Inspiring video series of EMC

The Floral Transformation

The world of flower design, seen from a different perspective

EMC is very excited to present The Floral Transformation series, a learning experience for all florists who dream to enhance their design work and make a difference for themselves in the industry. The Floral Transformation Series features EMC Lead Instructor, Tomas De Bruyne, talking about use of colour and visual impact in design and it also takes the viewers on a journey behind the scenes to one real life floral installation by Tomas De Bruyne, done at a castle on Loire Valley, with access to the entire thought process, implementation and execution. 

Tomas is passionate about this subject and can convey this in a manner which can capture his audience, intrigue the viewers, and takes a cleverly planned path through different aspects of the importance of colour, leaving you wanting to experiment for yourself, following the very in-depth explanations.

In the introduction to this highly complex subject, he highlights the facts that ‘Flowers are about Emotion’; ‘Emotions can be easily related to the colour palette’ and that ‘colour has the strongest visual impact on the planet.’

Following the carefully structured route, you are drawn into the reasons for learning more about colour, how easy it is to make errors and how a depth of knowledge of the colour wheel, the various harmonies, learning how the colours interact with each other; the necessity of understanding the hues, saturation levels and values; give you a vast range of methods by which you can challenge yourself, helps you to overcome the fear of failure and results in taking you to a much higher level of creativity. Some of the most famous designers are known for their ability to blend and use colour to achieve their desired result and attract a following of clients that respond to this, knowing that they will have floral designs and installations that are carefully thought out for each occasion and will achieve their desired result. With putting newfound knowledge from this video into practice, you too could be meeting your clients’ wishes and delighting them with the results of your new creativity with colour.

The second video in the series takes the viewer deeper into the use of colour as a major part of what is termed ‘visual impact’.  As Tomas says,’ Visual Impact is the strongest means of communication for getting the right clients.’ He takes it even further by saying that the stronger the impact, the greater the influence; using the principles of design in such a way that it will help you to carefully plan and organise the elements of art, to command interest.  He continues to emphasise the need to change your point of view by suggesting that you no longer just create an arrangement, but you move to one with a message, with the clear purpose of serving your client whilst progressing towards achieving your signature style. He carries the theme further by stating that arranging without the right message is pointless, communicating a message is what makes you stand out as a designer and gives your arrangements a purpose, beautifully illustrated by the short video of him completing a design for a particular setting and purpose for the client. 

He also expresses his opinion that by attending workshops, you may see a design that you like and make it for clients repeatedly, leading you to destroy your own creativity. Completing two different designs, one with high impact and the other with low, he can clearly reinforce his message.  Finding your own identity and what your strengths are helps you to  connect with the people who will buy your flowers and allows you to deliver to your clients something that you truly believe in; allows you to decide what you want to change inside your creative way of thinking; find what is going wrong in your business or life at this moment and what you want to change and what causes you to struggle to move onto the next level.  As you begin to take in the message that Tomas is trying to convey, you realise that this top designer is not only trying to help you to build on your creativity and find a signature style but also is realistic about being commercial and building a stronger connection with your clients by accurately transmitting their messages through your floral designs, and successfully building your business.

By the time I you will start watching the third video, so many ideas will manifest themselves in your brain that you will be deeply intrigued by what Tomas might have to say on other methods to build further on finding your own floral DNA and signature style. 

The more that florists do to progress in this way will help the entire floristry industry to flourish with the wide diversity of skills based on each person’s individual creativity. It is important for everyone to look and work towards growing their business, not being afraid of failure, not always following the old patterns and old ways of designing but create new ones, create demand and be open in our ways of thinking, with the chance of becoming a successful florist of the future.  

The Floral Transformation Series is also fascinating by the way Tomas De Bruyne allows the viewer into his very personal journey, talking about the successes, and failures too and, importantly, how he had learnt from those failures, treating them as a real learning experience by which he could grow.  Having started in his own flower shop, he had grown to realise that his signature style was leading him towards special events.  He toured all over the globe immersing himself in the culture, colours, and flowers wherever he went and, as he became more successful and gained a higher level of clientele, it became even more important to listen to his clients’ requirements as this level as it is all about ‘first impressions’ and you don’t get a second chance at a first impression! He has gained so much insight into solving problems and overcoming challenges that it allows him to share his experience of becoming who and what he is now and, tantalisingly, he says that he will show this even further in the fourth video by taking us behind the scenes in the actual preparation and completion of an installation in a French chateau!

In this final video of the pentalogy, Tomas refers to the subjects that were paramount in the first ones; the use of colour, the importance and understanding of visual impact and the  importance of finding your own signature style, culminating in the process of planning, production and completion of the installation at the Chateau; allowing us to peak behind the scenes at a supremely personal moment when fulfilling the requirements of his clients’ dreams and allowing us to be part of the whole experience, giving us a total insight into the practical outcomes based on the theory input from the first three videos.  In this process, he shows us how to find and build on our own creative potential and to stand out from the crowd with our own signature style, ensuring that we can build up our client numbers and improve our business.

His explanations of the way he uses colour, visual impact, different techniques, and different mechanics, combining these with the full range of botanicals available to him and adding in the tension and dynamics to make his work come alive and show his specific signature style, is the firm basis for his methods of teaching, literally from his own experience. His personal journey has been the experiment from which he has learnt what succeeds and that ‘failures’ are just problems that need to be solved and overcome. He delves yet again into the secrets behind creative growth and the developments to your knowledge and understanding that need to take place to enable you to reach your full potential, putting everything together in such a unique way that it does become your signature style.  This will create the demand with our clients, but only if we realise that we must not drop back into our old habits, making our arrangements as we always have and getting the same results; we need to change and grow and in this way so will our business.

Let the Floral Transformation begin for you!