I love the white double blossom on this tree that I came across for the first time only last year. It is growing in a small garden at the front of a block of flats near the Botanic Gardens in Melbourne. It looks so fresh and makes a bright welcome to Spring which, in Australia begins on the first day of September. Having spent Spring and early Summer in Tokyo this year I really feel that Spring should be just about finished.
Last week there was one day of particularly strong cold winds directly from the south. In the middle of this picture you may see a brave wind-surfer taking advantage of the conditions.
On the wind blown top of the cliffs is an area of heathland with low growing plants that often look as though some-one comes out at night and prunes them closely like the rounded shrubs in Japanese gardens. My eyes were caught by the mauve flowers in the foreground.
The exercise my teacher set at her last class was an interesting one. Create an arrangement using repeating shapes. Then make a simplified version using the same material. I created the triangles from reeds I collected in the creek near our house. I really was not very happy with the result. I think it looks a bit too flat and the highest triangle doesn't relate well to the rest of the arrangement.
I think the simplified version is a little better. It is in a lovely vase that Elizabeth lent me which was made by Shigeo Shiga. He worked in New South Wales for many years and died only last year.
This arrangement of acacia pycnantha is in a bottle shaped vase I bought in Mashiko. The glaze is a light Tenmoku (I think) with a turquoise splash on each of the broader sides.
Greetings from Christopher
18th September 2011
Thank you for leaving the message on my blog.The vase from Mashiko has good color.I guess it is from Taisei-Kama pottery? Though It is traditional Mashiko style, it does not look old with Australian flower. Always you make the beautiful line.
ReplyDeleteI went thru 2 summers when in Melbourne and Florida last year. Very strange feeling to have a season last so long, I can related. I did winter, summer, autumn, winter, spring , summer, winter all in seven months..... Love your arrangements this week, You are so fortunate to live on the coast so close to the ocean, very envious.
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