Spring is in the air in Halifax. Tulips should be blooming soon!
Tulips growing tall and straight are wonderful signs of strength and fortitude.
But wouldn't it be interesting for tulips to show some curves too? I bent some stems in this bunch of tulips to show a sense of motion and portrayed them to be in a light-hearted dance.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
The challenge was to create an arrangement using only magnolia branches. This style is called "isshu-ike" (一種生け), "arrangement with only one kind of material".
The leathery leaves have different colours on either side--dark green on one side and orange-brown on the other. This colour difference was used to show contrast.
After the framework had been determined, the leaves were arranged to form a somewhat checkered pattern (市松模様 ichimatsu moyoh).
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
This is an arrangement using unconventional materials.
Salal leaves were folded crosswise and lengthwise to present a different shape from what we are used to seeing.
Next, I used the Sogetsu steel hanadome (花留め）not as a flower holder but as part of the arrangement to create lines.
Complementing the black, thin and angular hanadome are two wooden boards, also painted in black.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
I had on hand some wonderful dried branches. I thought I'd have fun with them. I painted them black.
Adding pink, yellow and green accents brings the arrangement together with a stronger impact.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
When we want to create mass in an arrangement, it is often easier to use floral materials like spray mums, baby's breath or alstroemeria. These flowers are easy to bunch together, leaving very little space visible between them.
For this arrangement, however, I challenged myself to create mass with lilies. The reason is simple: I had a lot of lilies leftover!
I used two black containers to highlight the yellow of the lilies. The mass was set on top, accented with solidaster and one chrysanthemum bloom below to regain some balance.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
We'd like to share some images of members of the South Shore Shambhala community in Mahone Bay, NS as they practice their ikebana.
Everyone is serious in their pursuit of understanding ikebana. It is such a great pleasure to work with them.
We look forward to our next meeting!
Monstera leaves are always very interesting to use because of their wide surface and unusual patterns. However, I wanted to use monstera in a different way this time. I curled the leaves into a ball, overlapping and weaving together!
I had to pay attention not to make it look too heavy! I added a light, gentle horizontal line using branches stripped of their leaves.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. -- Miyako
I have this beautiful Shunkei lacquer vase with a long and elegant handle. I decided to intertwine palm leaves around it to show a climbing arrangement, almost like a vine!
To the left of the arrangement, I added steel grass as an extension and overflow of the motion created by the entwined palm.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
It is summer and it is green! I took some wild greens growing on the roadside. These stems are interesting. If you look closely enough, you will notice some leaves are flat but others are slightly curled.
I decided to take them apart and re-assemble them to show a climbing motion. The leaves were plucked carefully because I also wanted to show the calyxes.
The bare stems continue the upward movement of the leaves below.
In the midst of the leaves, I placed on lily bud...like something to be found in a treasure-hunt! The dark pink alstroemeria blooms serves to emphasize the contrast between the cream container and the green leaves.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
I have many blue containers and so I thought it would interesting to use a few of them like building blocks. I placed a half-moon container on its side to show a strong face.
To further emphasize this strong surface, I placed flowers behind it. The chrysanthemum on the lower right is made to look as if it is peeking out from behind!
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako