My Top Ten Favorite Flower Designers...

Recently I was designing with a group of Students Assistants and Flower Friends at a Show in San Jose California... and My Friend Shannon Asked me a Question... I get asked alot ... "J... whose your favorite Flower Designer???"...typically I step back from the Flower Arrangement I'm making... and lay down my design knife... and here is my reply...My List is based on How these Amazing Flower Artists have Influenced me... and taught me about Flower Design... and the emotional impact and connection the arrangements they create make with their audience... They are flower lovers, stage designers... friends, teachers, developers... and mentors...  I've had the pleasure of working with (nearly) all of them... and they helped form what I consider my greatest asset... "My Passion for Flowers"...  that I translate into Flower arrangements... created with "a piece" of each them involved...10. & 9.  Phil and Cathy Rulloda... AAF, AIFD, PFCI x 2 They come as a matched set... and here is Why I choose them BOTH... Phil taught me the Elements and Principles of Design... when I was a "smart-a**" kid that thought I knew everything... but Phil was Patient and Insisted that I learn the E&P... and I think about them every time I design...Cathy taught me how to take what Phil does... (Phil's style is defined and Exclusively his... ) and apply it to everyday designs... thus making something ordinary... Extraordinary... Cathy also is the WISEST Business person I have ever met...  She knows how to run a successful Flower Business... while still delivering Fashionable Trend Forward Flower Designs...8. Ron Morgan...  Ron doesn't play by the rules... On No... far from it... and it's his unconventional "let's make this the most Over-the-top... Outlandish... Unexpected flower arrangement EVER" attitude... that get's me rolling every time. His books are about using  Pretty Flowers and everyday items together to create the unexpected. Ron doesn't ever "torture Flowers"... it's about COLOR, Design and the Emotional Impact they deliver... The Title of his book says it all: "The Center of Attention" ... that's Ron Morgan!7. Matt Wood...AIFD, PFCI When I met Matt Wood... it transformed the way I thought about flowers... Flowers took on a whole new meaning... Matt taught me to make decisions based on Color... Texture ... and Form... and to focus on making the flowers as PRETTY in the Arrangement as they were in Nature... I watched everything he did and copied it to the best of my ability... one day I finally realized... when Color leads... the "Pretty" Follows... One of the Kindest Compliments I ever received was when a close friend of Matt and Mine said... "J... You do "Matt Wood" better than he does"... hehehe!6. Mandy Majerik AAF, AIFD, PFCI... This is one NEWCOMER to keep your eye on... She's been a guest on JTV... I've visited her store... She's Mayesh's NEW Design Star... she's my friend... and she known for pretty things! Mandy embodies what I look for in a Flower Designer... Newness without complication....Classic Pretty Flowers with a stroke of Moderne'...She's Charming, Talented...( Incredible Taste )... and isn't afraid to push the boundries of Flower Design...She makes the simple tres' Chic... she exudes confidence... and invites you into her world... where there are Beautiful Flowers...  I love this Rising Star...5. Constance Spry... Constance's Popularity is having a resurgence... again! There is a new book out and a renewed interest in the woman many claim to be the "MOTHER of the Commercial Flower Shop"... In doing research for an AIFD Program I gave in New York City featuring Influential Flower Designers... I found a quote from Constance Spry... "My Favorite moment for a Flower arrangement is the moment when the petals begin to fall from the flowers... upon the table... it is then (and only then) that we realize the fragility of the flower... and the fleeting memories they create"... Enough said...4. Mel Schwanke AAF... My Dad... note there is no Design Accreditation... but my Dad makes the most incredible All Red Carnation Casket Sprays... he can get more Flowers into one piece of foam... than anyone I know... and he's Fast and Deliberate... he taught me how to "put the flower where it goes..." the first time...  and leave it alone...My Dream is to get my Dad to the Fun with Flowers and J set to create his signature Red Carnation Casket Spray... wouldn't that be FUN!!!3. Gretchen Sell... over 20 years ago... this Amazing Indy Flower Designer took a chance on a fledgling designer from Fremont, Nebraska... and invited me to come to my first John Henry Company Photo Shoot... she saw potential... befriended me... and the Mentorship began! Gretchen gave me assignments that were less than comfortable... and stretched my talent as a designer... she taught me even more about COLOR... and to this day... When I prepare to create a Flower Arrangement... I Ask myself... WWGD? ... (What would Gretchen Do?)...2. Joe Smith AIFD... I always appreciated the Fact that Joe Smith never FILTERED his comments to me... As one of the Premiere Flower Artists in the world... Joe was always honest and forthright when it came to my designs... and he would critic them (sometimes severely) but Always with Love and Deep concern... I loved watching Joe Design... there was a deliberate casual Southern emotion that was revealed in everything he created...  One of my Proudest (and most difficult) Moments... was creating an Arrangement to take to Joe's House... for Joe... Talk about Pressure... When Joe Looked at the bouquet... and then turned to me... looking over his glasses at me... (*you know the look!!)... and Said.... "J-J... This is just Lovely"... I  felt... as a Flower Designer... I had arrived!!!1. Haskel Eargle AAF, AIFD... I've talked about Haskel on my Show many times... and I love this man... He makes me Laugh... and everything he makes is ... 1st: PRETTY... 2nd: Classic...and 3rd: Artfully Exquisite!  When I was 14 years old... I had the pleasure of watching Haskel create a Casket Spray for a NeMoKan Convention in Omaha Nebraska... it was made of Carnations, Daisy Pompons, and Statice... and Haskel showed me exactly where each Flower went and why... Years Later... he taught me to design Flowers for the Camera... and to this day... He is the Most amazing Flower Designer I have ever met... I feel his influence every time I pick up my Swiss Army knife... Thank you Haskel for being my teacher... a Mentor and my Friend!So that's MY List...  True to Life... Flower Lovers... Passionate Flower Artists... Family Friends and Mentors... I'm Lucky... to have such incredible teachers... and with that I ask YOU the Question...Who's your Favorite Flower Designer and Why????Addendum: Joe Smith AIFD passed away March 27, 2012... I share this blog post with heartfelt sympathy, respect and love for an amazing Flower Artist.