Inspirations

Ursel Arndt


Art project "Curtain 10,000 flower" arose after an initiative by the trade union for textile education in Germany.


"They are always around us, with all its Farben und form. The flower has no sound, and is only one thing - zu Liebe (love). Give me a flower, and you get a smile back."

She has used all kinds of techniques like crocheting, knitting and embroidery to modern methods in unusual materials.- The curtain has more than 10,000 flowers, but not one of them is withered or dead.The carpet has become more of a story about patterns than real flowers.

Time Line

2012 Spring/Summer Fashion Trend

Nature motif-wild ethnic floral prints and designs-a dose of tropic thunder to their punchy floral with vivid colours-engineered floral motifs-stylized floral designs-botanical illustration illustrations.

Print Trend-2013 Spring

Patch Up

Clashing Prints – Overlaid And Collaged Looks – Brush And Digital Mixes – Dramatic Pattern Layouts – Overlaid Pattern Clashes -  Scenic And Geometric Combinations – Photographic, Digital And Hand Painted Collage Experimentation

Digitally Enhanced
Pop Art inspired half-tone dots – Futuristic florals hidden amongst complex geometry – Textural and photographic overlays – painterly abstract multicolor imagery - Photoshop blurred zig zags – Photoshop filters create complex fading in and out of colour

Exotic Profusion
Colour explosion – Exotic flauna mixes – Rainforest blooms – Digital and watercolour effect mixes – High contrast prints – Neon brights – Bird of paradise and orchid floral studies – Pattern overlays

Vivid Jungle

Tropical vegetation focus ~ Photo-real jungle scenes ~ Micro and large-scale tropical flower studies ~ Watercolour textural effects ~ Symmetrical prints ~ Fern leaf overlap pattern forms ~ Engineered tropical placements ~ Distorted jungle prints

Garden Crop
Fresh colour use ~ Garden life illustrations ~ Flowers and vegetable mixes ~ Botanical spring floral blooms ~ Traditional country garden flowers ~ White ground patterns ~ Stylised linear looks ~ Playful pattern

Print Trend-2012 Autumn

Dark Bloom
Dark ground use – Spatial repeat prints – Stark contrasts – Tropical midnight scenes – Romantic floral blooms – Purples, lilacs and dark mint colour hues.

Tapestry canvas

Traditional tapestry patterns and textures – Decorative floral motifs – Crafted stitch looks – Woven structured prints – Striped and pattern effects – Folk art inspired.

Collage of Art
Art statements – Collage expression – Abstract art forms – Patchwork forms – Texture plays – Exaggerated knits and appliqués – Spliced and overprinted form – Overlaid pattern - Varied Art References

Bouquet Unstringed

Gul Mohur

Delonix/Poiciana regia.        

A vibrant, ornamental tree, the Gulmohur (Delonix regia) is rated by some as one of the most beautiful of all flowering trees. Its origins go back to Madagascar but is one of the most extensively cultivated trees in tropical climates all over the world. The tree is locally known as 'Kattikai mara'.
Blooming of the Gulmohur announces the arrival of summer. It is one of the most popular trees, and there are many beautiful specimens to see all over the city.




Rain tree

Pithecolobium saman

The beauty of the pink and white blossom , shaped like silken tufts, is largely lost to the eye because of the height at which the flowers appear.

The Rain Tree (Samanea saman) is a wide canopied, umbrella-shaped tree that flowers through a large part of the year, from March to September. The tree is locally known as 'Male mara'.


Flowering Season: March to September




Bougainvillaea

Bouugainvillaea’s colours range from magenta and purple to crimson , brick red , pale pink, salmon and yellow- even white.

Peak flowering season is February to April and second flowering between July and September. 





Tulip tree.
Spathodea Companulata

  

The African Tulip Tree (Spathodea campanulata) is one of the most common trees in the city and like the Gulmohur, it is one of the most recognised and familiar trees too.This variously –named tree(scarlet bell tree) bears up turning clusters of brilliant orange and crimson flowers which again , are variously described as “crumpled bells”, “ancient Lamps”.

Flowers during October- January and again during August – September. 

The Queens flower

The Queen's Flower Tree (Lagerstromia speciosa) has erect clusters of spectacular flowers that don different shades - mauve, pink or lilac. The tree is small to medium sized when it grows in the city, so it is common to see it planted in parks and pathways.

The tree is also known by the name Pride of India' and is locally called 'Hole Dasavala'.

Flowering season :March – May 

Tabebuia

The Pink Tabebuia Tree (Tabebuia avellanedae) looks stunning when in bloom. The tree sheds all its leaves and pink flowers with yellow centres appear in thick clusters, mostly during January and February. The trees are small in stature and are often planted as ornamental trees on roadsides.Also called the Caribbean Trumpet Tree, it originates from South America. The tree is crooked and small and is almost leafless when the blossoms take over.

