![FlowerMag_ArtistMarcyCook_0048 Artist Marcy Cook wearing a long Boho-style dress stands in front of her inspiration board in her studio](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FlowerMag_ArtistMarcyCook_0048.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
Artist Marcy Cook at home in Dallas.
MARCY’S INSPIRATION
I based the how-to arrangement on my abstract floral piece titled Settle My Heavy Hands. Much of my inspiration comes from music and poets, like Mary Oliver, and irises are some of my favorite flowers. The blue-and-white container is incorporated throughout my collage work and was originally inspired by the old Dutch Master still life paintings.
![FlowerMag_MarcyCook_FloralDesign_1744x A garden arrangement in a rainbow of colors in front of a Marcy Cook floral painting of the same palette](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FlowerMag_MarcyCook_FloralDesign_1744x.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
ARTWORK: ‘Settle My Heavy Hands.’ Find step-by-step instructions for this arrangement at the end of this post.
![FlowerMag_MarcyCook_FloralDesign_3794 painting and floral design by Marcy Cook](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FlowerMag_MarcyCook_FloralDesign_3794.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
ARTWORK: 'Southern Iris,' 40″ x 48″, mixed media collage; sold.
MATERIALS FOR SOUTHERN IRIS:
- Persimmons
- Lemons
- Foraged ivy and wisteria
- English garden roses
- Yellow ‘Butterfly’ ranunculus
- Sweet peas
- Irises
- Tuberose
- Feather tulips
- Oakleaf hydrangeas
- Pansies
- Violets
![FlowerMag_MarcyCook_FloralDesign_5324 painting and floral design by Marcy Cook](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FlowerMag_MarcyCook_FloralDesign_5324.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
ARTWORK: 'With Open Hands,' 40" x 48", framed mixed media collage; inquire at Liz Lidgett Gallery.
MATERIALS FOR WITH OPEN HANDS:
- Foraged ivy and wisteria
- English garden roses
- Pink ranunculus
- Sweet peas
- Irises
- Tuberose
- Violas
- Feather tulips
FLORAL TUTORIAL WITH MARCY COOK
![FlowerMag_MarcyCook_Materials_4825 Blooms and foliage for Marcy Cook's floral design tutorial laid out on a table](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FlowerMag_MarcyCook_Materials_4825.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
MATERIALS FOR SETTLE MY HEAVY HANDS:
- Foraged ivy and wisteria
- Lemons
- Persimmons
- David Austin ‘Queen of Sweden’ roses
- Feather tulips
- Irises
- Sweet peas
- Oxalis foliage
- Violas
- Pansies
- Coral ranunculus
- Yellow ‘Butterfly’ ranunculus
STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS
![Step1_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0488 March Cook, dressed in a deep brown button-up, creates a grid of floral tape over a blue-and-white bowl](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step1_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0488.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
1 | Create a grid over the container using floral tape, then add water.
![Step2_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0500 creating a base with foraged foliage](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step2_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0500.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
2 | Fill the base of the bowl with a layer of foraged ivy and wisteria, which grows like a weed in my backyard. Let the leaves drape over the sides of the container.
![Step3FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0524 staking lemons](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step3FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0524.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
3 | I love including fruit in my designs, but they are heavy, so first you need to stake them with floral picks to keep them in place. I used lemons and pomegranates for their soft yellow-to-green color variations.
![Step4_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0552 Marcy Cook floral design tutorial step 4](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step4_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0552.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
4 | Put the staked fruit in the container. Vary the height, and place them in clusters to make them more prominent. This will help add depth and base texture as you move forward in the arrangement.
![Step5_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0576 March Cook places stems of garden roses](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step5_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0576.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
5 | The largest flowers in the arrangement are the English garden roses. These bring a lot of texture and focus. Trim and place throughout the bowl.
![Step6_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0606 step 6, add feather tulips](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step6_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0606.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
6 | Time for the feather tulips! I love the playful movement they offer. Trim and place them at varying, whimsical heights.
![Step7_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0616 step 7, adding purple irises](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step7_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0616.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
7 | Time for my favorite flower—the iris! My great-great-aunt Mazie was an artist and painted a beautiful watercolor of irises that hangs in my bedroom. With smaller blooms like these, I like to cluster them along the arrangement at a diagonal.
![Step8_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0664 step 8, adding texture](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step8_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0664.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
8 | Add small textures to the arrangement. I used fragrant sweet peas (another favorite flower) and rusty-red and yellow ranunculus. Keep the stems long, and let them playfully float throughout the container.
![Step9_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0694 March Cook places a pansy to unite the palette](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step9_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0694.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
9 | For depth of color and to unite the palette, I added oxalis leaves, pansies, and violas. I think they are a happy surprise that offers a more nuanced and complex color story to the piece. Select varieties of pansies and violas at the nursery or wholesaler that have longer stems.
![Step10_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0708 step 10, finishing touches](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Step10_FlowerMag_MarcyCook_0708.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
10 | For the final step, take more of the ivy used in the second step, and twist it into the arrangement, weaving it all throughout. This adds more depth, texture, and movement to the finished piece.
![FlowerMag_MarcyCook_FloralDesign_1744_5x4 painting and floral design by Marcy Cook](https://flowermag.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/FlowerMag_MarcyCook_FloralDesign_1744_5x4.jpg)
Photo by Stephen Karlisch
Finished floral design with the painting "Settle My Heavy Hands."
Produced by Alice Welsh Doyle | Photography by Stephen Karlisch
Galleries representing Marcy Cook include Anne Irwin Fine Art, Atlanta, anneirwinfineart.com; Robert Lawrence Designs, Dallas, robertlawrencedesigns.com; and Liz Lidgett Gallery, Des Moines, Iowa, lizlidgett.com.