Thursday, August 30, 2018

FLOWER WORKSHOPS SINCE AUTUMN 2017

EVERY FLOWER HAS A MEANING

flower arrangement at Måla and More workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
floral design by Satu in Måla and More workshop


It's almost autumn. Two days ago I was thinking what happened one year ago in my life and I remembered that September 2017 was a big month for me. It brings me very good memories. My first flower arrangement workshop happened in September Habitare 2017 at Asun magazine exhibition. It was wonderful gift from Asun magazine for the Habitare guests. A free flower workshop. We had a huge line of eager ladies and I only could take ten. I was quite excited maybe a bit nervous too and the time flew and suddenly there were ten flower arrangements ready to be photographed. So I think the past year went quite same way. Fast. A bit nervous. Eager. Restless. Happy.
 
flower arrangement for Johanna Gullichsen window photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
my flower arrangement for Johanna Gullichsen shop window in Helsinki


This past year has made me feel a bit overwhelmed. I've been asked to teach floral design, expecially arrangement in various places like in Asun+Anno home, Kultaseppä Kulmala, Måla and More, Johanna Gullichsen, H&M home. A good design and colorful diamonds with group of wonderful flower ladies - not bad at all. I'm more than happy about all these workshops.

Flower arrangement workshop in Asun+Anno home photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
flower workshop in Asun+Anno home in December 2017

Details at Kultaseppä Kulmala photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
details in Kultaseppä Kulmala


Kultaseppä Kulmala flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
my dear Fritillaria Persica
Arranging flower workshop is a project. It's a process that begins with planning and ends with cleaning the workshop. A lot of work in between. I never counted the hours I've spent in one workshop but it's a lot. I want that the workshop is so good that everyone is happy after the day. 

Kultaseppä Kulmala flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
in every workshop we take pictures because you have to have a record of your beautiful floral art

Every time is different. Every flower arrangement is different even though we all use same flowers. We are different. After every workshop I think how could I express my way of working better. The real and short version is - intuitive. But you can't teach people by saying "I like it this way. Someone asks "Why?" My answer could be "Well, I feel it and see it." Believe me I've been working hard to find the right words for the creative work with flowers. But it's quite same like in painting. Colors, texture, shapes and composition.

flower arrangement workshop at Måla and More workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
s set up at Måla and More before our flower students arrived





First one is always the hardest one or is it? I don't think so. Second one is the hardest one. To continue. When you begin from zero knowledge you are free of every rule. I think the best way to work with flowers is to keep it very relaxed. Never plan too tight what you are going to do because it's all about ingredients and they will direct you for sure. I could say I make big decisions when I choose flowers for the workshop. But when we are talking about flowers you can't promise certain flower with certain color because you might not get it. You always have to have a plan b. Flowers are also quite expensive material to work with.

flower arrangement workshop at Måla and More workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
blue flowers - I like, do you?

Colors, shapes and textures. I love to combine colors in quite bold way but I know that when I choose colors then I need more time to create the flower arrangement. I love the challenge - how to get all the colors together in harmonious way. And the important thing is time. You need time. You are surrounded by all the beautiful flowers and yes you should have time to enjoy it. It's important to have also a break. A pause. Part of creative work is learning when to take a pause. Take a few steps backwards, do something else. Drink coffee, walk or eat delicious food.

food by Meri-Tuuli Väntsi at työhuone ovi 10 photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
delicious lunch by Meri-Tuuli Väntsi at työhuone ovi 10

That brings me back to our workspace työhuone ovi 10. I have organized workshops there from the Autumn 2016. I organized my own flower arrangement and flower photography workshops first time in Mars 2018. 

I believe that all we do should make us feel good so in workshops there are beautiful flowers, photography, good food, beautiful natural light and time. I co-work with my lovely workspace colleague cook, food stylist and cooking book author Meri-Tuuli Väntsi. Can you imagine when you have worked almost two hours with your flower arrangement and you might be in a spot where you don't know what to do next? Then is the right time to forget the flowers and take a pause - and eat something! Talk with like-minded people. 

photography props at työhuone ovi 10 photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
when we photograph flowers we also have props

After lunch we continue with flower arrangement and when it's ready we begin to photograph. You photograph your own beautiful flower work with my help. We see the arrangement through the lens and make some adjustments because the world is different through the camera. You might need photos for your portfolio or you want to make an art photography print on your wall or maybe you just want to show your friends your floral art. But we also do it because it's good to photograph your arrangement before you leave the workshop because never know what can happen to it.

photographing at työhuone ovi 10 photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
learning manual exposure

I've been writing about flower arrangement workshops but I also arrange flower photography workshops where we go through very basics of manual exposure. It's worth to learn if you are planning to get better in photography. On that workshop day we don't make a flower arrangement but we photograph flowers with props. You learn bits of composition too. Manual exposure will open you a new view to photography. Finally you get your blur to the right place.

