CHRISTIAN TORTU VASES IN DMA’S GIFT SHOP

Iconoclastic French floral designer Christian Tortu was at the Dallas Museum of Art on Sunday and Monday demonstrating the art of arranging. In his delightful French accent he told us that his goal was always “to use as much as nature can offer us” when creating floral arrangements. He got ohhs and ahhs from the crowd of pastel-suited women for his out-of-the-ordinary floral choices of artichokes, papyrus, wheat, lotus flowers, ginger, fiddlehead ferns (which he called monkeytails), bear grass, and tiger orchids. For more tips and info on his stunning vases, jump.Four Arranging Tips from the Tortu: 1.) When arranging in a vase, constantly turn the vase to ensure that the flowers look good from every angle. 2.) Stems are just as important as the flowers. 3.) When making a bouquet, use the “spiral technique,” which means keep turning the bouquet in one direction and adding flowers (he demonstrated with 100 jade roses) one by one in an ever-widening circle. Release and tighten the pressure around the stems to create a perfect circle. He edged his with a circle of viburnum and tied it with natural raffia. 4.) “Everything in nature is beautiful,” Tortu says, so find something unique and natural from each season–such as fruits, grasses, and vegetables–to incorporate.

The museum store recently acquired some of Tortu’s vases; they range from $60-$160. It also sells his signature candles.