BACK TO MAP | BACK TO WIKI

Schaffer Designs
"WATERCOLOUR"

Committee Gleanings:

The inspiration was WATERCOLOURS (NO NOT A TYPO) as in pigment and used by some of the greatest artists: Van Gogh, Wyeth, Kadinsky, Szabo, O’Keefe, Turner and Blake.

They started considering design options before the close of the last flower show. However, the design exploded into a full concept in early September 2017.

They wanted to create something with a BIG impact on an audience the size of the Philadelphia Flower Show - A MURAL IN THE CITY OF MURALS. That is when they contacted the Mural Arts of Philadelphia who loved the idea.  After a series of question and answer sessions, they ended with five artists to work with. This process brought them into late November. They had to have their artists in place first to deliver the painting process and then the sculpture process before they could even consider the floral process.  The concept was to combine three distinct art forms into a single exhibit.  The mural artist Ryan Beck was used along with sculptors Joe Leroux and Ken Derengowski whose works would build a symbiotic relationship with the painted mural. Their plant material was then chosen for its color, lines and rhythmic capabilities in relationship to the mural and sculptures.

Their biggest challenges were choosing their design team, dealing with unions and scheduling lunch breaks with the very short set up time. They have discovered that experience, education, imagination and a great team of designer makes your design come together.

They have collaborated with Mural Arts of Philadelphia and a Miami firm that gathers the flowers from all over the world and ships them to their booth at the Flower Show.  The flowers come from multiple partners in Ecuador, Colombia, Miami, Hawaii, Thailand and Japan.

Their designers are from all over the US.  They travel at their own expense and their work is completely volunteer.  There will be thirty designers in total this year. Some of the designers have been with the team for 8-12 years.

There are 3,000 8 oz. and 12 oz. bottles that were individually hand-poured with a blend of paraffin and soy wax mixed with a color to add a water-like dripping effect to the design. Each series of bottles connected to the armature (sculpture) were hand-twisted with 12-gauge wire with exactly 4 full twists in between in order to guarantee a ¼ “gap between the bottles.

There are 10,000 stems of flowers being used for the opening of the show. They will refresh Tuesday evening with another 2,000 stems, and they will use another 5,000 stems for refreshing and maintenance until the end of the show.

The six 12-foot-long armatures weigh in at 40 lbs. each. The Mural is 128 feet long x 10 feet high = 1280 square feet.

Bill and Kris have written a book “Taking the Flower Show Home” based on their experiences at the Flower Show.  Bill and Kris were married on March 7, 2012. They had over 10,000 live witnesses as well as a million viewers on the FYI Philly special on ABC.  Their wedding cake was produced by the Cake Boss.

AUDIO TOUR: Stop 13 – Schaffer Designs
Narrator: Sam Lemheny

Kris Kratt and Bill Shaffer fell in love with each other and then, the Flower Show, literally and got married at the event.  Their union several years ago continues to produce great exhibits that enchant Show audiences.

This display uses three forms of art: painting, sculpture, and floral design to create a giant water based exhibit featuring more than 50,000 flowers.

The 128 foot-long mural was done in partnership with Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program. The piece, titled Watercolours, was created by Ryan Beck. Beck used full water-based acrylic. Two other artists, Joseph Lerioux and Ken Darengowsky created the organic sculptures that extend 1-6 feet out from the watercolor.

Each sculpture provides a photo opportunity. Find your favorite spot, point and shoot.

Whether it’s a single flower bud vase sitting on a table, or some big extravagant design by a professional, flowers, plants, and foliage are a true art form.

 

 

Exhibitor Description:

Color and creativity are united in WATERCOLOUR, a collective blending of three art forms: painting, sculpture and floral. Water and pigment merge, bringing paint to life. Mural Arts Philadelphia's Ryan Beck has created an abstract 1280 sq. ft. mural, teeming with the energy of unbound, colorful forms. Philadelphia-based, multi-media artists Joseph Leroux and Ken Derengowski have sculpted flowing armatures emerging from the mural. The Schaffer Designs' Team of floral artists, from across the United States, complete this fluid, collaborative floral art installation in a living, floral explosion of color..

Stop 13 – Schaffer Designs
Narrator: Sam Lemheny

Kris Kratt and Bill Shaffer fell in love with each other and then, the Flower Show, literally and got married at the event.  Their union several years ago continues to produce great exhibits that enchant Show audiences.

This display uses three forms of art: painting, sculpture, and floral design to create a giant water based exhibit featuring more than 50,000 flowers.

The 128 foot-long mural was done in partnership with Philadelphia’s Mural Arts Program. The piece, titled Watercolours, was created by Ryan Beck. Beck used full water-based acrylic. Two other artists, Joseph Lerioux and Ken Darengowsky created the organic sculptures that extend 1-6 feet out from the watercolor.

Each sculpture provides a photo opportunity. Find your favorite spot, point and shoot.

Whether it’s a single flower bud vase sitting on a table, or some big extravagant design by a professional, flowers, plants, and foliage are a true art form.

WANT MORE? Take THE DEEP DIVE into more detailed information!