Philadelphia, PA-NJ (1888PressRelease)
January 29, 2008 - For the third year, Finger Lakes artist Michelle Masters will be featured in the upcoming Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center March 2-9, 2008. In keeping with this year's show theme, Jazz It Up, Masters will debut two new topiary designs, one of which features a Fleur de Lis motif. Masters has pledged to donate 10% of her Fleur de Lis design sales to the continuing restoration of the New Orleans Botanical Gardens.
With its thematic connection to New Orleans culture, this year's exhibition is especially close to Masters' heart. She recalls visiting New Orleans many times while growing up in nearby Jackson, Miss. Like so many, Masters was stunned by the devastation wrought on the cultural mecca by Hurricane Katrina. Being a part of the continuing effort to rebuild made Masters' decision to donate a simple choice. Doing so through her artwork was an even simpler one.
Masters is the creative mind behind Michelle Masters Topiary Art. A unique blend of whimsy and elegance, Masters' topiary collections incorporate watercolor depictions of topiary--living sculpture shaped by the careful pruning and training of otherwise ordinary plants--into a broad range of decorative and gift items.
"Topiary is a perfect marriage of two things I love: art and gardening," Masters explains. It is no coincidence that many of her most popular creative designs are garden related. Rabbits and sun hats adorned with flowers are among them. Being rendered as topiary makes her other collections, including monograms and Celtic knots, popular with gardeners as well.
Masters' Philadelphia Flower Show display will include two new designs created specifically for the jazz-themed event. Masters' Fleur de Lis topiary design depicts a lush green plant, trained into the familiar French symbol, rising majestically from a planter bursting with colorful blooms. While many of Masters' topiary designs feature muted colors and understated elegance, the new Fleur de Lis pattern offers a vivid contrast.
"The bright colors in the planter represent to me the color and variety of New Orleans culture," Masters states.
In addition to the new Fleur de Lis design, Masters has created for the event a baby grand piano design. This topiary painting is a fanciful interpretation of the show's entrance display- a moss-covered piano emerging from the ground and exploding into color. Both designs will be available on some of Masters' most popular products, including lavender sachets, linen guest towels, and stationery. Also on display will be a sampling of Masters' other popular collections.
To view the collection at Michelle Masters Topiary Art, visit the online boutique at www.michellemasters.com. For additional information about the Philadelphia Flower Show, visit www.theflowershow.com.
