My Torquay students attended their final class for this term in the week before last. The theme for the class was to make an ikebana arrangement using 'An everyday object' as the vessel. The 'everyday object', in this case, is something that can be found around the house. This is an exercise from the Sogetsu curriculum that challenges the students' preconceptions and requires them to take an imaginative approach to their ikebana. One of my suggestions to the students was that the 'everyday object' should be used in such a way that it did not simply look like an unusual vase.
Lovely ikebana was created, even though at times there was some amusement and laughter in the class room.
Marta used a cake tin and rack, a small bowl (obscured) and a pair of tongs to arrange a branch with a small mandarin and a stem of lemon with a single flower.
Val arranged three limes, a branch of acacia aphylla and some buds of anemome tomentosa. Her vessel is a teapot and lid.
Judy's quirky ikebana of nasturtium, marjoram and a lemon was arranged on a stainless steel lemon squeezer.
Kim's simple ikebana of two chrysanthemum flowers used two latex gloves and a nylon kitchen scourer as the vessel. He had to get creative when I rejected his handless cup as being too like a vase.
Marion arranged garlic chive flowers, a stem of vine and some bracken fern. Her vessel was a basket that is placed on its side showing the weaving of the base. This placement was to prevent the basket from looking too like the traditional use of a Japanese lacquered basket.
Helen T. arranged four Clivia leaves and a stem of Fuchsia with two pink flower buds. Her vessel was a galvanised metal watering can placed on its side.
Róża made a geometric arrangement using umbrella grass cyperus alternifolius in a highly colourful teapot.
Róża is a professional photographer who took the photograph of the 'finished' strelitzia flower-heads on last week's posting. At the same time I also re-worked the Bushy Yate ikebana I had made at the beginning of March, for her to photograph.
Above is the photo I took of the first version I made three weeks ago...
... and here is the second, studio-version Röża photographed. This time I reversed the principal branch to reduce the strongly curving line in the branch. I have also brought the separated flower buds further forward in a curving line. Röża has skilfully lit the ikebana. More of her photographic art can be seen by following this link, Geelong Photography.
Greetings from Christopher
22nd March 2020
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