H&M flower arrangement photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
a flower arrangement for advertise H&M Club flower workshop

All you see here in this picture is done by a photographer. Developing your own skills in different things is always a good thing. I've noticed that painting has helped me to make better photos and it was easier to begin with flowers too - colors, shapes, textures. The most unpleasant feeling comes when you have a doubt that you can't do it. How can you know if you never try? You don't have to be the best - enjoying is enough reason to begin.

Floral crown workshop at Johanna Gullichsen photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
flower crown workshop at Johanna Gullichsen
Many of the students have been so happy and almost surprised about their arrangement or crown. Flowers are wonderful ingredient to make feel good art.

flower arrangement by Kristiina in my first flower workshop Asun magazine/Habitare
floral art by Kristiina

If you are still with me you are in the beginning. This flower arrangement was made in Asun magazine flower workshop in Habitare 2017. A lot have happened and I don't know what to expect from the next year. I'm a photographer and now also flower artist. Love the combo. I love photograph food and lifestyle  (and flowers of course !) and I love to make flower art.

flower arrangement for HelsinginSanomat story photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
flower arrangement for Helsingin Sanomat story in spring 2018

I'm very thankful for all the lovely stories about me in different magazines like in Helsingin Sanomat. They asked me to make this flower arrangement above with basic flowers from the flower shop. Ok, I added few mine special ones but still it's quite basic, haha.

flower arrangement we made together photo by Kreetta Järvenpää
flower arrangement done by 30 people

Thank you for reading my blog post and I want to wish you a wonderful autumn ! This pic above is from this year's Taiteiden yö in Helsinki. We made flower art together - 30 persons and look how it looks? Not bad? Quite bold and wild I think. That's good, don't you think?


floral art now flower workshop weekend photo by Kreetta Järvenpää


More information about flower arrangement workshop

More information about flower photography workshop

Welcome!


xoxo
Kreetta

Tuesday, August 7, 2018

SOMETIMES ONE PIC IS ENOUGH

FLOWER WORKSHOP AT H&M HOME


H&M home flower workshop photo by Kreetta Järvenpää

In the times of the pictorial glut it's even more important to understand the power of one photo. 

In July I had a chance to teach a flower workshop at H&M Home in Iso Omena for 2 wonderful groups of lucky members of H&M Club. This pic I styled and photographed for H&M for marketing these workshops. I also used it in my own Instagram feed and offered a chance to win 2 places in these workshops for my followers. I just love the idea of one photo but of course I had to take few and finally I used two pics in my feed. One when announcing the competition and one as a reminder pic.  ( and when I'm telling in IG about this post I will use the third one) 

Social media demands often more than one photo but there is a difference between enough and overload. Before I began my Instagram feed January 2014 I was very convinced that I don't need or actually the world doesn't need more of my pics but I was wrong. From Instagram I found very lovely community of people who I'm following now and we are having great conversations and plenty of useful tips have been shared and mindful thoughts too. I've got so many thankful comments and DM:s about my flower photography that it's been almost overwhelming.

Yes, my feed is full of flowers and (at the moment) Mama Haruki's kittens too. There are posts of food too but mostly flowers. I have over 14 000 followers and I'm very grateful of that and always happy to read all the comments. Maybe now I can call myself social media influencer. I've made few Instagram takeovers and I have to say I've enjoyed a lot making them. Love to tell this to you because I'm back at work and it's time to create something new and beautiful, don't you think? Something what we haven't seen before. 

One more thing. I was smiling today when I saw the cover of Vogue. There were huge flower headpiece and Beyonce. I had an art exhibition I See Color in January where I had huge floral headpieces. I taught flower crown workshop at Johanna Gullichsen shop in Helsinki in May and designed flower crowns for Supershe Island summer 2018 retreatsFlower crowns are made by Bukettmakaren. I guess we are not so far from each other anymore. The world and us.

xo
Kreetta
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