PoHo Flowers

Mardi Gras Plumage

2012-02-27T22:44:00.004-08:00

Its Mardi Gras time and here at PoHo we are letting the vibe be our guide: flamboyant, colourful and over the top.

Its time to peer through the annals of Mardi Gras festival history, get ready to be inspired by costumes, decorations and theatrics that have excited festival goers in times past.

Ron Muncaster designed the costume to wear in the 1994 Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade.

Ron Muncaster is a prominent and award winning designer whose costumes appear time and time again in the Parade (we like him!). His first Mardi Gras was in 1979 and he has been creating elaborate costumes for the parade ever since. "Queen Sequina: The Life of Ron Muncaster", a documentary which was made about Ron in 2004, goes into detail about his life.

More eye-catching images:

A participant poses for a photo ahead of the Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade March 1, 2008. Sergio Dionisio/Getty Images

Poppy King Float, Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, 1999

(http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2010/03/20/199905_more-gossip-news.html)

Costume from Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade. Portrait from the Body Art Exhibition held at the Australian Museum in 2000.

Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras 2008

Pressing Love

2012-02-08T15:55:00.000-08:00

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching I have been thinking a lot about love. I have been considering love as inspiration, action, behaviour, passion and something that makes our hearts beat faster. How does love influence the ways that we live our lives?

I take this opportunity to introduce myself as the new blogger of PoHo. I am Tonia and I have worked at PoHo for the past year. It has been a pleasure having the opportunity to learn from Amalia who has many years of experience working creatively with flowers and natural materials. Amalia is currently following her heart and working on new and exciting projects elsewhere.

This week I have decided to profile a local Sydney artist who also follows her passion and whose work (I like to think) connects with love. Her name is Flutter Lyon. She is a multi disciplinary artist with a complex and impressive catalogue of work spanning live audio visual performance, fashion and costume design, illustration and print design. Lately she has shifted her focus to concentrate on conceptual work that is about pleasure, heart, and connections between joy, freedom and courage.

Flutter is the inventor of the Ink Pressing. This is a symmetrical form created using ink applied by syringe to French cotton paper. The process is gradual, the paper is folded and ink applied to one side only, the image is developed in stages, between each application of ink the paper is Pressed until the final form is revealed. The Pressing is often black and white, when she does use colour it is sparing and to great effect. Her pieces range in size from microscopic slides to large circular pieces, and even very large 4 meter images.

Something special which really appeals to me about Flutter's work is her Personal Pressing Session. In these two hour sessions you are invited to join Flutter in conversation that explores your personal courage, creativity, imagination, characteristics and beauty. As the conversation evolves she creates a stunning, abstract representation of the energy shared during the session. Flutter's personal Ink-Pressings are an emotional mapping of a moment in time. I find her images at once multi-faceted, quieting, thought provoking, adventurous and hypnotic, I could go on but the images speak for themselves, and to each viewer they appear differently.

Flutter Lyon Open Studio is located at 140 Regent St, Redfern, Sydney. Her studio is an inviting destination, meet Flutter in person, see her life sized works on display, and if you are lucky, walk away with a Pressing of your very own...

Nest and Tree house

2011-10-27T01:51:00.000-07:00

Lets first start with Gerard Moline, who created the 'nest house'.

Between a tree house and a nest, here a perfect example to start this new post.

Moline created the nest house in reflexion of the the idea of property. Why do we have the need possess things, why do we have to pay a rent to have a roof? Why like birds we couldn't just choose a place and set up a nest? Yes very idealistic views but it's always interesting to see how inspired are designers when it's about creating organic spheres that will help us to leave in peace with nature and far away from society criteria and obligations...

When we think about nest we automatically think of the beautiful Nils Udo art work. Nils Udo has been working with nature for decenies now, Nils Udo is an environmental artist. His motivation is to create art with only vegetal and organic elements, without causing any harm to the enviroment is working on.

Nils Udo create beauties with simplicity and respect.

Closer from the tree house idea, Porky Hefer created this nest with a strong metallic structure covered with woven branches.

A safe place out of the busy world...just you and the nature.

This is known as a Free Spirit Sphere and is suspended from the trees by rope. Created by Tom Chudleigh, Free Spirit Spheres are eco-friendly and combine tree houses with sailboat technology.

The Beach Rock Treehouse: Okinawa, Japan

This treehouse by Japanese builder Kobayahsi Takashi was constructed with the express purpose of communicating with outer space. "A sparkling beacon among treetops, it is easy to imagine the dome succeeding at its mission to make contact with alien life," writes Nelson.

Butterflies!

2011-10-13T02:23:00.000-07:00

Springtime is slow coming and the only thing I want to do is to lay down in the grass with butterflies flying around me...

So I thought lets post a post about butterflies!

Lets start by the very beautiful 'butterfly hat' created by Alexander McQueen, source of inspiration for a project I'm working on at the moment.

You have butterflies in your belly and when the feeling is passed they are rushing to your head...So feel light and happy reading the following!

Here the Monarch butterfly dress, designed by Luly Yang

In a different spirit, here the quiet provocative work of the French artist Sarah Garzoni

The butterfly obsession of the Mexican Carlos Amorales

Jo Whaley used taxidermised butterflies for his collages

And to finish, choose between: to catch butterflies...

...or setting them free!

The other Nick Cave

2011-09-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

This post is about an other very talented Nick Cave...

The Nick Cave I am about to introduce to you, is a fashion designer creating the most beautiful costumes. It's actually pretty hard to define a name for the beauties he creates, it's something between sculptures/ceremonial costumes/music instruments etc...

Nick Cave named his creations "Soundsuits'' after finding out that the first suit he made out of gathered twigs sewed one by one on a fabric costume was making the most amazing sounds when he wore it and dance with it.

He then decided to create a serie of 50 pieces with all sort of different materials, such as objects collected from the flea market, plastic toys, fake fur, raffia and many other recycled treasures.

The result is a very impressive collection of ''Soundsuits'' that was the object of an exhibition in 2006, in Chigago cultural center, but also the attraction for many performances, sometimes wildly and randomly made in the streets.

I am a big admiratrice of Nick Cave work and I deeply respect his creativity and specially the embroidery skills he's keeping alive from the old fashion french embroidery tradition, highly inspired by the Parisian school: Lesage

Nick Cave have an intimate understanding of the sensual dynamic of the human body and it's why his work is fascinating, cause he's not only making embroidery costumes he's making them thinking about movements and sounds.

Here few pictures of his work and a little movie will help to understand my fascination for his work.

Have fun...

Under water

2011-09-07T23:19:00.000-07:00

Lets go for a walk...under the water...

Under water photography have something out of magic, out of a strange imaginary world.
It's just silence and beauty.
Here for you a trip without gravity, all in delicacy and elegance.
I lead you thought few of my favorit ''under water'' photographers and their stunning art work.
Now Shhhh...take a big breath and imerge yourself in a silence world...

Let's start with Hana Al Sayed beautiful underwater portraits.

Hana Al Sayed, underwater portraits

Alix Malka, photographed beautiful fashion under water...

Zena Holloway is propably the first who start making underwater fashion pictures, she's got a very particular way of creating under water universes, from under-sea fairytales.

And the very ''tonic'' Ruud Baan Photographies...

Tiens v'la le printemps...

2011-09-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

Here we go, we've been begging for him to arrive and here he comes...Springtime!
And to imerge us in the mood, here the beautiful animated film, Fantasia from Walt Disney created in 1940.

Springtime dance...

2011-09-01T01:18:00.000-07:00

Feel the spring coming and celebrate with a dance!

Yasumasa Morimura

2011-09-01T00:02:00.000-07:00

I've always been a big fan of Frida Kalho, the artist and the women. I'm fascinated by her personality, beauty, strength and creativity.

