18 March 2024
The March workshop meeting was preceded by the Victorian Branch AGM. Eighteen members attended the meeting which was followed by a workshop led by Aileen Duke. The theme Aileen chose was "Using an everyday object" combined with materials in "Tones of the same colour".
Aileen presented three examples using different everyday objects. The first was a 'vase' she made by cutting up a PET bottle. The botanical materials were in shades of deep red to burgundy.
The March workshop meeting was preceded by the Victorian Branch AGM. Eighteen members attended the meeting which was followed by a workshop led by Aileen Duke. The theme Aileen chose was "Using an everyday object" combined with materials in "Tones of the same colour".
Aileen presented three examples using different everyday objects. The first was a 'vase' she made by cutting up a PET bottle. The botanical materials were in shades of deep red to burgundy.
In her second example Aileen a set of lidded lacquer-ware soup bowls. She configured five bowls stacked together in two columns. Into the top of each column she placed some pink botanical material (Cockscomb and Freesia) as well as two pairs of chopsticks (hashi).
Aileen's third example used a tall flat-sided vase with irregularly placed oval openings. Through the openings she threaded a plastic garden hose. Green materials were then added including Asparagus fern and a Nerine seed head.
What follows is a slide show of the ikebana made by the Branch members who were at the workshop.
19 February 2024
The first meeting for the year (of the Dragon) was attended by 27 members. Following a short business meeting a workshop was presented by Angeline Lo. The theme she chose was "The preparation and use of dried materials in ikebana". In her first demonstrated example she explained how she prepared New Zealand Flax leaves by shredding them finely before drying. The drying process makes the fibres even finer because the material shrinks. Angeline had previously prepared, gold-sprayed shredded leaves. She then arranged the dried leaves with fresh leaves of the same material. See the "one material ikebana" below.
The first meeting for the year (of the Dragon) was attended by 27 members. Following a short business meeting a workshop was presented by Angeline Lo. The theme she chose was "The preparation and use of dried materials in ikebana". In her first demonstrated example she explained how she prepared New Zealand Flax leaves by shredding them finely before drying. The drying process makes the fibres even finer because the material shrinks. Angeline had previously prepared, gold-sprayed shredded leaves. She then arranged the dried leaves with fresh leaves of the same material. See the "one material ikebana" below.
The second work Angeline demonstrated used three dried Strelitzia leaves and a dried Strelitzia flower stem with the flower having been removed before drying. To these materials she added fresh Aspidistra leaves and three red Celosia inflorescences.
Angeline then spoke about two previously prepared examples. The first uses multiple fine branches of different plants. They are all sprayed the same colour so their varied origin is not immediately apparent.
The second uses a single branch painted pink which is set with fresh Celosia and fine blue Statice.
The second uses a single branch painted pink which is set with fresh Celosia and fine blue Statice.
What follows is a slide show of ikebana made by members at the meeting.
27th November 2023
The last meeting for the year was a workshop attended by 22 members. The workshop was led by Emily Karanikolopoulos who chose for her theme "Taking into account the shape of the vessel" and "Intertwining materials". Emily observed that we had done both of these individual exercises from the curriculum previously, however not in combination.
In the photograph below Emily is demonstrating an arrangement she made in a tube-shaped vessel with three openings. In this case, only one opening is used. Following is a close-up of the ikebana.
Below are other examples of the exercise that Emily created.
Next is a slideshow of ikebana on the theme made by members at the workshop
Saturday 14 October 2023 am
Massed Expression - Sandra Marker
Two Saturday workshops were presented by Sandra Marker, a senior teacher from the New South Wales Branch of the Sogetsu School. Sandra holds the Komon teaching qualification and is active in a range of creative pursuits in addition to ikebana. The theme of the first workshop was to make an ikebana arrangement focusing on "Massed expression" but with the twist of using two vessels.
Massed Expression - Sandra Marker
Two Saturday workshops were presented by Sandra Marker, a senior teacher from the New South Wales Branch of the Sogetsu School. Sandra holds the Komon teaching qualification and is active in a range of creative pursuits in addition to ikebana. The theme of the first workshop was to make an ikebana arrangement focusing on "Massed expression" but with the twist of using two vessels.
This was Sandra's demonstration example. She created a mass of folded and curved Aspidistra leaves in a narrow white vessel low in the arrangement. Above this she made another mass using white Snowball bush, Viburnum opulus in a blue annular-shaped ceramic vessel.
Below is a slide show of ikebana created by the seventeen members who attended the morning session. (The editor apologises for not recording the ikebanists names.)
