MASS AND LINE

This week I set my Geelong students the exercise of making a freestyle ikebana arrangement using Australian native materials. Sometimes native materials can be difficult to use in ikebana. For example eucalyptus leaves often hang and many common flower plants are rather sparse looking so that making a mass can be difficult. 

Christine used Kangaroo paw as her main subject and deliberately chose the curving stem to create a space that extends the ikebana. She also chose to use four different materials for colour and textural contrast.

  

Maureen has used two particularly strong pink Grevillea flowers from the garden of an old friend and former neighbour. Maureen has removed a lot of the foliage to show the flowers and arranged them so that their slight curves move toward each other.

  

Ellie arranged some rich pink Mulla Mulla, Ptilotus exaltatus, flower-heads and Eucalyptus leaves in a footed compote. Asymmetry is emphasised by the creation of a space between the two masses of the Mulla Mulla flowers.

Helen Q has used a mass of spent flower capsules from a Corymbia ficifolia, after all the stamens had fallen. This has been contrasted with a short stem and mass of the leaves.

Maree completed a different exercise, a Morimono, or 'Heaped Things" arrangement, using fruit and vegetables only. She has playfully inserted a bunch of celery upside down in a black cylinder and added a cascading line of tomatoes that continues across the table top.

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On Monday this week we were able to hold the first meeting of the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. The exercise for the workshop was to make an ikebana arrangement of 'Mass and Line'. The planned presenter was unable to attend and Shoso Shimbo took on the task at short notice.

I decided that I would make a mass of multiple short lines using the spear-like stems of Strelitzia juncea, from the garden. This is interesting material because the plant appears not to have leaves.

However, if you look very closely at the tip you can make out a groove with tiny margins that are the vestigial leaves.

 

In my ikebana I used nine stems to create two tight masses from the stems to which I have added a small spray of Dwarf Nandina Domestica. The line is from the same material. The ceramic vase has two side openings as well as one at the top, which I left free of materials.

On my way home from the evening class in Geelong, as I came around a corner, I was confronted by this sight.

I must admit I burst out laughing. It immediately put me in mind of one of my childhood books "In the Land of the Talking Trees". I have often noticed this tough old tree that is still living in spite of having been burnt hollow in a past bushfire. The eyes, though, are a very recent addition!

This link will take you to the Victorian Branch website with other photos from the workshop.

Greetings from Christopher

27th February 2021