Congratulations to the participants and WINNERS of this year’s Art in Bloom!
OMAA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2023 Art in Bloom. Thank you to the 530 people who voted on this People’s Choice award, to the 600+ visitors to OMAA over Art in Bloom’s run, the fabulous hat wearers, and to the 14 designers who created the beautiful displays. A HUGE thank you to Landscape Designers Carol Woodman and John Prendergast for their incredible work in OMAA’s gardens. They have maintained, grown, and designed OMAA’s gardens and grounds for over 27 years.
Tied for first place were Patricia Lomando and Audrey Grumbling.The second place winner was Susan Haynes. See below for more information on their winning designs.
OMAA is incredibly grateful to Haven Homes + Lifestyle, without whom Art in Bloom would not be possible.
FIRST PLACE: Patricia Lomando’s design responded to Charles Woodbury’s painting Narrow Cove, Black Figure Yellow Cap.
Designer’s Statement: The Figure wades in the waves, clothed in full-length wool swimming garments. The path underfoot is not visible. Surrounded by unforgiving bouldered shorelines, the figure is committed to their trajectory. I chose to create a Moribana arrangement to interpret this piece. Moribana is a style of Ikebana, a Japanese flower arranging practice. Moribana uses a shallow container and kenzan frog) to anchor slanting branches, leaves and flowers, creating movement.
Primary Plant Materials: Silver Dollar Eucalyptus, Celadine Poppy Pods, Dried Thimbleweed Pistils, Driftwood or Branch, Fothergilla Leaves, Native Blueberry, Protea, Rex Begonia “Escargot,” Globe Thistle.
Charles Woodbury (1846-1940), Narrow Cove, Black Figure Yellow Cap, n.d., Oil on Board, Darin R. Leese Family Collection
FIRST PLACE: Audrey Grumbling’s design responded to Chaim Gross’s Study of a Model.
Designer’s statement: This artwork is a study of simplicity and mass and yet dynamic motion. The painting expresses balance and stability, at the same time showing dynamic direction and movement. The seemingly quickly sketched black inky lines are subtly enhanced with a brilliant edging of burgundy. I am reminded that Gross is a sculptor, whose attention to stability and form (essential to a sculpture) merges with attention to line, direction, and movement. I aim to interpret this sense of movement and stability along with the color palette of blacks, greys, and burgundy in my floral design.
Primary Plant Materials: Astilbe, Asiatic Lily, Japanese Painted Fern, Hellebore, Poppy Seed Pods, Lotus Seed Pod, Heuchera, Bromeliad.
Chaim Gross (1902-1991), Study of a Model, 1954, ink and watercolor on paper, gift of the artist, 1961.2
SECOND PLACE: Susan Haynes’s design responded to Marsden Hartley’s Still Life with Eel.
Designer’s statement: In this 1917 painting, Marsden Hartley explored questions of homosexuality (his own). He is a Maine native, who took a trip to Bermuda and was exposed to a much freer lifestyle. The eel is symbolic of his exploration of sexuality – as eels do not have sex to reproduce. He loved the bright colors and wildlife, as I hope to represent. And also he was greatly influenced by Henri Matisse, who he became friends with while in Paris in the early 1910’s and was influenced by him and the impressionists and cubists. I feel his painting is an homage to Matisse’s The Goldfish, in both subject matter and colors.
Primary Plant Materials: Phalenopsis orchid, curcuma, anthurium, lily, prilo, pincushion protea, ribbon dracaena.
Marsden Hartley (1877-1917), Still Life with Eel, ca. 1917, oil on canvas mounted on aluminum, gift of Mrs. William Carlos Williams, 1967.26
Participants of the 2023 Art in Bloom:
- Deidre O’Flaherty
- Elaina Hatsis, Harborside Garden Club
- Danna Dearborn, PGC
- Merle Schlesinger, Portsmouth Garden Club
- Louesa Gillespie, Piscataqua Garden Club
- Susan Meffert, Piscataqua Garden Club
- Meredith and Caroline Davis, Mimi & Mum
- Patricia Lomando
- Meredith Elvidge, Piscataqua Garden Club
- Ginna Thoma, Piscataqua Garden Club
- Susan Haynes, PGCA
- Audrey Grumbling, Old York Garden Club, York County Master Gardner Volunteer
- Marcia Davis, Marcia Davis Flowers
- Amy Kelly, Tale Spin Studio
