Pondside Workshop Party: Floral arrangements and watercolours

As part of Objectspace’s pondside event programme, join us on Wednesday 11 February for making and mingling with a drink in hand.

The evening brings together two hands-on workshops: Katherine English (Katherine English Flora) will lead a session focused on creating small bowl floral arrangements using kenzan (a weighted base with spikes), followed by a watercolour workshop with Zina Swanson, where participants will use the plant detritus left over from the flower arranging as a starting point to create two-dimensional ‘bouquets’ in watercolour.

Both workshops are aimed at beginners but can be tailored to suit those with more experience.

Get your $15.00 tickets here.

Most materials and tools provided (as well as drinks and snacks), though for your arrangements, please bring with you a small bowl – it could be as simple as a dipping bowl, or a sake cup, or perhaps even a teacup. And bring a few stems, no more than 10–15, including some delicate foliage and smallish flowers (no dinner plate dahlias!). Look for stems that have the loveliest details, lines, and form. They could be from your garden, or foraged. Even weeds are embraced. Bring them in water, something like a jam jar or small bucket.

You are also most welcome to bring along any of your own preferred watercolour paints/pencils, brushes and paper.

—

Katherine English is an Ōtautahi Christchurch-based florist and floral artisan whose work explores colour, form, movement and the quiet beauty of seasonal flowers. After formally training in floristry and studying alongside internationally recognised floral artisan La Musade La Flores, she founded Katherine English Flora in 2020 as a way to share her refined, garden-led approach to design. Working exclusively with seasonal flowers sourced from her own cutting garden, local growers, and foraged sites within Christchurch’s Red Zone, Katherine creates arrangements that reflect a specific place and moment in time. Her practice centres on line, space and natural movement, with a strong commitment to sustainability through foam-free methods and locally grown materials. Alongside her design work, Katherine offers classes and workshops.

Zina Swanson is an artist living and working in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Swanson's artistic practice spans painting, sculpture and installation and often employs pre-existing scientific and natural histories in order to examine our relationship to the natural world. She has exhibited extensively with solo and group presentations at most of New Zealand’s top galleries and museums. These include the Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery, City Gallery Wellington and Artspace Aotearoa. Her works are held in the collections of the Christchurch Art Gallery, Dunedin Public Art Gallery and The Dowse Art Museum, and she has been the recipient of the prestigious Frances Hodgkins Fellowship, the Grace Butler Residency and in 2014 was an Apexart New York Inbound Resident.

—

This pondside event is made possible by a Boosted crowdfunder – A Garden Double Bill for the Garden City. Our gratitude to everyone who rallied to support Objectspace in Ōtautahi and to match-funders Rātā Foundation, Creative New Zealand and Christchurch City Council.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Objectspace