world, but Mrs. Jean Motyer's miniature flower arrangement of the same name scooped up a coveted prize in the recent World Association of Flower Arrangers' (WAFA) show in Toronto, Canada.

Competing with hundreds of others in the renown international event, Mrs.

Motyer's little gem -- comprised of Bermuda sand, sea shells, sea fan and star fish -- not only put Bermuda on the map but earned her Third Prize in its category.

Herself a qualified international judge, Mrs. Motyer has long grown used to the pressures of major flower arranging competitions, and thanks to continuous studies and a host of courses, can turn her hand to anything from miniatures to enormous abstract designs.

Like most successful competitors, she leaves nothing to chance in executing her creations. Not only does she sketch her proposed arrangement on paper beforehand, but she will have built duplicates of such exhibit components as pedestals and platforms so that, in rehearsing her creations at home, she will know, down to the last detail, exactly how the final presentation will look.

"I like plenty of time to change, re-arrange, and try again,'' she says of her meticulous approach.

Originally, Mrs. Motyer took up flower arranging as a therapeutic form of relaxation during her late husband's illness, and the more she got into it the more fascinated she became.

She joined the Garden Club of Bermuda in 1978, took her first course in 1979, and continues to study today.

Through this knowledge, she has become proficient in the many facets of floral art, including modern design, pedestals, miniatures, and period design such as Victorian and Georgian.

Last February she passed tests administered by the National Association of Flower Arrangers and qualified as an international floral art judge. "There is a lot of history and a lot of learning,'' she assured. "You really have to study. As with all art, floral art is progressing all the time, and you have to keep up with the times -- all the latest trends and types of flower arranging. You don't realise how much there is until you are exposed to it. It means continuous study.'' But there is more to learning than books and demonstrations. Mrs. Motyer has also honed her skills through attending, and competing in, a host of international exhibitions and competitions.

"You learn so much from watching what other people do at these events. The mechanics are just fabulous'' she explained.

Asked which of the many floral art forms was her favourite, Mrs. Motyer responded: "You cannot afford to have favourites. I love them all.'' Turning to her prize-winning miniature, Mrs. Motyer said her interest in this form was kindled by a Garden Club course she took in 1986.

"That was my introduction, and I've never looked back.'' As with other arrangements, strict guidelines apply. Miniatures cannot measure more than five inches in any direction.

"A lot of people use tweezers,'' Mrs. Motyer allowed, "but I just struggle with my fingers.'' When it comes to materials used in these charming little compositions, the sky is apparently the limit -- but scale is vital.

"You are constantly looking around for the right size in everything, including plant material and containers,'' Mrs. Motyer explained. "Like any art form, the success of your design depends on your application of principles and elements. That's what it is all about. I still bring in things which I think will be just right but which turn out to be far too big for a five-incher.'' Like all arrangers, Mrs. Motyer never stops collecting bits and pieces of material which she believes will come in useful sometime, somewhere.

Her prize-winning miniature is a case in point. Entitled `Petit Fleurs', and designed to interpret the sea, it contained a diverse collection of materials from local and foreign sources.

"The piece of stone it stood on came from the Boston Museum of Fine Art, the reindeer moss was acquired at the Bournemouth (England) nationals, the pulverised coral was donated by a diver, the sea fan I have had for many years, the grape vine tendrils came from my garden, and the box I carried it in originally housed a clock,'' she said.

Pleased with her first win in international competition, Mrs. Motyer was also proud that she had won recognition for the Island.

"People first want to know your name and then your country. It was nice for Bermuda to have a win, because it was very much a country event,'' she said.

"The event was held by the World Association of Flower Arrangers and hosted by the Garden Club of Toronto. Competitors came from all over the world. To get a third in a world competition was a great honour. I was very excited about that.

"It was a wonderful show, with top arrangers from all over the world, the most fabulous mechanics and ideas, and work that was just brilliant.'' To put her achievement in perspective, Mrs. Motyer explained that there were approximately 300 competitors, and 13 classes with up to 24 competitors in each class. Miniatures were divided into 24 dried and 24 fresh.

"There were many exhibits but only three prizes in each class so there weren't that many to be won,'' she noted.

And what if she hadn't caught the judges' eye? "I was perfectly prepared for the judges not to like it because I never compete to win, I do it for the experience,'' she said. "But the bottom line is that flower arrangers are really lovely people to be with.'' For anyone wishing to create miniature arrangements, Mrs. Motyer suggested beginning with dried materials, which might include cloves, berries, vine tendrils and seeds. Containers could be anything from tiny shells to sample perfume bottles, doll's house vases, thimbles and nuts. "It's a case of looking around carefully and locating suitable supplies,'' she explained.

"The components for miniature designs must be in scale, and your eye tells you how to deal with the scale and balance of a design.'' IT'S A WINNER! -- A close-up of Mrs. Motyer's winning miniature shows the clever arrangement of sea shells, pulverised coral, a sea fan, star fish and dried plant material.

SEA IT! -- Mrs. Jean Motyer admires Petit Fleur, a miniature arrangement interpreting the sea, which won her third prize in the prestigious World Association of Flower Arrangers' international competition.