STRONG LINES

Don't be too shocked by the photo below. No, we are not overseas. These photos were sent by my internet correspondent Amos, from the eastern USA, with the comment that '...while you have flowers...This is mother nature's way of decorating around here.'  

The photos were taken in Amos' garden and he is so right about the beauty created by mother nature. 

It is interesting to see how the lines of these small trees are revealed by being bare of leaves, and further emphasised by the contrast of the white snow. 

Our TV news had covered stories of recent extreme cold weather in Europe and North America. At the same time, there has been un-seasonally hot weather over much of Australia. On the south coast we have been very fortunate with our temperature being moderated by cooler southerly winds and the hot days occurring in isolation.

On some days the Front Beach at Torquay has looked like this, with many families making the most of the long holidays.

Over the past 6 weeks or so I have been watching agapanthus flowering in many nearby gardens. Such a summery look when the sky is often cloudless. Yesterday, I decided I should make an ikebana arrangement using them before it is too late. Like the trees in Amos' winter garden, one of the main characteristics of agapanthus is the strong lines of their stems. Then the clear blue of their flowers. 

I decided to use this vase by Pippin Drysdale from her ‘Tanami Traces’ series, which has blue and red lines. The glazing technique she developed was inspired by the repetitive lines she saw in the Tanami Desert landscape.

The shape of this vase is a challenge because of its very narrow base and the strong colouring of the glaze. After some time experimenting I found that a single flower looked better than two or more because of the visual strength of the vase. The two ‘shredded’ aspidistra leaves created a textural contrast in the form of softer flowing lines. I have used 'cross bars' to support the materials away from the sides of the vase.

Greetings from Christopher

20th January 2019