Saturday 14 October 2023 pm
Expressing an emotion or feeling - Sandra Marker
In the afternoon the subject set was an ikebana expressing an emotion or feeling. For her demonstration Sandra created the ikebana below.
Expressing an emotion or feeling - Sandra Marker
In the afternoon the subject set was an ikebana expressing an emotion or feeling. For her demonstration Sandra created the ikebana below.
Sandra said this ikebana was to express the feelings of elation, joy and exuberance.
Below are photos of the twelve attendees ikebana at the afternoon workshop.
Saturday 23 October 2023
Fruit and vegetables incorporating unconventional material - Elin Dahlin
The workshop on the first Saturday of September was an addition to our planned program, and an unexpected treat. Elin Dahlin, a teacher from Sweden who was visiting Australia offered to present a workshop for the Branch. The Committee liked the idea of having an otherwise unknown presenter who would be bringing a different perspective to the workshop.
Ms Dahlin has been a Sogetsu practitioner for almost 30 years and holds the Komon Degree from Sogetsu Head Quarters. She presented her workshop on the combined exercises of creating an ikebana, 1. incorporating "unconventional material" and 2 using "Fruit or vegetables" only. The additional challenge was that the fruit and vegetables were provided by the Branch. Therefore not previously seen by the participating members.
Ms Dahlin presented her first interpretation of the theme by way of a demonstration. She created an ikebana that was also, in inspired by a work of Art. In this case a painting by Picasso.
Fruit and vegetables incorporating unconventional material - Elin Dahlin
The workshop on the first Saturday of September was an addition to our planned program, and an unexpected treat. Elin Dahlin, a teacher from Sweden who was visiting Australia offered to present a workshop for the Branch. The Committee liked the idea of having an otherwise unknown presenter who would be bringing a different perspective to the workshop.
Ms Dahlin has been a Sogetsu practitioner for almost 30 years and holds the Komon Degree from Sogetsu Head Quarters. She presented her workshop on the combined exercises of creating an ikebana, 1. incorporating "unconventional material" and 2 using "Fruit or vegetables" only. The additional challenge was that the fruit and vegetables were provided by the Branch. Therefore not previously seen by the participating members.
Ms Dahlin presented her first interpretation of the theme by way of a demonstration. She created an ikebana that was also, in inspired by a work of Art. In this case a painting by Picasso.
In this photo, a card of the Picasso painting is displayed beside the demonstration piece.
The next work was prepared in advance, and told a somber story of the current war in Ukraine.
The next work was prepared in advance, and told a somber story of the current war in Ukraine.
Ms Dahlin's ikebana represented grasping hands and fleeing Ukrainian people with a sense of being entrapped.
Her third work was in response to the huge changes arising from the global reach of modern communications.
Her third work was in response to the huge changes arising from the global reach of modern communications.
From opposite sides of the earth we are able to communicate in "real time" through the wonders of new technology.
Below is a slide show of ikebana made by the twenty members who attended the workshop.
Below is a slide show of ikebana made by the twenty members who attended the workshop.
Monday 17 July 2023
Flax - Jenny Loo
The May workshop was led by Branch member and teacher Jenny Loo. The theme of the workshop was ikebana using New Zealand Flax in an “interesting” vase. An additional twist was added to the exercise when, before the members started to work, they were asked to exchange their vessels with the person sitting nearest to them.
Jenny had two previously prepared examples and demonstrated two other ways of using her flax material.
Flax - Jenny Loo
The May workshop was led by Branch member and teacher Jenny Loo. The theme of the workshop was ikebana using New Zealand Flax in an “interesting” vase. An additional twist was added to the exercise when, before the members started to work, they were asked to exchange their vessels with the person sitting nearest to them.
Jenny had two previously prepared examples and demonstrated two other ways of using her flax material.
In her first example the flax was used without any manipulation to create a very strong contemporary feel.
Her second example involved creating curving lines with the flax and using an “interesting’ vase.
In this prepared example Jenny had made circles with the flax to complement the design of the unusual vase.
Jenny’s second prepared example was an irregularly woven basket she had made with partially dried flax, to which she added flowers into small hidden vials.
Below are photos of the ikebana made by the members in vases they had not chosen.
Monday 15th May 2023
Ikebana with wood
The May workshop was led by Lara Telford who chose as her topic; Ikebana using wood. She differentiated this theme from using branch material. Instead, she encouraged the members to use driftwood or other larger pieces of wood that have a strong character.
For her first example of this theme she used a glass suiban across which she placed a single branch of old wood with a strongly textured surface.
Ikebana with wood
The May workshop was led by Lara Telford who chose as her topic; Ikebana using wood. She differentiated this theme from using branch material. Instead, she encouraged the members to use driftwood or other larger pieces of wood that have a strong character.
For her first example of this theme she used a glass suiban across which she placed a single branch of old wood with a strongly textured surface.
Because the suiban was glass Lara could not use a kenzan. To deal with this difficulty she braced a thick fleshy leaf stem across the suiban. She then inserted light materials into the stem obviating the need of a kenzan. Lara also floated red berries on the surface of the water which were contained by the leaf stem. Unfortunately, they are not visible from the angle of the photograph.
Lara's second arrangement included two very strongly sculptural pieces of wood that were fixed to a tall candlestick. She then draped an autumn coloured obi around the sculpture and observed that it did not need any fresh botanical material to be included.
Lara's third, very simple, ikebana included another rather bulky, textured piece of wood braced between the uprights of a white ceramic vessel. To this she added a single grapefruit with one leaf left attached to give it a feeling of freshness and life.
What follows is a slideshow of the ikebana created by the members present at the meeting.
What follows is a slideshow of the ikebana created by the members present at the meeting.
Monday 6th March 2023
Three or more vessels (not matching)
Monday's workshop followed the AGM of the Victorian Branch. The subject of the workshop, led by Thea Sartori was, to make a single ikebana using three or more vessels which were not matching. That meant the vases did not relate in colour, form or style. Thea made the observation that in our own homes, ikebanists can fall into the habit of making particular forms of ikebana which are dictated by the spaces that we usually set our work. In thinking about the exercise she realise that the physical space may limit the dimensions of an ikebana arrangement but it did not have to dictate the shape or number of vases used.
Three or more vessels (not matching)
Monday's workshop followed the AGM of the Victorian Branch. The subject of the workshop, led by Thea Sartori was, to make a single ikebana using three or more vessels which were not matching. That meant the vases did not relate in colour, form or style. Thea made the observation that in our own homes, ikebanists can fall into the habit of making particular forms of ikebana which are dictated by the spaces that we usually set our work. In thinking about the exercise she realise that the physical space may limit the dimensions of an ikebana arrangement but it did not have to dictate the shape or number of vases used.
In her first example Thea placed the three vases and then set just two types of materials that united the ikebana. Two vases have variegated New Zealand Flax leaves and the third vase a mass of Bougainvillea flowers.
In her second example Thea used different materials in each of three different vases. The vases were placed first and then the materials were added in such a way that the work became a coherent whole.
In her third example Thea demonstrated that vases could be stacked on or in each other creating a whole new form made of discrepant parts. The example above shows a clear glass bowl which nestles in a turquoise dish but which itself contains a square ceramic vessel.
Below is a slideshow of the work made by the members present at the meeting.
Below is a slideshow of the work made by the members present at the meeting.
Monday 6th February 2023
Double shin
The workshop held on Monday 6th February was led by Aileen Duke. The theme of the workshop was a Double Shin ikebana arrangement. Aileen explained that this style was developed by Sofu Teshigahara. The idea of an ikebana arrangement being divided into two parts has a long history, which stretches back to the evolution of Rikka. The Double Shin being one of Rikka's nineteen styles. Because the Double Shin style is not commonly practised, Aileen first set up a discussion process for the meeting. Members first worked in small groups, then all members pooled their ideas in the larger group. For a sizeable percentage of the members, this was their first experience of creating a Double Shin ikebana arrangement.
For some of us the exercise was a great help in clarifying the difference between the Double Shin and the "Kabuwake" (two-groups style which uses two kenzans)
Below are pictures of five small Double Shin ikebana arrangements that Aileen had prepared in advance of the workshop.
What follows is a slide show of members' work that was made at the workshop.
Monday 21 November 2022
Summer with a focus on movement
The November workshop held last Monday was led by Emerald Leung. She chose for her theme a "Summer ikebana with focus on movement". Emerald illustrated her theme with two prepared ikebana arrangements and one that she created by way of demonstration.
Summer with a focus on movement
The November workshop held last Monday was led by Emerald Leung. She chose for her theme a "Summer ikebana with focus on movement". Emerald illustrated her theme with two prepared ikebana arrangements and one that she created by way of demonstration.
The above ikebana was Emerald's demonstration work. She used a large piece of partially charred wood representing the heat and dryness of summer. Red Kangaroo Paw flowers represent the movement of bushfire flames rising up as they burn. The wood is supported against a black ceramic vase allowing the holes in the wood to show and space to be revealed at the base of the work.
Her second work, below, represents the curl and tumble of waves. The single material ikebana uses only Aspidistra leaves in a blue suiban.
Her second work, below, represents the curl and tumble of waves. The single material ikebana uses only Aspidistra leaves in a blue suiban.
The third example represents the violence of a tropical storm. Her personal challenge was to make even a windswept and slightly "messy" ikebana look aesthetically pleasing. The materials are fan palm and Strelitzia flowers.
Below is a slide-show of the ikebana created by the members at the workshop.
Saturday 29 October 2022 am
In a suiban without a kenzan
This year we were privileged to have two workshop conducted by Yoshiro Umemura from Sydney. The theme of the first workshop was "An ikebana in a suiban without using a kenzan". For his demonstration ikebana Yoshiro used Golden elm as the principal material and added green Goddess lilies flowers and leaves to make a central focal point.
Below is a slideshow of some of the ikebana works made by members.
Saturday 29 October 2022 pm
Basic upright nageire
In the afternoon workshop the theme was to make a Basic Upright ikebana in the nageire style.
Below is a slideshow of some of the members work.
Basic upright nageire
In the afternoon workshop the theme was to make a Basic Upright ikebana in the nageire style.
Below is a slideshow of some of the members work.
26 September 2022
Ikebana for gift giving
The workshop on Monday of this week was led by Emily Karanikolopoulos. The theme she chose was how to make "Ikebana for gift giving". Emily demonstrated a variety of techniques that make it possible, with care, to transport the gift without it falling apart.
In her first example, below, Emily used a round (tsubo) vase. She had wired cross-bars into the vessel onto which she wired the large dry branch. The lily stems were all inserted into the same quadrant and pinned together after placement.
Ikebana for gift giving
The workshop on Monday of this week was led by Emily Karanikolopoulos. The theme she chose was how to make "Ikebana for gift giving". Emily demonstrated a variety of techniques that make it possible, with care, to transport the gift without it falling apart.
In her first example, below, Emily used a round (tsubo) vase. She had wired cross-bars into the vessel onto which she wired the large dry branch. The lily stems were all inserted into the same quadrant and pinned together after placement.
In the next example, a strong branching stem was inverted into the vase preventing its base from moving. The dried branch was then wired onto the slightly projecting vertical stem and other materials secured into place.
In the following example the perforated vase itself became the principal securing device.
Next Emily used Florists' foam which she covered with "Baby's tears" ( Soleirolia soleirolii ).
Lastly, in a tall straight-sided vase Emily stood a vertical stem that branched at the top. The side branches were trimmed so that they were wedged firmly and divided the opening into sections. All of the materials were then inserted into only one of the sections thus holding them tightly.
What follows is a slide show of ikebana made by members and two visitors to the workshop.
9 July 2022
One kind of branch material, with flowers, fruit or berries - trimming
On Saturday 9th the Victorian Branch held two workshops that were led by Vernisher Wooh, from the Queensland Branch of the Sogetsu School. This was a twice delayed workshop originally planned for 2020. Vernisher is the most recent recipient of the Norman and Mary Sparnon Endowment and spent three months at the Sogetsu Head Quarters in 2019.
The theme of the first workshop was "Using one kind of branch material, with flowers, fruit or berries". The focus was to be on trimming.
One kind of branch material, with flowers, fruit or berries - trimming
On Saturday 9th the Victorian Branch held two workshops that were led by Vernisher Wooh, from the Queensland Branch of the Sogetsu School. This was a twice delayed workshop originally planned for 2020. Vernisher is the most recent recipient of the Norman and Mary Sparnon Endowment and spent three months at the Sogetsu Head Quarters in 2019.
The theme of the first workshop was "Using one kind of branch material, with flowers, fruit or berries". The focus was to be on trimming.
This was Vernisher's demonstration example. A single branch of Japanese Quince trimmed to its essence. A stem and side branch, two flowers, a cluster of buds and a single leaf. It caused a re-think for many of the participants.
Below is a slide show of participants ikebana from the first workshop.
9 July 2022 pm
Winter - You in Ikebana
The theme of the afternoon workshop was a combination of the themes, "Materials representing Winter" and "You in Ikebana".
Vernisher's demonstration ikebana included bare branches of Magnolia and two kinds of Camellia in flower.
Winter - You in Ikebana
The theme of the afternoon workshop was a combination of the themes, "Materials representing Winter" and "You in Ikebana".
Vernisher's demonstration ikebana included bare branches of Magnolia and two kinds of Camellia in flower.
Below is a slide show of ikebana made by participants at the afternoon workshop.
6 June 2022
Autumn ikebana, incorporating unconventional material
In spite of the sudden wintery weather meeting on Monday was attended by 22 well rugged up members. The presenter of the workshop was Akemi Suzuki who set the topic of "An autumn ikebana, incorporation some unconventional material". In this instance members were able to select a length of coloured ribbon made from recycled paper that Akemi had brought back from a recent trip to Japan.
Akemi showed a number of ways that the ribbon could be manipulated and used these in the demonstration which are shown below.
Autumn ikebana, incorporating unconventional material
In spite of the sudden wintery weather meeting on Monday was attended by 22 well rugged up members. The presenter of the workshop was Akemi Suzuki who set the topic of "An autumn ikebana, incorporation some unconventional material". In this instance members were able to select a length of coloured ribbon made from recycled paper that Akemi had brought back from a recent trip to Japan.
Akemi showed a number of ways that the ribbon could be manipulated and used these in the demonstration which are shown below.
In this first example Akemi created two concentric balls of loosely-woven paper ribbon. The botanical material is a mass of berries of Nandina domestica.
In the second example Akemi has threaded the paper ribbon through the openings of this unusual ikebana vase. The botanical material is Hydrangea and an unidentified branch material.
In the third example Akemi plaited two paper ribbons in different shades of red. The botanical materials are Nandina domestica berries and New Zealand Flax.
Akemi's final example includes three loosely woven paper balls and a small red paper tie that holds the bunched Umbrella Grass stems together. The additional botanical materials are Nandina domestica leaves and a branch of Japanese Maple.
Below is a slide show of work created by members of the Victorian Branch at the workshop.
Below is a slide show of work created by members of the Victorian Branch at the workshop.
21 March 2022
Space in ikebana
The March meeting which was attended by 21 members. It was also the Victorian Branch Annual General Meeting and was followed by a workshop that was led by Lara Telford. Lara chose the theme of focusing on the creation of space in ikebana. ("Space", in Japanese: 間, 'Ma'). Lara gave a presentation about this concept that is present in all aspects of Japanese culture and which is not adequately captured by the English word 'space'. Nearer to the idea is the visual art term: "negative space". The created space should have a sense of vitality rather than just emptiness. Lara followed her explanation with a demonstration of two examples.
Space in ikebana
The March meeting which was attended by 21 members. It was also the Victorian Branch Annual General Meeting and was followed by a workshop that was led by Lara Telford. Lara chose the theme of focusing on the creation of space in ikebana. ("Space", in Japanese: 間, 'Ma'). Lara gave a presentation about this concept that is present in all aspects of Japanese culture and which is not adequately captured by the English word 'space'. Nearer to the idea is the visual art term: "negative space". The created space should have a sense of vitality rather than just emptiness. Lara followed her explanation with a demonstration of two examples.
Here Lara has created the space between the two strong lines on either side of the ikebana.
In her second example Lara chose a vase she understandably described as "very difficult". The tiny base makes the ikebana float above the table surface further emphasising the space between the two groups of materials.
Below is a slide show of ikebana created by members on the same theme.
21 February 2022
Paper
The first Branch workshop meeting for 2022 was held in the North Balwyn Baptist Church Hall as a face-to-face meeting. The enthusiasm and hope for a return to this more familiar mode of meeting was very clear among the 28 members present. Elizabeth Angell led the workshop on the theme of an Ikebana arrangement that incorporated paper.
Elizabeth demonstrated two examples on the theme. In the first of these she used two vases of matching shape. Stripped stems of Kerria were arched between the two vases and newspaper that she had shredded then laminated were entwined around the Kerria stems. A single red Dahlia was arranged as a focal point.
In her second demonstration ikebana Elizabeth created two masses with green cellophane paper in a tall cylinder. She then created a red line with a tube of red cellophane. Two pomegranates were the botanical focus (Photo below).
Below is a slide-show of ikebana created by members at the workshop.
22 November 2021
Glass vessels
Twenty members of the Victorian Branch enjoyed our first face-to-face meeting since April. Angeline Lo was the presenter of the workshop. Her theme was to make an ikebana arrangement using leaves in a transparent glass vessel. In advance the following explanation of her thoughts was sent to members.
