When I have bits of leftover plant material, I dry them and keep for future use. This time I have dried china berries and palm leaves. I thought I'd use them for some relief work.
As well, I picked up some tree bark and branches off the street! I painted the dried berries blue and found some blue card stock that would further draw out the colour.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
One of the new themes in Sogetsu Textbook 5 is called "Using Various Locations" (場を探す）which challenges us to seek out non-traditional locations to place an ikebana arrangement.
Above the kitchen sink in our little studio, there is a small ledge where we'd normally put tea canisters, dishwashing detergent, etc. This would be a great place to provide a little enjoyment to the person opening the cupboards! (Of course, care was taken so that the flowers will not impede the cupboard doors.)
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
From Sogetsu Textbook 5, this arrangement is on the theme of yuka agari (床上がり) Floor Position Arrangement. The arrangement originates from the floor and is created while being conscious that it will be viewed from a standing eye-level.
The painting on the wall is a replica of "The Willow" by Sengai Gibon (1750-1837), a Zen monk.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
Here in Canada, autumn is a time of leaves changing colours. It is also the time of harvest and we see a lot apples, pumpkins and gourds.
To welcome autumn, I used the fruits of harvest in an ikebana arrangement. Unlike flowers, they are heavier and have dense, compact shapes. It was a bit of a challenge to incorporate them in an arrangement!
In case you are wondering, I used the thick metal hanadome to hold up the heavy fruit!
Here is the whole arrangement..
I hope you like it. --Miyako
Sometimes, we prefer to create an arrangement on a suiban (flat container) without using kenzans because we are able to show the beauty and purity of the water without any disruption.
The challenge for making this type of arrangement is putting together a stable frame. The key is to choose the appropriate branch and set them on 3 legs. Once the basic structure is secure, then we can add more materials and start having fun with the arrangement!
I used linden tree branches (picked up from the sidewalk!) with pink roses and solidaster. Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
The Sogetsu School of Ikebana has recently introduced a new textbook, Textbook 5: Technique & Creation, to its curriculum. Completion of Textbook 5 is now a prerequisite in order to obtain the Teacher's Diploma 4th Grade. Iemoto Akane Teshigahara and other Sogetsu masters have been conducting seminars for Sogetsu teachers to update them regarding the instruction of Textbook 5. It is important to note that only teaching members of the Sogetsu Teachers' Association (STA) who have successfully completed the Textbook 5 special training sessions are qualified to teach Textbook 5.
Unfortunately, there has been no opportunity yet for a Sogetsu master to visit Canada (let alone little ol' Halifax!) to conduct a training session. So this summer, Miyako travelled to Tokyo to attend the Iemoto's seminar at the Sogetsu headquarters! We are happy to announce that Miyako successfully completed the seminar so all of her students who have finished Textbook 4 may begin challenging Textbook 5!
So what's new with Textbook 5?
The greatest impact of the introduction of Textbook 5 is the standardization of the curriculum on the way to obtaining the Teacher's Diploma 4th Grade. In the past, after finishing Textbook 4, students needed to take more preparatory lessons before applying for the Teacher's Diploma. Those lessons fell into a kind of grey area where the content was based on the individual teacher's discretion. The old system did work in the sense that the teacher was able to re-direct the student's attention to themes that needed reinforcement. However, the system also resulted in differences in training experience, depending on what one's teacher decided to focus on. Textbook 5 replaces that "grey area" and provides a standard and solid lesson plan for Teacher's Diploma preparation.
The content of Textbook 5 is described by four key words: "technique", "materials", "placement", and "creation". Above all of that is the emphasis on self-knowledge. Only with profound self-knowledge could one uniquely express oneself through ikebana and have the confidence to become another's teacher.
There are many, many things to look forward to in Textbook 5...from new techniques in securing an arrangement in a spherical tsubo vase (if you thought nageire was difficult, think again!) to creating an arrangement from behind. Textbook 5 also shows us examples of arrangements in situ...i.e. in the the actual locations where the arrangements were meant to be placed. It gives us fresh ideas on where ikebana can be incorporated in our living space. Indeed, ikebana arrangements are meant to be placed somewhere....not just at a photographer's studio! Other samples of interesting challenges are the use of mizuhiki (paper cord) for celebratory arrangements and creating ikebana to complement an art work. We will stop here and let you explore Textbook 5 on your own!
Browse through Textbook 5 next time you are in the studio for your lessons and see what you can look forward to! It is available to students who have completed Textbook 4. (Please note: We do not sell Sogetsu textbooks to the general public.)
Our friends at Argyle Fine Art called on us for a street art collaboration...turning a sidewalk garbage can into a floral installation! The idea was inspired by the work of NYC floral designer Lewis Miller who used his excess bouquets to beautify New York City's trash cans.
We wanted the flowers to last for at least a week so we decided to use potted plants rather than cut flowers. It was also a sensible choice for the budget we have. Of course, we added other things to make it all lively! The objective was to brighten up downtown Halifax a little bit more with flower art.
We made pinwheels.
We painted dried branches.
The installation is at the corner of Barrington and Blowers Streets in downtown Halifax.
The potted flowers of choice were mandevillas. Our florist assured us that they bloom well and that the flowers last for a while. We also used dried gourd cups (which we hand-painted) to add more colour.
The pinwheels went to the bottom...and they do spin when there's a breeze! A little extra motion to catch people's eyes! Look here.
And there it is! It will be up until July 29th, 2017 (Saturday). Take down will be on Sunday, July 30th, morning. Please come and see it!
Many thanks to Argyle Fine Art, the Downtown Halifax Business Commission and the City of Halifax for making this possible!
For this arrangement, I took inspiration from sumi-e (墨絵 - the art of Japanese ink painting). It is an isshu-ike (一種生け - arrangement with only one kind of material) using only pussywillow branches. The branches were like sumi ink, used to paint a picture.
We rendered the image in black and white. Can you recognize the nijimi (滲み - brush stroke with a full charge of ink) and kasure (掠れ - brush stroke with drying ink)?
I hope you like it. --Miyako
Tsuribana (吊り花), "hanging flower", is one of the themes in the new Textbook 5. The problem with trying to suspend a ceramic flower container is that it becomes too heavy! So I decided to use a plastic watering can and dangle it from a curtain rod. The window provides a good frame although it is backlit in the daytime!
I cut palm buds in long strips and bunched & curled them together. Wine red gerberas provide accent and colour.
Working on a hanging arrangement is quite a different experience. Be prepared to step up and down a chair many, many times! Also, lack of stability is a difficulty because the container does not sit steadily on a flat surface.
I love this challenge because it further expands the possibilities for ikebana.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
One of the themes in the new Sogetsu textbook #5 is "Composition expressing a movement." From a list of "action" words, we have to choose one and express it in our ikebana. For this arrangement, I chose to focus on the word "overflow".
in a top-heavy container, gypsophilia were arranged to look like they were bursting out and forming a mass at the container's opening. The red dogwood and myrtle branches seem to be carried to somewhere far away by the flow.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako