Floral Art Theatre at its best for Daffodil Day

August 25th, 2011
[Review and photos by Val Armstrong]

Motueka Floral Art Circle members and friends demonstrated innovative techniques and created wonderful designs at the Daffodil Day theatre event held yesterday afternoon and evening at the Imagine Theatre.

"Ode to the Daffodil", in aid of the Cancer Society and timed to fit with tomorrow's Daffodil Day fundraising activities, is now an annual two-hour event which last year raised over $2000 during the afternoon and evening shows.

After Wendy Bishop's opening welcome, Shirley Frater and Lorraine Talley put the first designs together with lightning speed. Red dogwood branches made a fantastic backdrop to Shirley's design.

There was such variety in all the designs, with flowers used from roadside foliage made into a simplistic bouquet by Jenny to real live models sporting hats that should have been at the royal wedding instead of what was there. Shirley decided she would show the royals, especially the sisters, how to really get their hats right.

A young model showed us her outfit made from woven red flax, including hat, over-the-shoulder matching cape and clutch bag - stunning!! The other model showed us her hat made from flowers with a matching garland over her shoulder. (See photos below.)

Rosanne Armstrong, one of the guest demonstrators, started with twigs and bamboo representing the Great Wall of China, then added more textured foliage to complete her design. Her chatter certainly kept the audience entertained as she produced very professional designs.

The other guest demonstrator, Jan Holt, gave us memories of her first ballgown and used sticks as the shape for the dress with a heart-shaped top, then decorated it by filling it with yellow orchids. It really looked like an amazing ballgown. Her other design was tall sticks she had pruned from her plum tree; she lined the top like a carpet with foliage of wisteria and colour.

Pam did a "Reach for the Sky" design again using the red sticks from dogwood to start her tall creation.

We were reminded that Christmas wasn't far away when a metal candelabra was used, with a ball of rosehips used as its base. The theme was beautifully executed with the red and green flowers and trailing foliage.

There were organic designs, copper wire made finger-crocheted into a mesh form.

Shirley Lockhart read the well-known William Wordsworth's ode to the daffodil: "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud", plus a very humourous poem which sent the audience into peels of laughter.

As with last year there was a full house for the afternoon show. Of course, having the evening show to come meant that the team had to start all over again with their demonstration and exquisite designs.

Jan Riley from the Cancer Society thanked the team, and the sponsors - Imagine Theatre Trust, Anchorage Wines, Joyanne Easton and Mark Wentworth - for the wonderful show. She remarked on the amazing talents of the Floral Art Society that they give their time to help the Cancer Society. Just on $1900 was raised by the event. This was live Floral Theatre at its best.

The presenters [Photo from Shirley Frater]

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