CFAofA

Seminar 2006

The 2006 Seminar was a time for flowers and art to come together in an annual event that draws floral designers for a weekend of study, sharing and the enjoyment of seeing old friends. Friendships were formed as we gathered at The Florida Mall Hotel in Orlando to explore advanced creative Americal floral design. Each year the designs and the design programs become more innovative....firing the imagination and inspiring everyone to new levels of creativity.

A Pre-Seminar Workshop was conducted by guest designer Hitomi Giliam, of British Columbia. An enthusiastic group met to learn from Hitomi, who is on the cutting edge of floral design, and teaches around the globe as a sought-after speaker/designer. The Workshop Committee provided some plant materials and components, and the designers brought some materials of their own choosing. Hitomi had everyone draw up their chairs, and spoke at length, then released everyone to create their own designs. She taught on armatures, a "hot topic" in the floral design world today.

The Seminar Gets Underway...
On Friday evening, everyone gathered for a cocktail reception to preview the "Kaleidoscope" designs - an array of fantastic designs placed on the mezzanine of the hotel. Done by CFAA members, some of the most talented designers in the nation, the designs were dramatic and thrilling....with components that were often new, and/or used in a new way. This was a stunning display of talent that seems to get better and better each year.

A delicious banquet followed the reception/preview, and then Hitomi Giliam dazzled the audience with a presentation of the true artistry of floral design. Her approach to her art has lifted the art of floral design to new heights. As she said, she has "an innate passion and reverence for the spirit of flowers and nature" and this is evident in her work. She said, "The world of art is my inspiration." Hitomi has been a groundbreaking designer in her field, and her program put forth new ideas and design techniques that gave us all food for thought. Her program was entitled "Artflor" and she held the audience in rapt attention as she explained her approach to the art of creative floral design in the 21st century.

Shopping, What Fun!
Commercial Sales is a big part of the CFAA Seminar experience, and the vendors did not disappoint! The specialized, hard-to-find mechanics, components and materials that are necessary for creative design, were on display in abundance. Containers, metal sculptures, decorative and the many items used by our designers were for sale throughout the Seminar and we took advantage of this opportunity to obtain those hard-to-find items. After shopping and taking photographs, the evening wound down as a buzz of excitement filled the room. Everyone chatted, discussed the designs, and slipped away for a night of rest following a satisfying day.

A DAY OF DESIGN ...
The Seminar continued on Saturday with a full day of design, shopping and sharing! Cindy Rieger of Florida presented a fantastic program in the morning, entitled "Follow The Line" and this talented designer, who studied under Bob Thomas, held the audience in the palm of her hand as she created one fabulous design after the other! She stated that her wish is to stimulate others to find satisfaction and enjoyment in floral design as she does. Cindy is a perfect proponent of Bob's rule of "Restraint, Restraint, Restraint" and the purely architectural beauty and boldness of her designs was a delight to behold, with a clarity of line that gave them a powerfully bold and dramatic impact.

After Lunch, we enjoyed a program entitled, "Surprise - Surprise - Surprise " with a group of volunteers from the audience creating designs using materials that were assigned to each of them. They had not seen the components prior to the program. This designer's "challenge" was great fun for both the designers and the audience. The results were outstanding! After the program, we had a bit of time for shopping, napping, touring the area, or whatever seemed appealing.

Soon, it was time for dinner, on our own, and we again convened to see a marvelous program entitled, "Artist's Concepts". The program was given by a talented group of designers who belong to the "Carolina Atelier", led by Bobbi Heenan of Hartsville, South Carolina. Bobbi is a Floral Design Instructor for the National Garden Clubs, Inc. and has assembled a dedicated group of floral designers from five states who meet twice a year in Hartsville. Each meeting focuses on the lives and works of an artist, from the Old Masters to contemporary artists. They "translate" these works into floral designs. We learned about the lives and times of the artists whose works were being interpreted, and some of the floral designers wore costumes of the period. It was truly MAGICAL, and we went away with an incentive to visit anew the museums, galleries and art shows in our areas for inspiration, and a plan to study in a fresh way the works of the great artists, with a view to creating floral designs to encapsulate their genius. What a way to end a great day!

The Excitement Continued...
A designer from Florida, Carol Lucia, gave a design program on Sunday morning entitled, "Floral Fantasy". Carol created designs that were unforgettable in their creativity and imaginative flair. She used interesting containers and materials, and the time she spent studying under Bob Thomas was readily apparent with her expertise and vision. She has held many titles and jobs in her garden club work, and has many honors as a designs, having been featured in both state and national calendars. She works long and hard to promote creative design around the state of Florida and the Southeast. She is in demand as a teacher, designer and judge. Carol's designs have graced the cover of the Florida Arrangement Calender, as well as The National Gardener magazine. She often chairs the Florida State Flower Shows, and her hard work has been truly appreciated in this area! Her designs made the audience want to stretch and grow as designers....and she made it look easy!

An afternoon program featured a Design Program by Sue Kerslake, from Oregon. Sue's program was "Retirement With Garden Club Style" and it was truly entertaining and enlightening! Sue is a "Florida gal" who moved to Oregon following her marriage. Though the Florida folks thought she had been lost to the West Coast, we find that she will be moving back to Florida! Her mother, Joan Pryor, is a former president of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs. Sue's talent has been amazing, and all who have seen her programs and her design work have been awed by her skill since she first began designing. She is in demand to give programs, and often pairs up with Lorraine Gabler. We have learned much from this "dynamic duo"! Sue worked for Disney World in Orlando prior to her marriage and retirement. Her program centered around interpretations of this transition in her life, and we were dazzled by her imagination in illustrating these "milestones" in her life.

WRAPPING IT UP ...
In all aspects, the Seminar was fantastic! The hard work of the entire team who did the preparations for Seminar 2006 was readily evident. Everyone went home with new ideas, fresh inspiration and a host of memories to savor. All too soon, the Seminar came to an end......and we look forward with anticipation to Seminar 2007.

CFAA will be moving the Seminar to a new hotel, the Marriot at the Orlando Airport. We look forward to this exciting move, and to a new venue. We will be enjoying new amenities and options, as we enjoy our Annual Seminar.

THE 2007 SEMINAR will be held at Marriott Orlando Airport Hotel on February 22 - 25, 2007. The hotel phone number is (407)851-9000 [For reservations, call 1-800-380-6751]. MARK YOUR CALENDAR and MAKE PLANS NOW TO ATTEND. See you there!!

Notes of Interest...
Pertinent information for the Seminar will be posted to the website, and will be in our newsmagazine, Design Dimensions, published twice yearly. Membership in CFAA entitles one to receive the magazine. We also try to keep members informed with periodic Online Newsletters from Jan Sillik, our Internet Coordinator. We now have a new brochure that is available to give information about CFAA and how to join. Anyone who wants a brochure need only contact us.....our Treasurer or Membership Chairman will happily send one out.

Further Information .....
For further information, and for photos of the design from Seminar 2006, cruise the website. We cordially invite anyone who's interested in creative floral design to join our unique organization. We welcome feedback, ideas and articles. CFAA is truly unique, and is America's premier Creative American Floral Design organization. Members are friendly and welcoming...if you are an avid floral designer, you will surely learn a lot, and enjoy becoming a part of our wonderful organization.

LET US HEAR FROM YOU!

-Jan Sillik
Editor, Design Dimensions & Website Coordinator

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