Tulipina's Floral Fantasy

November 1, 2023
Few have the kind of gardens floral artist Kiana Underwood has, not to mention the eye, but floral design can be learned. Underwood, whose heritage as an Iranian woman is ""at the heart"" of her work, divulges her secrets in this lavishly illustrated coffee-table book named after her New York-based international floral design business. While there are pretty pictures of roses, tulips, and ranunculus, readers will also find lessons in translating the works of Dutch and Flemish painters from the canvas back to nature. One nine-step lesson serves as a guidepost for Underwood's vision, while readers will glean the rest of the inspiration from photographs. Underwood's color approach tends to avoid the usual in lieu of opting for the dramatic, like black and deep purple blooms and mixtures of dried and fresh flowers. A showcase of weddings shares epic floral gorgeousness, spotlighting notable and unusual treatments in Japan and Italy. Pictures are indeed worth well more than a thousand words, but coauthor and journalist Mattanza does more than due diligence for Underwood's vision.

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