Winding Callas in a Kenzan
Graceful lines, soft movement, and a little floral magic. In this Flower School How-To video, Leanne guides calla lilies through a sculptural design using a kenzan and a striking collector vase. The winding stems create natural rhythm and modern elegance while highlighting the beauty of each bloom.
Video Transcription
Working in a Kenzan is tricky, but when you have an amazing vessel, so much fun. Let me show you how to wind your callas into this beautiful design.
For this design, I chose a specimen vessel for my shelves so this is not available, but how cool is this? My challenge is you, go out, find an amazing vessel. Then once you have it, setting a Kenzan, the pins, down inside because that's what's going to hold the flowers. Then filling it with a bit of water, premixed with flour food, making sure that that's going to keep your flowers alive. Then the main star in this design is the callas. I purchased these two days ago and I left them out just sitting on the counter just like you see here for two days because I want them to be as pliable as possible and if you don't have them pliable, this isn't going to work. So you want to set them out for a couple of days, maybe a little longer and that way you can mold them and manipulate them to do exactly what you want.
As you begin, make sure that they are pliable. Double check that they bend nicely and move it around and then you can take it and feed it through and bring it back and then wind it. It's going to be too long. Think about how long you really need it and give it a cut and then go back and continue winding. Maybe bringing it in through this hole and around. Maybe bring it all the way around this direction, getting a little bit more movement, pulling it and then making sure that it goes down into the kenzan to hold it in place.
Now as you're working, if you go and you pull and you see a bend, you can't use that because the flower won't drink. So if you see a bend like that, go ahead and cut it. You may be able to use it shorter in this design or another design, but it won't work for the winding callas. So then going back, thinking about it again, getting things ready, feeding it in, bringing it through, finding the perfect hole and then winding it around. Bring it back, making sure that I don't kink it. Just letting it wind and feeding it in and putting it into the kenzan.
As you're working. If you have one that you've had to cut short because it's not got the perfect curvature or it kinked, you can always go back and add it. Feeding it in, making sure that it just stays inside, following the same lines and letting the head give you a little different movement and then repeat until you get everything exactly where you want it.
Some of your blooms will have thicker stems that don't give you the curvature you want. So then just think about how they can accent the others. Go ahead and cut it down. Be brave, setting it in and finding the perfect spot to add it into the kenzan to give you a little bit more movement. And then others will be super pliable so that you can cut them, set them in, find the perfect spot, bring them around and let them wind and then bring them back in, giving it a fresh cut and setting it in place.
As a last touch, look at all the faces of your flowers. You want it to look good all the way around, but there's always a front and think about how you might go back and add one more bloom to give a little bit more movement to the front and then adding a touch of softness. Jasmine vine, be so beautiful. Giving it a cut, feeding it in, letting it trail. Make sure that you get it caught into the kenzan so that it holds it in place and then coming back with another, feeding it. Then you can even wind it around the stems, adding a little bit of movement, pulling it through to the backside and then a little more until you get it perfectly placed for interest.
The recipe, seven stems of Miniature Callas and then three stands of Jasmine Vine. It's all you need and then the perfect vessel.
Sometimes it's the flowers that speak to you. Other times, the container is calling your name. Either way, you can make so much beauty. You'll find more creative inspiration on the website, flowerschool.com. If you have questions, you can reach us through there, but now it is your turn. What are you going to do that's maybe a little edgier into the art mode? Be sure to take a picture, post on social media and #FloralDesignInstitute. That way we all can see what you do as you do something you love.
