EMC Alumni success celebrated

Jenny Thomasson

Representing the USA at the World Cup in Manchester, 2023

"I have a constant drive to learn as much as I possibly can. The world of floristry, the craft, mechanics, botany, color theory-   they have proved to be things that I never tire of. This has kept my professional experience an exhilarating one and my journey through this perishable art world fascinating. Now my meaning comes from making. I am no longer projecting the idea but rather finding the idea in the process. 

I use traditional forms and shapes with an influence of trends layered in to create a new, modern approach to design. I am drawn to and enthralled with the heavy focus on mechanics and the continued growth as an artist. To be good enough that the significance of the message I am trying to share can be seen through my work. To be intentional with the act of creating and searching for the moment that I fall in love with what I am designing. This is where I have found that the genius comes in.

When I look at what fulfills me it’s not necessarily just the tangible items I’ve made, in a way I remember the process and the interactions with myself and my creativity more. The education or inspiration that occurs is what brings life into the act of floristry, and reveals a more holistic artistic experience. I’ve never felt this invested."

Jenny Thomasson 

With the Interflora World Cup only a few days away, we would like to congratulate one of our own alumni, Jenny Thomasson, who has won her way through to represent the United States of America in the prestigious championship, being held in Manchester, UK. In 2022, she took part in the FTD America’s Cup design competition, and it was her victory in this that gave her the honour of representing her country on the global stage in historic Manchester.

Her love for art and design started in her childhood, where she visited art exhibitions and other sources of inspiration to feed her innate creativity. Whilst she was at college, she worked in a flower shop, which really pin-pointed the way forward for her and she knew that her career path would take her somewhere working with flowers all the time.

Not afraid of pushing herself along her chosen floral direction, she took the brave step of starting her own flower shop at the very young age of twenty-two.  Through hard work, dedication and not being afraid to be innovative, the shop flourished, earning her many accolades within the American floral industry. This gave her the opportunity to complete presentations at AIFD National Symposium in 2015 and 2018 and also to be a representative designer for North America at ‘Fleuramour’ in Belgium in 2016 and 2018. As her reputation grew, more openings arose, including being a member of the Decorating team in the White House at Christmas and an AIFD team designer at the Philadelphia Flower Show in both 2016 and 2017.

One of the most recent new additions to her CV has been the publishing of her book, entitled ‘Perishable Poetics, Manifesting Emotion through Contemporary Floral Design’ which you can read about in the interview we did with Jenny on a previous blog, here. It includes over two hundred colour photos, with hand-drawn conceptual sketches, notes and using a wide range of techniques, forms, and materials which demonstrate how she uses emotion within her contemporary floral designs.

She believes wholeheartedly in educating others within the floral industry, both as a touring presenter and commentator for the Education Specialist Team for Teleflora and as Lead Instructor at the Dr Delphinium Design Institute in Dallas, Texas. Using her own words, she says:

“When I talk about the undeniable power of creating unapologetically, I am dreaming of ways that I can create art which touches my soul and moves my peers. I learn by DOING and immersing myself into a project or an idea, and from there I allow myself to follow its lead….. Education is key to the success of our industry, and to our customers. New and exciting ideas rejuvenate the possibilities of florals within our everyday life”.

We send our congratulations to Jenny, and we are very proud of her progress so far.  We are looking forward very much to seeing her creativity and what it will bring to the floral pieces that she constructs in Manchester for the World Cup, with the enthusiastic backing of many of her alumni who are also going to be attending this prestigious event.

images from Jenny Thomasson