Rhapsody

Nearly a hundred floral designers created pieces for the DeYoung Museum’s annual Bouquets to Art exhibit. Their task was to riff off the paintings and sculpture in the permanent collection, and their inspired creations are displayed adjacent to their inspirations in the galleries throughout the museum. Following the flower trail is a good excuse to visit parts of the museum that one otherwise might ignore. The painting above is Richard Mayhew’s Rhapsody, and the flower arrangement clearly echoes the colors and shapes in the painting; it’s one of the most obvious of the entries, which ranged from great blowsy fantastical creations to the elegant placing of one simple stem. 
This is an enormously popular fund-raiser for the Museum. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the DeYoung that crowded, mostly with ladies of a certain age who seemed to know a lot about gardens and flowers. Some visitors dressed in wild floral creations of their own, with dramatic hats and feathers.
It was an interesting excursion. I’m eager to get out my clippers and see what’s in the backyard. I would forage further for bits and pieces, but I can’t think of one place where I’d be allowed/comfortable taking cuttings. Not on the trails at the University, not in parks, or at the beach, or from open fields. It’s all owned. I get it. But it would be nice to have a bit of this or that to add to my bouquet. Just a thought…