Photos in this section show floral arrangements designed and made by student, graduate and instructor of California Flower Art Academy. As an instructor of floral designs, I have been educating uncountable number of students for more than 30 years. Through my experience of teaching floral designs, I recognized there were so many types of students who learned floral arrangements. One thing which is very clear for me to comment is that students who successfully become a floral designer with a decent level of skills are obedient and faithful to their instructor. Once in a while we find students who wants to make his/her own designs which do not fit for a curriculum from the first beginning stage by making argument with an instructor.
These students usually do not follow instructor's advice and directions. Rather than following teacher's instruction about the way of floral arranging, they would like to stick to their own idea and concept. This kind of attitude could be accepted only after they have successfully acquired a certain level of skills and techniques.However as is often the case, students who are not obedient to teacher's instructions try to make his/her own arrangement in spite they have not yet earned even a basic skill of floral designs. If a school or instructor really wants students to become excellent floral designers, students should be treated in a very strict manner and rule which do not allow them to work in their own way ESPECIALLY during the entry level of period when they have not yet acquired very important fundamental skills which will affect their future progress, improvement and development in their flower arranging skills and techniques. Sometimes they do not want to use flowers prepared by instructor.
Some limited number of students who stick to their own ideas and designs without following instructor's directions is just like waiving their very VALUABLE RIGHTS of copying instructor's designs. Once you become a student by paying tuition to a school, you are authorized to duplicate and copy your instructor's way of decorations. This is extremely important for you to know what must be done and what kind of rights students do have. Students do not worry about infringement of copy rights or intellectual property rights as far as they immitate, copy and duplicate their instructor's designs and arrangements. This can be clearly mentioned at least regarding the school headed by myself introduced at the bottom of this story. This right granted to students is priceless and extremely valuable. They should make the best use of their rights granted by a school. In short, students should duplicate and follow what their instructor showed and taught them at the classroom. Only after they successfully acquire a certain level of skills and understand the concept behind each design, they should make modifications and changes so that they will eventually challenge to make their own brand new designs which reflect their own desires, wishes, ideas and concept.
Beflore closing this message, I would like to say that no matter what kind of skills you want to earn, the same can be said for instance learning a foreign language, swimming, dancing and playing the piano etc etc. If you are interested in earning practical skills of floral designs, one of the ways you can try is to join California Flower Art Academy serving the San Francisco Bay Area and Silicon Valley (San Jose) offering a WIDE RANGE OF PROGRAMS from European floral arranging to Japanese Ikebana Arts, from Wedding to Funeral Floral Decorations, from Beginner to Professional level of courses.