Few years ago when I started working with flowers I had the idea to recreate some of her paintings with natural elements, plants and leaves, a sort of tribute to the beauty and lushness of the backgrounds she painted but also to the colourful and beautiful flowers she wear in her self-portraits.

It's by doing few researches on her work that I heard about Yasumasa Morimura.

Morimura is a Japanese ''appropriation artist''.

To tell you the truth, Yasumasa Morimura art make me feel a bit uncomfortable but I found his Frida Kalho reproductions pretty interresting.

Not too sure what Frida would have think of that, have a look and judge for yourself!

All in the golden afternoon...

2011-08-18T03:22:00.000-07:00

Each flower has a true personality and talent...Enjoy this piece of gold!

Florale Basis

2011-08-18T03:07:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to show you few pictures from an interesting book.
''The Florale Basis materialen'' from Rita Van Gansbeke.

Funny ans poetic little creations, we can flair the Dutch background...

C'est la ouate!!!!

2011-08-18T02:17:00.000-07:00

A very special treat from the french 80's, a song I grew-up with.
Here specially for the hair style...Have fun!

Still life

2011-08-11T04:11:00.000-07:00

"Still life"... What a good transition after I've been talking about food and flowers in the last post.

Lately, while I was reorganising paper work, pictures, letters and mail at home I found some postcards bought years ago in Amsterdam when my sister use to live in Holland.

I've been keeping those postcards like little treasures, they are for me obviously memories of my time with my sister, visiting Europeans museums, but they also are a source of inspiration. I could look at those paintings for hours and hours.

I'm fascinated by their floral composition: the movements of the stems, the combination of colours, the smallest details... such as butterflies, bees, worms...the symbolism behind each painted object...

Here you go, you understand now that I'm talking about Dutch Painters' Still life from the 17th century.

I'm now going to share with you some of my favourite ones.

To start a very simple one, the beautiful strawberries, I specially love he composition of this painting, it's so simple and perfect.

The edge of the table, with just a delicate and beautiful strawberry fruit flower. Symbolism of the different stage of the plant maturity and of the time passing by...

Adriaan Coorte (1665-1707)
Still life with strawberries

This one is very special :When i was at the museum, I had the exhibition guide with me, so I was reading the story of each painting while contemplating the art work. Without the guide explanation I don't know if I would have realise that you can see in the vase the reflexion of the artist studio window, have a look closer it's a pretty magical moment...

Jan Davidsz de Heem (1606-1684)
Floral still life

And this for the blue ribbon and the watch, symbol of the time that goes...The notion of time in still life is represented by many different elements, skulls, watch, butterflies, fruits and flowers rotting and dying.
In the 17th still life are a representation of life and death, showing the effect of time on natural element was also a philosiphical way to disert about the human condition and the short time of life.

W.Van Aelst (1627-1683)

Rachel Ruysch, Still life

Now I want to share with you the amazing work of Andrew Putter and specially his Flora Capensis serie, directly inspired from the 17th century still life showed above.
For this serie, Putter used only native plants and flowers from South Africa, in order to celebrate the Cape's indigenous natural heritage but also in order to create a reflexion about colonisation and to remind us the roots of Africa.
His work is beautifully aesthetic but very political too. Behind each of his pictures a message stand: to remember your country history and to respect its indigenous past.
Here pictures of the beautiful arangements of natives made for the Capensis Serie (I would love to meet the florist!)

These are pictures!

Hottentot Holland: Flora Capensis 2

Hottentots Holland: Flora Capensis 4

Hottentots Holland: Flora Capensis 6

Have also a look of a serie of portraits he did after the Flora Capensis, named: African Hospitality
It's pretty amazing!

Carpe Diem and see you next time...

