VARIATION No6 (Nagiere)

At my most recent class my teacher set us the revision exercise of the title. I love the simplicity of the 'variations' and the elegance of nagiere in particular. Variation 6 is a 'horizontal' arrangement with the shin line at 85 degrees from the vertical. I realised that the banksia (Banksia Integrifolia) growing in our garden would lend itself admirably to the exercise. Here is a branch on the tree with the sun coming from behind.

In these pictures you can see the lovely silvery underside of the leaves. Also, as is the characteristic of this plant, there are all stages of flowering visible at the same time, from the beginnings of the flower spike through to the cone with its open seed capsules having ejected the seeds. Unfortunately the full length photo I took of the tree did not come out. It is about six metres high. This particular species of banksia was one of four that were collected in 1770 by Joseph Banks. It grows all along the east coast of Australia to the south coast of Victoria and flowers from Autumn through to the Spring. 

In this arrangement the shin line extends to the left at 85 degrees, the soe is the highest line at 65 degrees and the hikae to the right front is at 75 degrees (Correction 24th May. When I initially posted this page on 22nd I incorrectly said the Soe branch should be at 45 degrees. The highest branch in the image below is actually a little too high.). The three lines radiate from the centre of the vase like the spokes of a wheel making it suitable to be seen from all angles and therefore able to be placed on a low table in the middle of a room. The ceramic cylinder is by Graeme Wilkie of Qdos Gallery.

Greetings from Christopher
21st April 2012.