OUT OF THE CLASSROOM


We are coming to the end of term four of the school year in Victoria and two of my classes are finishing for the year. 

The final activity for my informal U3A class was 'Ikebana at home'. The value of this class format is that the ikebana has to be created in a way that suits the location in which it is made, which is so different to making ikebana on a table in a classroom. The students were allocated places around our house by drawing a number from a bowl. They then had to choose a vessel from my collection that would suit their material and the location. They had brought their own materials, not knowing where they were to be used.


Helen T's location was this wooden box in the entrance, which sits below a large wooden shelf. She had brought palm fronds that reminded her of tropical summer holidays. It was necessary to curve the fronds and place them at a low angle to fit under the shelf. Her bright red flowers are geraniums.



Róża had to work on top of a small bookshelf in a corner with windows on both sides. She used some succulent flowers and deep maroon helichrysum flowers in a black ceramic vessel. A Christmas touch was added in the form of some colourful ribbon that cascaded down the righthand side.



Val's location was the living room ikebana niche. She chose white Christmas lilies, a striped ginger lily leaf and some 'feverfew' tanactum parthenium as jushi. I added some mizuhiki for Christmas sparkle.


Kim had to work on a low glass-topped table using a unique ceramic vessel by Graeme Wilkie. This was difficult as the vessel has a small opening and I asked Kim to make his an 'all round' arrangement because of its location. He used long bullrush leaves and some small bright pink flowers from the florist.




Rhonda had to work in a tall narrow space at the end of a corridor. She wisely chose a nageire vase, also by Graeme Wilkie. Her material included Grevillea stems and South African leucospermum flowers.

After the ikebana creations and critique the class all shared a buffet luncheon.


Kim's contribution was this croquembouche which he made himself. As a plain-cook who uses a wok rather than an oven I was very impressed.


Greetings from Christopher
1st December 2018

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