Flowering season:January- February(sometimes even March) 

Firangipani, Temple flower, Pagoda tree

Plumeria alba and Rubra

There are two species of temple flowers that are met with often, the red firangipani plumeria and the white Firangipani Rubra. These trees are planted in gardens and parks and often used for urban landscaping.

The secret of its popularity seems to lie in its almost year long bloom and the rich fragrance emitted by the flowers. Many regard it as symbolising immortality because it can keep producing leaves and flowers even after it is uprooted from the soil.

Flowering season : March- April and again during July- September

Cork Tree

Millingtonia Hortensis

Called ‘Akash Neem’ –sky climbing Neem, in apparent recognition of its exceptionally trim and high stature. It is favoured as an avenue tree more for the figure it cuts and delightful sprays of its tiny white flowers and buds.

This fast growing tree flowers at night and sheds flowers early in the morning. The flowers are used in rituals. Because of he perfume of the flowers they are very much sought after. The waxy characteristic of the flowers ensure their freshness for a long time.

From April until the rains and again in November and December, a profusion of silvery-white, delightfully fragrant flowers crown the foliage.

Bangalore- The Garden City

Karnataka has had a history of Creating beautiful things, like in dance, music and sculpture , and the beauty shines through ages. Together with its heritage , the very first attraction of Bangalore is its flowering trees, and there are some blossoms to feast the eyes during every part of the year and during all phases of the seasonal change.

Bangaloreans have always been fascinated by flowers , and this shows through their  enthusiastically organised flower shows and in the way women adorn themselves with flowers.

The garden city title for Bangalore comes as much as the gardens, avenues , parks , traffic lights, etc within the city , as from the city itself being an entity that contrasts with its rural surroundings.

It is however the planned mix of big canopy shade trees, eye catching flowering trees , which gave Bangalore its deserved reputation of "The Garden City". 

It was Gustav Herman Krumbiegal and his string of able disciplines who invested urban horticulture with the character of landscape architecture.

Facts:

*TOTA , a kannada word which translates as garden, was by contrast “enclosed” and of 4 different kinds:

Tarkari Tota- the kitchen Garden

Tayngana Tota- the coconut garden (and other fruits)

Yellay Tota- Betel leaf garden

Huvina Tota- the flower garden (cultivated by locals who made flower garlands)

Some flowers like the marigold, jasmine, rose etc blossom all year round. These flowers find their way to other markets, homes and temples, but they also move around the city in women’s hair and on deities in vehicles. They are everyday adornments as well as marks of auspicious occasions and felicitations.

Lalbagh Botanical Garden

As my inspiration is flowers,I decided to meet Mrs Indira Chowdhury, who earlier this year had worked on a project in Lalbagh. She helped archive and compile all the old botanical illustrations and photography for Lalbagh.

My meeting with Indira helped me narrow down my vast inspiration of flowers in Bangalore.It also gave me insight to the history of the Lalbagh gardens.Lal Bagh was initially built as a private garden for Mysore ruler Hyder Ali in 1970.This garden was then further developed by his son Tipu Sultan and subsequently the British. During the British rule, alot of exotic flowers were brought , cultured and grown here in these gardens. Now its a home for a variety of exotic and tropical plants and trees, renowned centre for scientific study of plants and botanical artwork and also conservation of plants.

The botanical illustrations had a very Mysore/Tanjor painting style(the leaves are outlined with black) and were mostly done by an artist K Cheluviah Raju.

She advised me to read The Deccan Travisis ,Bangalore Walks and Blossoms of Bangalore.

Research Questions

 *Research questions:

The consumer and market

Who is the target audience?

How does budgeting and cost management work?

What is the value of flowers to other people?

What is their form of engagement with flowers?

What is your opinion on recreating flowers using relatively non perishable materials?

What are the kind of product/accessories available in the market that use flowers as a form?

Materials and techniques

What materials and print techniques will be incorporated?

How can prints be engineered to adapt to changing physical form?

What aspect of the botanical theme can be translated into print?

What kind of floral form is conducive to textile surfaces and the products they would create?

What is the potential of producing a fashion line that is open to transformation?

How can product itself be motivating for consumers to create something new out of it?

Transformation and utility

What are the various utility options possible with textile surfaces?

How can these surfaces be designed to provide for simple and effective transformation by the user?

What kind of techniques would be involved?

What is the extent of consumer engagement?

 Does one have to wait for the textile surface to age to create something with it?

How to effectively communicate the possibilities of engaging with the fabric?