"As we approach the warmer days of late Spring, let us prepare for the hot summer with a workshop on using “Glass Containers”. I am intrigued by the refraction of water and glass on the materials submerged in it. It gives a new depth of colour and even more interesting illusion due to the curved glass surface. It is fun to experiment how different the materials look with and without water.
I love how we get to be creative with new fixing methods so that they will become part of the design being showcased. In the workshop, we will focus in using leaves only without flowers."
The following three photos are of her demonstration works.
Glass vessels
Twenty members of the Victorian Branch enjoyed our first face-to-face meeting since April. Angeline Lo was the presenter of the workshop. Her theme was to make an ikebana arrangement using leaves in a transparent glass vessel. In advance the following explanation of her thoughts was sent to members.
"As we approach the warmer days of late Spring, let us prepare for the hot summer with a workshop on using “Glass Containers”. I am intrigued by the refraction of water and glass on the materials submerged in it. It gives a new depth of colour and even more interesting illusion due to the curved glass surface. It is fun to experiment how different the materials look with and without water.
I love how we get to be creative with new fixing methods so that they will become part of the design being showcased. In the workshop, we will focus in using leaves only without flowers."
The following three photos are of her demonstration works.
This example demonstrated discrete fixing to hold the materials in place above and below the water without touching the sides of the vessel.
In this example Angeline was focusing on the enhancement of colour when the material is submerged in the water.
It is a bit difficult to see this demonstration. To emphasise the water in this vase Angeline created a mass of bubbles that cling to the leaf and the side of the vase.
What follows is a slideshow of the members' ikebana made in the workshop and two photos that were sent in by members who were unable to attend the meeting.
What follows is a slideshow of the members' ikebana made in the workshop and two photos that were sent in by members who were unable to attend the meeting.
25 October 2021
Unconventional materials - transparency
Our third online workshop topic was chosen by Aileen Duke. Her subject was to, "...make an ikebana arrangement using unconventional materials, with a particular focus on transparency.".
She wrote:
"Unconventional for this workshop means anything other than fresh, dried or coloured botanical materials. It includes synthetic or non-organic materials and processed botanical materials. While fresh or other botanical materials may be included, the unconventional material/s should have a clear or defining role in the arrangement."
Below is Aileen's demonstration example of the exercise.
Unconventional materials - transparency
Our third online workshop topic was chosen by Aileen Duke. Her subject was to, "...make an ikebana arrangement using unconventional materials, with a particular focus on transparency.".
She wrote:
"Unconventional for this workshop means anything other than fresh, dried or coloured botanical materials. It includes synthetic or non-organic materials and processed botanical materials. While fresh or other botanical materials may be included, the unconventional material/s should have a clear or defining role in the arrangement."
Below is Aileen's demonstration example of the exercise.
What follows is a slideshow of members' ikebana work on this theme.
September online workshop
Two or more vessels
Once again our workshop needed to be moved to an online format. The topic of the workshop was set by Akemi Suzuki. She modified the Sogetsu curriculum exercise of making an "Ikebana using two or more vessels". The extra criteria added to the exercise is that the vessels should be: touching, stacked or interlocked with each other.
About the exercise Akemi made the observation.
"When you use two or more containers, you can create interesting space or shape which you wouldn’t make with only a single container. However, at the same time these containers should create harmony with the flower materials as well" Below are three examples that Akemi provided.
Two or more vessels
Once again our workshop needed to be moved to an online format. The topic of the workshop was set by Akemi Suzuki. She modified the Sogetsu curriculum exercise of making an "Ikebana using two or more vessels". The extra criteria added to the exercise is that the vessels should be: touching, stacked or interlocked with each other.
About the exercise Akemi made the observation.
"When you use two or more containers, you can create interesting space or shape which you wouldn’t make with only a single container. However, at the same time these containers should create harmony with the flower materials as well" Below are three examples that Akemi provided.
This example uses a yellow glass vase and a blue goblet.
Here Akemi has used two black Jubako (Japanese picnic boxes) and the lid of the larger of the two boxes. Her use of a minimal amount of Siberian dogwood makes this a quite sculptural work.
Akemi's third example is quite an abstract work, viewed from above. On the bottom is a gold coloured metal dish, then a glass bowl and across its edge is a ceramic vessel of four connected globes . The fresh material is Umbrella grass.
Below is a slide show of ikebana made by Victorian Branch members at home for this workshop.
Below is a slide show of ikebana made by Victorian Branch members at home for this workshop.