GARDENS : Other Arrangements : The Interpretation of Paintings by Floral Designers Makes ‘Art Alive’

FLORAL arrangers and designers usually get their inspiration from the flowers themselves. But for Art Alive: A Celebration of Flowers, the floral artists interpret paintings in the San Diego Museum of Art’s permanant collection. Some interpretations are quite literal, others work hard to catch the spirit of the painting, and all are as colorful and intriguing as the paintings themselves.

Pictured here is a selection of last year’s entries--from a bouquet as full and voluptuous as the lady in the Peter Paul Rubens painting that inspired it, to a delightful geometric interplay of sticks and flowers in front of two Stuart Davis paintings. This year’s exhibit is April 27 and 28 (the flowers last but a short while).

At the seventh annual Art Alive, in addition to the floral exhibits, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon have been re-created by designer John Baylin in the Rotunda. Outside the museum, a flower mart springs up where all kinds of cut flowers (a booming business in San Diego County) are for sale. And lectures are held, including, this year, “Images of the Countryside” by Parisian floral designer Jule des Pres and “Weddings” and “Entertaining With Style” by Martha Stewart, an authority on weddings and entertaining. For tickets to these events, telephone (619) 756-3418.