and allowed some to spill onto the path, just as they would in a real garden. Come by and see where the path takes you.

Water Lilies (1916-19) by Monet

For the middle window, I chose “Water Lilies” (1916-19) by Monet. During my research, I discovered that Monet painted over 250 Water Lily scenes, constantly observing his pond under different lights, times of day, and seasons, always finding something new. I love this piece for they way the weeping willow frames the top and sides of the pond in this piece. I also wanted to create a sense of floating by suspending the water lily pond in the window.

Starry Night by Van Gogh

“Starry Night” by Van Gogh has always been a favorite of mine. I have always loved the way Van Gogh uses color to tell a story. For this interpretation, I chose delphiniums, which sway in the composition, to represent the broad brushstrokes that Van Gogh was famous for. Sunflowers stand in for the moon and stars, a nod to Van Gogh’s famous sunflower paintings. The cypress trees anchor the design, mimicking those in the painting.

Visit us to see these beautiful window displays, explore our Quilling Cards collection, and check out the fresh floral artistry in our cooler. If you’re interested in purchasing an Art Size or Gallery Size quilling piece, please inquire for pricing and availability.