Rose Float Diary - Part 1
Every year our small city (La Canada-Flintridge) enters a float in the Rose Parade which is entirely volunteer built, engineered and piloted down Colorado Blvd. on New Year’s Day, or thereabouts. This year I decided to go down and have a look around and then to do some sketches based on my impressions of the scene. I’m posting some today and there will be more tomorrow.
This first drawing represents the process of covering the structure with plant material. If the object is white, it is often covered with rice, which is a very sticky mess. The yellow bottles don’t hold mustard, they are glue applicators.
The float is assembled in stages. Some of the largest pieces are built onto the flatbed of the truck it rides on. Other, smaller pieces like this snake, are built separately on their own armatures, decorated, and installed later. This prevents them from being brushed up against and damaged as volunteers are climbing all over the float. Like the crystal ball, the snake is covered with plant material but not perishable flowers. Those come next.
Hundreds of buckets are filled with cut flowers, all waiting to be “beheaded” and prepared with glue for affixing to the float.
There will be more drawings tomorrow as the major part of the float is revealed. The theme for the year is “It’s Magical”
It must have been fun to be able to see the process! Great sketches, but the snake is my favorite! I always wonder what people do with all the flowers and floats after the parade is over? What does your city do with their creation after it’s all over?
Evy, first it goes to a viewing area for a few days so everyone can see it up close, and then it comes back to our city and is parked near the city park. Everyone can take pictures and enjoy it for a day or so, then it goes back into the storage yard and is, well, deflowered. So to speak. The chassis is used year after year.
What a WONDERFUL thing to sketch — an entire process! SUPER immersion, Karen, and super sketches! I cannot IMAGINE the amount of work that goes into even the smallest of floats! GREAT job!
Very good and inspired sketches.
What a nice record for all involved, and for a commemorative of the 2006 float project. Perhaps added to the city archives?
Love the snake!
I will be thinking of you and watching for this float when I watch the parade on TV. What a great documentation idea!
I’m always amazed at the variety of art here - it’s humbling! I really like the top one as it’s alive, it’s got movement, that must be really hard to capture.
This is TOO cool! Now I’ll have to watch for this particular float in the parade! Thanks for a fun post.
I love your entries about the Rose Parade float. It would be so cool to watch one of those amazing floats come together! I am always amazed at the craftsmanship of them. I am looking forward to seeing more.
I must admit that you people know how to enjoy parades (and you Karen know how to sketch it).
Here, in the melancholic city of the Tango, we lost the knowledge to do parades and Carnivals. We let it to our Brazilian neighbours.
¡Happy New Year!
What a great opportunity for sketching and recording the community spirit in your town.
) I really like the last of these paintings - it’s an impression and very subtle, but it still provides impact by concentrating on the oomph that is all that floral colour. Lovely. Looking forward to enjoying more.
That was a nice drawing. How I wish I could also draw the way you people can. I am at my worst in drawing.
Anyway, your article just made me recall many many many years ago. This was years when I was still a kid. The
Company where my father used to work with, had this kind ofparade every 31st of December of every year. Each
department presented parade with muses dressed in costumes and floats were made up to your heart’s content.
A contest was held for the best float, the best costume for everyone who was on the float. The float that always won was
the float of the department where my father headed. This parade we use to call Mardigras. Anyway so so.
Hi Karen, this is such a terrific idea for a subject! Happy New Year to you, looking forward to more of your inspirational ideas and sketches in 2006!
Karen I love this idea for the drawinsgs and so beautifully done! Brava!! I bet you are enjoying your new art space! maybe you can post a picture (hope
you did not do this already and I just missed it!) Thanks for all the inspiration, technical information and lively words this year! I really appreicate
visiting your site! Happy New Year
Hi Karen,
This reminds me so much of when I lived in CA growing up and my younger years. Your artwork brings me back. Thanks for the enjoyable trip.
Very well done.