Not Since the 1960s!
Can you imagine! Not since the late 60s has a new book on judging floral design been published in the United States.
Enter: “A Fresh Look at Judging Floral Design” by Hitomi Gilliam AIFD and Kathy Whalen AIFD.
Flower designers pursue a never-ending quest for beauty and excellence. They constantly evaluate their work to see ‘if this flower placement is at the ideal angle’ ‘if, when that line is elongated, it intensifies emotion and tension,’ etc.
Gilliam and Whalen use a fresh unprecedented approach to guide arrangers, teachers and judges regarding important aspects of floral design and judging. Though it has many pictures, the book is subject-matter oriented. They provide rich and innovative content that is not found elsewhere. The book is subject-matter oriented and incorporates hundreds of images to make the book’s message more meaningful.
The book’s audience is anyone who loves flower arranging. If they want to do it better and acquire a 21st century perspective on arranging and judging, this book has the breathe of knowledge to propel them forward. It is intended for groups at all skill levels such as hobbyists, vocational school students, World Skills youth, students of design, garden club members and professional designers. Judges and teachers will appreciate the carefully researched content that introduces powerful and progressive insight for explaining and evaluating today’s designs.
Unlike how-to books, “A Fresh Look at Judging Floral Design” demonstrates why arrangements work and don’t. Its graphic presentation makes the content reader-friendly. The 464-page book is filled with 338 full-color images and includes 20 charts, 39 exercises, a wealth of checklists, a dictionary and an annotated list of resources. There is also a CD with 25 images for practice-judging, more than 1000 botanical and common names as well as extensive vocabulary lists for creating expressive critiques. It is a contemporary resource designed for personal growth.
The book is written by two highly regarded flower industry professionals. Both are award-winning designers with impressive credentials who are tops in their field. They have created an innovative reference for an audience that is thirsty for information beyond beautiful pictures.
“Destined to become the standard reference icon for years to come.” is how Jim Johnson, AAF, AIFD, TMFA, Distinguished Lecturer and Director Emeritus, Benz School of Floral Design of Texas A&M University puts it.