Going with floral flow for worlds win
Seaweed and paua shells from Cable Bay and the imagination of Nelson floral artist Jan Holt saw her win a category in the ‘‘Olympics’’ of the hobby.
Holt, from Hira, won the ’’Ocean Treasures’’ class at the World Association of Floral Artists show in Barbados recently.
Her creation used seaweed she picked up on Cable Bay beach which she slowly baked in her oven over two days and spray painted pearly blue.
She packed the stylised seaweed and small paua shells in her suitcase along with wire, sticks and plastic straws.
The finishing touches, frangipani flowers, came from the garden of the New Zealand High Commissioner Jan Henderson in Barbados who hosted the New Zealand contingent for an evening function.
A tropical storm before the world show delayed the arrival of fresh flowers from the United States, making Holt’s preparation even more prudent.
In the competition it took four hours to assemble her design that had to be installed in a one-metre long box.
‘‘Everybody else’s ended up looking like an aquarium; mine looked like a wave,’’ she said.
As well as Holt’s first place, the 11-strong Kiwi contingent at the show also placed second and third in other categories, and three were highly commended.
Artists from 26 countries took part.
Holt also designed the honorary New Zealand installation at the show.
It was a triptych, using polystyrene fish packaging lids wrapped in flax paper, and featuring paua, pumice, ferns, flax, kina and the meuhlenbeckia shrub.
Local firm Fabriweld created the metal stand to support the exhibit.
Holt, who has been a floral artist for 20 years and is also the national president of the Floral Art Society of New Zealand, says anyone wishing to join a floral art group in the Nelson region should contact her on 03 545 0608 or 027 284 7716.