In the Spotlight: Featured uBloomer, Erik Witcraft

Erik Witcraft is the lead designer for Flowers Washougal , an upscale florist in Vancouver, Washington. He lives happily with his partner, along with "Sam", their miniature pincher… as well as 2 cats, 8 chickens, 2 guinea fowl, a rabbit and a duck…in the Vancouver area.So Erik, how did you get your start in floral design?At the age of 18 I needed a job, so I took a position at a local flower shop (around Valentines Day) cleaning and sweeping floors. While sweeping, I noticed that the floral designers got to throw all their stems and unusable flowers and foliage on the floor….I thought that was really cool and told myself that I’d love to have a job where I could just make a mess! Kind of a weird way to get in to the flower industry, but that is what first attracted me to floral design.Later, I attended the Floral Design Institute in Portland, OR and took both the basic and advanced floral design courses. I landed a job at a floral shop and worked my way up from there. Now I am the lead designer at Flowers Washougal.Besides floral design, how else have you been involved in the floral industry?I taught for 4 years at the Floral Design Institute, conducting a broad range of classes….from the basic beginner class to advanced wedding design courses. I was also one of the Featured Designers at the Portland Flower Market in which I was given the opportunity to do some design demonstrations.Currently, I design websites for flower shops. I think that by actually being IN a flower shop has given me an advantage in designing websites for florists, because I know first hand what florists need, and I can design a unique website tailored just for them.What is your favorite flower?I love tropical flowers in general, but more specifically, I love Orchids. I find them sleek and modern with clean lines. They come in a wide array of colors and they are long lasting.Where do you get inspiration for your designs?I look to the strong, geometrical lines in architecture….buildings, bridges, etc. I also like to go to the hardware store to find interesting things I can use to give my designs structural emphasis. (Picture at left: Erik’s hanging "basket" floral design shows off his creativity- the metal baskets are made of soldered washers…a fun, hardware store find!)Who is your favorite designer?Paula Pryke - I’m intrigued by her use of interesting containers, or rather, the lack of containers.Do you have a favorite "florist" website?Well, uBloom…of course! I also like flowers.org/uk - it shows the latest trends in U.K. floral design.If you could design flowers for any event, what would it be?I’d love to do the flowers for the Emmy Awards.If you could design flowers for any celebrity, who would it be?This may sound strange but I’d have to say...Martha Stewart. She would be hard to design for but I think it would be cool.What is your personal/signature design style?Structured, geometric (not "roundy moundy"), and architectural. I like embracing styles - complex, interwoven designs and textured orbs.Having been a teacher, what areas of floral design do you notice that florists need more training in?The basics, like mechanics and vase design. Florists need to know how to gain perceived value without "overstuffing" their arrangements. More isn’t necessarily better. Good design can give a much higher perceived value than adding filler. I would also like to see florists practice their hand work more on things like corsages, boutonierres and ribbon wrapping, to make their wedding work more polished.Name the TOP 3…Mistakes florists make in running their shops:1. To much inventory2. Poor merchandising, poor display and the merchandise area not clean.3. Misuse of flower care and handling.Mistakes designers make when designing flowers:1. Adding "more" isn’t always best.2. Overstuffing for price point.3. Stuck in a rut, no further training on trends or schooling.Things florists can do to attract more customers:1. Curb appeal - first impressions are essential2. Focus on website - very important. This next generation is very web savvy and does a lot of internet shopping. A unique website is a must.3. Find your niche, set yourself a part from the other florists in town.Best selling items in your store:1. Flowers2. Wine3. Gourmet basketsBest selling flowers:1. Gerbera Daisies2. Tropical Flowers3. RosesFavorite floral design "tools":1. Bindwire2. Colored aluminum wire3. Colored oasisIn your opinion, what is the next trend in floral design?I feel that because people’s lives are so stressed and hectic, the new trend in floral design will be more simple, clean designs. You will see sleek containers filled with flowers that are all one color and/or all one type of flower.What is the most unusual design you ever made?The suspended design I made out of soldered washers. It’s a woodland meets industry design.What is your favorite JTV webisode?The one where J makes the Birds Nest like the one seen in the Olympics. Its the interwoven, embracing style that I love so much.What is your favorite:Hard goods supplier? Shibata Floral Co.Cut flower supplier?For my garden flowers, I like to use my local suppliers, but for my tropicals, I use Pacific Floral Exchange.If you had a chance to design your "ideal" wedding, what would it look like?My color scheme would be lime, brown and white. I would use simple, one flower designs for the bridal party. I would use Green Cymbidiums for the bride, and the bridesmaids would carry bouquets each made of 1 type of flower. The table scape would have a simple, modern overall look with multiple containers down the middle of the table.