PINK FLOWERS FROM THE GARDEN


Last week I set my Melbourne students the same exercise I had given two weeks ago to my Geelong students, which was "Unexpected Ikebana".

Marcia created a simple and bold sculptural work by fixing two Pomegranate, Punica granatum, fruit on a coloured bamboo skewer. The unique metal form had been made by her husband to Marcia's design.


Margaret chose Cork bark, some Billy Buttons, Craspediaa reed and some wire netting as her materials. Within a column of the wire netting she has set the bark with two gaps and created a focal point with the Billy Buttons.



Eugenia has created a bold, strongly geometric sculpture using a ceramic bowl, a black plastic annulus and two plastic binders. The only colour is the bright red of two Cherry tomatoes.

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As I walked around the garden recently I particularly noticed the pink flowers that bloom at this time of year, at least in this garden.

I was blessed with the gift of this rich pink Sedum from one of my students a few years ago. 


This particular Hydrangea came from the garden of my ikebana colleague of the Ohara School, Rosemary, and her husband David.


These Belladonna lilies, Amaryllis belladonna, came from the garden of a neighbour, Ron. They are darker and taller than those from my parents garden.

Noticing these flowers put me in mind of the Sogetsu curriculum exercise of setting flowers in a range of 'tones of the one colour' for my ikebana this week.

I have arranged the mass of flowers on the left side of this contemporary style vessel which has two openings. In this exercise it is not necessary to arrange the materials as a mass. However, as I have arranged this ikebana it is worth noting that it also conforms to a second curriculum exercise: "An Arrangement of Line and Mass". 


Greetings from Christopher
7th March 2021

2 comments:

  1. Your students’ arrangements are so imaginative and interesting. I have never seen that lovely pink with the dark pink dots hydrangea flower before and it is so nice to be able to use those gifted materials you have grown in your Ikebana arrangements. I always think of the person who gave me plantings when I use them in an arrangement. And lastly I love that unique container you used for your arrangement!

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  2. Dear Gail,
    good to hear from you. The pale pink flower has only appeared late in our rather cool summer. Initially the petals are green-white then become pale pink. Then after summer as the weather cools properly they go quite red and a darker green in the less exposed parts. The dark pink spots are blemishes that I think are caused by drops of moisture, or possibly from insect damage. They also dry well if they are not ravaged by the summer heat.

    Warm regards,
    Christopher

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