Tag: writing

Uncategorized

New Members Welcomed.

joypurdin

It was a perfect summer’s evening in late August when the Executive Board and Chairpersons of the Driftwood Garden Club met to welcome our newest members to our organization. This tradition was started several years ago in an effort to make new members feel welcome, to give them an overview of the leadership of the E-Board, and to introduce them to the many opportunities within the club to become more involved by participating on one of the committees.

The event was held at the beautiful home of our President, Susan M., and a delicious array of savory and sweet treats was provided by the officers and chairpersons attending. Sitting on the patio, enjoying the surrounding gardens, we chatted and admired the property surrounding us. Just a quick side note: We found out that our President not only takes care of her flower gardens, which were lovely, but also mows, edges, and prunes all of her landscaping herself! It looks like she has a team of landscapers come in every week! The result of her dedication and hard work is a sanctuary for the birds, bees and butterflies who visit daily.

After the social hour, the presentations began. Starting with the Executive Board, each officer introduced themselves and gave a quick summary of their responsibilities. Chairs and Vice-Chairs of each committee were next, giving a quick job description of their duties and that of the committee as a whole. Questions from new members were sprinkled among the presentations, all in an effort to encourage new members to become more involved on a committee that might be interesting to them.

The evening ended just as the sun was setting, and we all left with smiles on our faces, knowing that the work of the Driftwood Garden Club takes the many talents of all of our members.

Uncategorized

Art in Bloom 2026: Max Beckmann’s ‘Still Life with Three Skulls’.

joypurdin

Congratulations to our DGC members, Susan McMullen and Pinar Gokce, for their participation in the 50th Anniversary of the MFA’s Art in Bloom. Their creativity and interpretation of Max Beckman’s piece was stunning.

Art in Bloom took place on May 1 to May 3 of this year, but the work for our designers began well before that. On March 2, 2026, Susan and Pinar reported to the museum to receive their assignment. Up until this time, it was a total surprise to the participants what their art piece might be. The designers were then given an opportunity to visit their piece of art, closely observing details of the work. Because of the heavy lines, dark colors, and three skulls in this piece, Pinar’s first reaction was a bit of shock. But as she and Susan looked closely, and talked about the details in the painting, they began to see where their design could lead them.

Max Beckmann was a German painter, printer, sculptor, and writer. Although classified as an Expressionist, he rejected that label. He fled Germany in 1937 after the Nazis seized 500 of his paintings which they called “degenerative art.” Unable to get a US visa, he spent the war years in Amsterdam, where he experienced Nazi persecutions, bombs, and hunger. Beckmann printed this tabletop scene during the final months of the war, using objects such as skulls, playing cards, and an extinguished candle to symbolize the transience of life.

With this background knowledge, and the design sketches they had each made, our designers went to the flower market for the first time on March 2. This first trip was to see which flowers might be available and would work in their floral piece. They made a second trip on April 2 to check out the inventory of flowers. And then, on April 29, they went to the flower market for a third visit, this time to purchase the flowers that they would need for their arrangement. They chose chartreuse green hydrangeas for each of the three skulls, a gerber daisy for the candle, and lily blooms for the cards. 

Everything from the flower market went home with them in buckets of water because on the following day, April 30, they would be driving back into the MFA for Arranging Day. They were ready!

During the three-day Art in Bloom exhibit, our designers had to make sure their arrangement stayed watered and refreshed which meant going in early to make sure everything was perfect. Art in Bloom is one of the MFA’s major fundraisers, and Pinar and Susan both said it was an honor to be participants. We, as the Driftwood Garden Club, are honored to have members like Susan and Pinar who are excited to put in their time, energy, and creativity to represent us in such a positive light!