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Nine fabulous blooms compose the garland, most of them drawn from previous floral compositions of mine. I borrowed a sunflower from my most successful design, Tribute to Vincent, and a morning glory from a Santa decorated with that flower. A single lily was taken from my design called Lilies of the Field, and an Iris from Irises from my Garden. I even used a hibiscus from an unrealized design for a Santa. Then I found an old design for an or nué rose done by my dear friend Jean Taggart, and in her honor I added that to my composition, although mine is not worked in that technique. The circle was completed with a plumeria, or frangipani, and a calla lily; the circlet is anchored with a water lily, all flowers I have come to love from my travels.
I really did this design for two reasons; it is the expertise piece for my Master Teacher certification at NAN, but it also reminds me of designs and places, and in the case of Jean, of people that I love The biggest challenge was arranging the flowers in a pleasing oval—and then getting my framer to have the nerve to actually cut the canvas to insert the mirror.
