CREATIVE THINKING: Floral feast at exhibition

GIVE yourself a mid-winter treat and visit Baycourt this Saturday. Experience Tauranga Floral Art Group's double delight of one-day exhibition Winter Wonders and floral theatre production Lume at 5pm with designer Francine Thomas.
 Francine, a talented club member, will create an entire stage of intriguing floral designs with beautiful flowers, magical lighting effects and water highlights in a musical fantasy. Amongst the floral designs Francine is sure to surprise her viewers when her sense of humour gives some delightful twists - also be prepared for surprises amongst her flowers.
This entire two-hour floral production is set to music, with Francine taking you on a floral journey which will eventually envelop the entire stage in a luminous aura of colour and flowers - not just roses but much, much more.
You will see what Francine can do working with so many flowers such as gorgeous gloriosa lilies, asiatic lilies, phaeleanopsis orchids combined with humble bare branches, vines and twines and different foliages to create large, eye-catching designs. Francine has a passion for flowers, a passion that she is keen to share with others. And of course floral designs need water, hence the need for containers. You will enjoy and be surprised at what Francine will share with you - certainly not the usual.
Stimulating lighting effects enhancing the designs will further delight and amaze. It's going to be a visual feast and is certainly one of my highlights to attend this year.
Lume is the culmination of almost two years of dreaming, thinking, sketching and then working with hammers and saws to build mechanics for the designs. It's a huge exercise for one designer to undertake.
This floral show is unique as it's a one-off. The forethought is so critical as everything must and will be perfect for the presentation - there are no practice runs but viewers can be assured that Francine will be ready and set to share her passion with you.
Francine and the Tauranga Floral Art Group are keen and generous in revealing the skills of what this art form is all about. Francine's enthusiasm is infectious and she will share it with you in this special floral theatre extravaganza.
This is definitely a show not to be missed - one of beauty - and the combination of fantasy, colour, water, music, humour and elegance using beautiful flowers to create many unique designs to wow you.
Tickets are $25 - don't miss out. On sale now at Baycourt TicketDirect.
The second part of the double delight is the presentation by the Tauranga Floral Art Group of the exceptional exhibition Winter Wonders.
This exhibition comprises floral designs by club members and includes several other art forms by guest artists Mark Scarlett, Penny Warner, Jo Odgers and Ruth Vickers.
Floral designs with titles such as Bound & Boundless, Shines & Sparkles, Twig Twisters and Southern Lights using clever staging and mechanics will present a delightful exhibition with the beauty of flowers to interest viewers.
Mark Scarlett will welcome visitors to Baycourt with his immense, outdoor, metal garden sculptures and indoors amongst the floral designs.
Penny Warner and Jo Odgers are both finalists at New Zealand's Wearable Arts and will exhibit several fascinating pieces along with Ruth Vickers and her large, contemporary, floral paintings.
This is a special exhibition combining these allied arts and is a feature to be enjoyed before moving through to the theatre for the Lume presentation.
The Winter Wonders exhibition is open from 10am until 5pm.
A cold coin donation is appreciated with proceeds going to Waipuna Hospice.