Flowers and Food

2011-07-26T23:04:00.000-07:00

It's after seeing the documentary "EL Bulli, work in progress'' that I thought writing and illustrating a post about flowers and food.
El Bull i is a Spanish restaurant famous for his 3 Michellin Stars with at his head a very creative and talented chef: Ferran Adria
Ferran Adria is known as the master of Molecular gastronomy or we can also say he's the one who made Molecular food popular by publishing many books and DVD.
Ferran's job is to play with our senses, like an unconditional lover he wants to surprise us constantly with amazing creations.
He is working on new menus every seasons, innovating and creating new textures, flavours and combinations.
It's a lot about chemistry buy mainly it's a passional relationship with food.
So, throw away all your references, basics and traditions cause here nothing looks like something you eat before, you are going to lose yourself into a world of colours, smell, taste, shape and even sounds!
Bon Appetit!

When I make flowers I feel a little bit like a cook, I choose the best material to arrange together colours, textures and scents...just as if I was making a summer salad! I've always thought flowers and food had a very close relationship, when you smell a flowers you can almost taste it!
Also all the florists I met along the years were really fine cooks and massive food lover.
So here few examples to satisfy your food craving and your aesthetics flowers standards.

Edible flowers have been rolled in those handmade pasta.

El Bulli, Flower salad

Peach carpaccio and crystallised rose petals

Beetroot and rose

Fairy floss with flowers

You will find great recipes on this very interesting blog Kitchen caravan, and specially a video showing how to make lilac yogourt and dandelion oatmeal cookie.
I love how Ellen, passionated food blogger show us how to go pick up lilac in central Park to honor her recipe.

And because we don't want your culinary experiences to turn into drama, here the Edible flowers chart to help you choosing the best flowers for the appropriate recipe.
Keep in mind to use flowers who didn't receive any chemical treatment.

Edible flowers, Supermarket packaging

I can't resist to put here the link for a blog that I specially love. the creator is a very cute girl making the most beautiful pastries with very good explanations and lots of step by step pictures. Everything she does look beautiful and you feel like you can make it yourself, which is really good.
Dailydelicious blog, check out her amazing Charlotte aux fraise.

See you next time!

Cartier...red, red, red!

2011-06-19T05:03:00.000-07:00

Here are a few behind-the-scenes pictures of our last big event, the opening of the new Cartier Boutique in Sydney.

Very red and very VIP... each arrangement count around 300 heads of roses!

The concept was to give the impression to guests that they were entering into a jewellery box and so the front of store was transformed in the famous Cartier Écrin.

Outside everything was red; the light, the carpet and the flowers. Inside the light was bright and pure like a diamond, decorated with 500 white roses.

Photoshoot: Organic Accessories

2011-06-15T05:28:00.000-07:00

Among all our many brilliant collaborations we always love the chance to work with the talented photographer Kelly Geddes, who is responsible for all the images on the PoHo website.

We are often sharing new ideas and concepts together and this is the fruit of the most recent photoshoot we worked on.

Adhiel beautiful smile!

Hydrangeas "fraise''

Leafy necklace

The main idea was to create organic pieces that could be worn as jewellery or fashion accessories.

We found inspiration in Hans Silvester's beautiful book: Natural Fashion: Tribal Decoration From Africa.

... and also from the very complete and interesting blog Bijou Contemporain.

Please take a little moment to look at the pieces created by Catherine Clark Gilbertson, who finds inspiration in nature to realise amazing sculptured jewellery.

Catherine Clark Gilbertson, Akanthos neckpiece

Also have a look (still on the same blog) to the page dedicated to la fraise (in English 'the strawberry'), which is the name for the big white collar that women and men used to wear in the 16th century as a fashion statement.

I find fascinating to see all the different versions of it created by a number of very talented designers. Here few examples:

the original fraise

Katherine Wardropper, fraises

Michelle Sotolongo, Pod Necklace (paper)

Welcome to Poho

2011-06-01T05:30:00.000-07:00

To introduce the team, i found some little Valentine's day treasures.

Tim...

Charlotte...

Tonia...

And me, Amalia...