Whitby Floral Art Club Designer of the Year 2008

‘From Stage or Screen’

Elsie Bramley was the inaugural winner of the Ann Barr Trophy for her winning entry ‘King Kong’ at the Whitby Floral Art Club Designer of the year competition. Elsie also won the prize for best use of colour.

The tall tower of the ‘Empire State’ building was represented by a Perspex cylinder enclosing fairy lights while dried Stachys byzantina (lamb’s ears) layered on dried oasis in a steel stand created another dimension. Bambusa (large bamboo), Cyperus involucratus (Umbrella sedge),pinned blocks of Araucaria heterophylla (Norflok Island pine) bark, cut Meryta sinclairii (Puka) leaves and Leucadendron argenteum (Silver tree) leaves formed the other ‘buildings.’ Dried roots of Zingiber (ginger) and black kelp overhung with Phalaenopsis (orchid) to depict King Kong completed this winning design.

The runner-up was Julie Burgess with her delightful design ‘My Fair Lady’.

The handmade hat and parasol of white satin with a black edging and plumes of black and white feathers was the basis of this design. Floral designs incorporating red Anthurium andraecanum (Tail Flower), red Dianthus caryophyllus (Carnation), Protasparagus densiflorus P meyeri (Foxtail fern) and a touch of Pieris floribunda (Lily of the Valley Tree)flowers, adorned both the hat and the parasol.

The Ann Barr Trophy for the most innovative design was awarded to Colleen Steele for her design ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ while Gill Mackersey received the award for best use of leaves in her design ‘Phantom of the Opera.’ Photos of the winning design and the runner-up have been received.