In 2003 a close friend and colleague died of a sudden heart attack while vacationing in Florida. He was a brilliant teacher and a phenomenal artist. He was 28 years old.

In honor of his life I created the bouquet pictured here. It spent 2 years in a memorial display at my school.

This piece was my first foray into flowers and bouquets. It proved an extreme technical and structural challenge. Needless to say there's a lot that goes on “behind the scenes” in the task of turning lumps of clay into a fragile assembly of flowers.

Ioannis Haldeos was refined, well-dressed and handsome. He often wore black clothes, always pressed and crisp. Yet from this conservative shell arose a colorful and daring collection of sculptures and paintings. This piece was created to embody that dichotomy. From the smooth black vase arise flashes of color and shapes.

Since that time I have made other bouquets and individual flowers for various occasions and gifts. Colors, flower types and vase types are customizable.

See order page for details and pricing.