Floral Interpretations of Paintings by Bernard Corey
For 2021, members of the Grafton Garden Club once again teamed up with the Grafton Historical Society and created beautiful floral interpretations of local history. This year, the theme was paintings by local artist Bernard Corey, bringing art and history to life with real live flowers, foliage, and clever accents. Carolynne Corey Grimley loaned the paintings to the museum for the event and provided her recollections growing up watching her uncle painting locally in Grafton, MA, with fun details of several paintings in the event.
As you look at the displays, note how the flowers “match” each painting’s colors, groupings, and layering.
1. “Red Barn”, Floral designer: Theresa Dindinger
The red barn and out-buildings are surrounded by nature, bursting forth in the full color of spring and of rebirth on the farm.
2. “Mountainside Farm”, Floral designer Carolyn Jakubiak
Nearly all the flowers in the arrangement come from my garden. The Farm is suggested by the red beebalm and zinnias. The blue hydrangea is the ever beautiful sky, contrasting with the white baby’s breath of the newly fallen snow.
3. “Corey Farm, Triangle C Ranch”, Floral designer Helen Blazis
The sun-filled yellow glow of the farm house inspired me. The house seems protected by the overhanging branches. The many trees reminded me of Grafton’s greener past, now lost to development.
4. “Mountain Stream”, Floral designer Ava Fantasia
The vase captures the eye as it replicates the tumbling of the mountain stream. The autumnal colors are depicted in vibrant flowers set against a turbulent sky.
5. “Sailboats”, Floral designers Rita Zeffert, suggestions from Rebecca Ahlfors
Corey’s color palette is represented by: limonium, stock, lisianthus, eryngium, hydrangea, holly, thistle, and spruce. The painting is depicted in 3 dimensions: water, shore, and sky, all within the frame.
7. “Quiet Valley Stream”, Floral designer Jess Reese
Man and his things have not intruded in this painting. I wanted a wild arrangement, natural and untamed. A beauty of nature that was neither delicate nor precious nor artificial.
8. “Corey on the Rocks”, Floral designer Elizabeth Weeks
Although this painting was not painted by Corey, he is the subject, wearing his red coat. He this stands out from the gray, brown rocks and the white snow. There is a peaceful, quiet feeling in this painting which attracted me to it.
9. “New England Seacoast”, Floral designer Fran Bramhall
The beach setting is suggested by the sand and pebbles seen through the container. Queen Anne’s Lace interprests the delicacy of the clouds and waves. Blue flowers dominate, punctuated by eyes of daisies and sunflowers.
10. “Mill Village”, Floral designer Evelyn Guillette
The walls of the old structures suggest a pale, fall palette of color. Perhaps some dried flowers, weeds, ornamental sprays, in a weathered green vase best interpret this painting.
[ Note that painting #6 exists, but the floral designer unfortunately fell ill before the event. ]
