Attached is the State Design by our President Josie Brennan representing Victoria in the Australian Floral Art Assn. 2025 Convention “Flowers in the Vines” currently being held in South Australia.

Annemieke Mein, Recycled Grasshopper, 2019, textile. Whitehorse Art Collection

Annemieke Mein OAM is famed for her exquisitely made and incredibly detailed textile art that represents Australian fauna and flora. Poetic and imaginative yet created with empirical accuracy, her investigations into the microcosmic world of insects and often overlooked aspects of nature have cemented Annemieke Mein’s place as one of Australia’s most popular artists.

‘Nature Revealed’ features a selection of works generously loaned from the Gippsland Art Gallery in Sale, which holds the most comprehensive public collection of Annemieke Mein’s extraordinary art. Works from the artist’s private collection are also included. Mein’s iconic three-dimensional textiles, preparatory drawings, samplers, and showcases reveal the artist’s in-depth creative process.

This is a rare opportunity to view the art of Annemieke Mein in metropolitan Melbourne and experience first-hand an international phenomenon.

Location:  Artspace, Box Hill Town Hall,  1022 Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill VIC 3128

Dates:  11 July – 30 August 2025

Tickets:  Free

More information:  Tuesday to Friday 10am – 4pm and Saturday 12pm – 4pm

Access: Accessible parking  / Public Transport / Wheelchair access

On Wednesday 23rd April – Victorian Floral Art Assn. ran a workshop “Fun with Circles”.

We had a full class with members and friends attending. Josie demonstrated several ideas using three different size wooden hoops, other items included yarn, tulips, gerberas, leucadendrons, succulents and plenty of foliage and dried flowers, pods and nuts.

Attached are photographs of the various designs from our group.

This year at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show, the Victorian Floral Art Assn. held a competition titled “Made in Australia”.

Seven Floral Groups entered, and the winners are listed below:

1^st place:      Yarrawonga & District Garden Club                                                                          Louise Brear & Maxine Webb

2^nd Place:     Box Hill Floral Art Assn.                                                                                                  Karen Chapman & Jodi Forbes

3^rd Place:      Sale Floral Art Group                                                                                                       Wendy Fuessel & Dianne Bloemhoff

Highly Commended:       Red Hill Gardening Society                                                                                          Deb Collett

Ballarat Floral Art Group                                                                                                            Susie Stroud & Rosie Ellis

Mt. Eliza Garden Club                                                                                                                Rosie Kenney & Petra Starkins

Waverley Floral Art Group                                                                                                         Rosie Dougherty & Elizabeth Oberin

CONGRATULATIONS AT ALL THE CLUBS WHO ENTERED

WORKSHOP — 23rd APRIL 2025

FUN WITH CIRCLES

TIME: 9:30 for 10:00 start.

COST: Entry $15.00 plus Materials $15 ($30)

AM/PM: Fun With Circles This workshop will focus on Rhythm and the arrangement of individual pieces to form a cohesive design.

SUPPLIED: All materials including 3 wooden hoops, 2 of which are on stands. A design using the hoops can be seen below. (Sample using Tulips.) The horticulture material will be dependent on what is available in late April.

BYO: Any material you have that you think, would enhance the style of design. If you come with nothing other than your tool box, that will be fine.
If time permits, we will do a ‘WHAT CAN I DO WITH THIS CONTAINER’. Please bring along a tricky container that you love but just cannot work out what to do with. We will put on our collective hats and have some fun.

RSVP: before 9th April: Karen – kchapman22@bigpond.com

VENUE: Brandon Park Community Centre, 649 Ferntree Gully Rd., Glen Waverley 3150.

PLEASE BRING YOUR LUNCH & TOOLBOX INCLUDING FLORAL GLUE

Our first workshop of the year was held on Wednesday 26th February 2025
The title An HIMMELI STRUCTURE.

Due to several reasons this workshop had been cancelled a couple of times, the attending members were delighted to finally be able to make an Himmeli structure. Himmeli comes from Swedish: himmel meaning “heaven” and “sky”.

Josie and Noreen demonstrated using plastic straws (they had been in someone’s cupboard for years, so these were certainly repurposed!), we threaded wire through the straws making a diamond shape and then added on as you will see from our photographs attached

HIMMELI STRUCTURE (3rd time lucky!!)

TIME: 9:30am for 10:00am Start

COST: Entry $15.00 plus Materials $10 ($25)

Am/Pm: Repurposed Straw Himmeli Design.

Two of the building blocks are shown in the photo below and these can be arranged in various numbers and patterns.

SUPPLIED: All materials for the Himmeli structure.

BYO: Either a single or double pronged stand, long necked bottle / vase, or a modern candlestick.

Small water tubes for horticultural material. Fresh or dried floral material, lightweight with small stems.

PLEASE BRING YOUR LUNCH AND TOOLBOX INCLUDING FLORAL GLUE

RSVP: by 14th February – kchapman22@bigpond.com

VENUE: Brandon Park Community Centre, 649 Ferntree Gully Rd., Glen Waverley 3150

2025 STATE DAHLIA SHOW  22^nd – 23^rd February 2025

Mount Waverley Community Centre

47 Miller Crescent, Mount Waverley, Victoria

SATURDAY 22 FEBRUARY 1.00 pm – 5.00 pm

SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY 10.00 am – 3.30 pm

Admission $5.00 Concession Card $2.00  Children Free

https://dahliasocietyofvictoria.org.au – for the full show schedule.

As well at the Dahlia exhibits there is a Floral Art Section – details below:

FLORAL ART SECTION

62. Sapphire Celebration

Let your creativity reign. Horticultural material must dominate. If materials have been dyed, no dye to remain in the water used in the hall.

To be judged by an accredited VFAA Floral Art Judge, under AFAA rules.

Area allowed 75cm.

Dahlias must be used but do not need to dominate.

Ribbon and $50 awarded for Best Exhibit in this section, 2nd $25, 3rd $10

Exhibits are to be staged by 11 am Saturday.

To enter contact:  PAM ALBUTT

By email to: president@dahliasocietyofvictoria.org.au

or telephone 0409 121 767

with your name, phone and entry numbers.

AUSTRALIAN FLORAL ART ASSN. CONVENTION 2025
FLOWERS IN THE VINES

Hosted by: Floral Design Council of South Australia
Venue: The Vine Inn, 14 – 22 Murray Street,
NURIOOTPA, South Australia

May 12th – 16th 2025

The Floral Design Council of South Australia look forward to welcoming you to South Australia to one of the premier tourist destinations, the beautiful Barossa Valley for the AFAA 2025 Convention at The Vine Inn in Nuriootpa.

The special guest designer/demonstrator will David Berger, a Master Florist and David Argent a local floral designer.

The weather will be cooling down in Autumn, but the Barossa Valley will have a warm welcome for you, and we hope you will renew old friendships, make new ones and share the love we all have of flowers.
“Flowers in the Vines” will be a creative, inspiring and informative convention for all.
For more information: floraldesigncouncilsa@gmail.com

The Victorian Floral Art Assn. Committee would like to wish you all a Very Merry Christmas and a Safe, Healthy and Happy 2025.