Sustainable Floral Design. The sustainable future found in our history
€62.50Floral designers Per Benjamin and Max van de Sluis have flourishing individual careers as designers and educators, but next to that they still team up and travel the world as Life2 – a name that has grown into a brand over the years and stands for excellence and quality.
In this fact and inspiration filled book Per Benjamin and Max van de Sluis embrace the history of floral design and reuse, re-interpret and re-invent historical ideas and techniques to make present-day floristry more sustainable and less wasteful. The principles Reduce, Reuse, Recycle have been imprinted on everyone’s mind, but not as such in the floral craft. However, here as well they are beyond important and point the way forward towards the future of floral design.
The footprint of modern-day floristry is considerable, however ideas and techniques from the past can be the solution to help create a sustainable future for the sector. Max and Per go as far back as the Stone Age and Ancient Egypt to find out about flower use, techniques and materials. They show us how intricate floral designs were made without single-use, non-compostable or non-reusable materials, and how these often simple, but clever and inventive ways can be adapted and upscaled to create contemporary ‘greener’ floral design.
26,5 x 20 cm
208 pages, hard cover
English edition
978-90-5856-709-3
Ikebana. Opposites Attract
€65.00Our world is built upon the fusion of opposites going back and forth until they harmonise. Like the poles of a magnet, these antithetical concepts define each other and cannot exist without each other. Contrasts, opposites and differences keep life interesting – even though keeping a balance between two opposing forces is often difficult, especially when we understand that one cannot be achieved without experiencing the other.
Floral design, Ikebana in particular, is often a balancing act in itself. Ikebana pieces strive for harmony between straight and curved lines, a right balance between taking away and adding elements, between adhering to the rules and breaking them.
Opposites Attract uses the idea of opposition and contrast as a starting point. Starting from an antonym pair, more than 150 international ikebanists created inspiring and powerful arrangements expressing two opposing feelings and concepts. The multifaceted ways in which these contrasts were given shape, attest to the creativity and ingenuity of our artists and the sheer versatility of Ikebana.
29 x 24 cm
256 p, hard cover
English edition
Creativity with Flowers. A Collection of Floral Recipes
€65.00Acclaimed florists Per Benjamin (SE) and Max van de Sluis (NL) share their extensive knowledge in the field of floral art in this voluminous recipe book. Step by step they create bouquets, table decorations, arrangements with cut flowers and plants, wedding flowers, sympathy pieces, festive Christmas decorations and other impressive designs for the home. This book compiles all eight volumes of the popular (and sold out) series Creativity with Flowers. It covers a nice mix of commercial and artistic designs and caters both to the hobbyist and the professional. In addition to the hundreds of arrangements, both florists graciously grant us a peek behind the scenes, they explain their way of working, sources of inspiration, thought process and creativity to encourage the reader to do more than merely copy their arrangements. The ultimate goal of this book is not only to provide the necessary tools and techniques, but also to give florists the confidence to develop into artists with a personal style and a unique artistic personality.