"UNEXPECTED IKEBANA"

This week, at class in Geelong, two of the students were working on exercises from their text books.

Jo's exercise was a revision from Book 5. In her case, using a vertical fixture in a tall vase. She has used two branches of New Zealand Mirror Bush, Coprosma repens and Belladonna lily, Amaryllis belladonna.

This ikebana by Tess, also from the same book, is on the theme of focusing on the properties of glass vases. She has used clear glass and set a single leaf of the prostrate, Fern Leaf Banksia, Banksia blechnifolia and a Dietes flower under the water.

At the beginning of the year I was struggling to come up with something different and a little challenging for my most senior students. Out of what seems like nowhere came the idea of "Unexpected Ikebana". As with other more nebulous topics, I deliberately do not offer any directions or suggestions, as I am most interested to see the students interpretation of the theme.

Helen Q has used some dried Kiwi Fruit Vine, Actinidia deliciosa, which she has supported on a laboratory test-tube stand. Using fine armature copper wire she has created a focal point by creating a small net.

Helen has also wound the wire around the vine in places, and as you can see in this close-up, has continued the line of the vine using coils of the wire of the same diameter as the missing vine.

Christine used a slightly concertinaed tube of stiff brown paper that leans strongly to one side. A stem of bright green Brachtychiton acerfolius leaves issues from the end of the tube and a mass of (I think) Brachychiton rupestris seed pods bursts from its side.

  

Maureen created this fine wire sculpture which included small balls of a bright silvery wire that seemed to glitter in the light coming through the window. The vessel is a narrow test-tube-shaped vase. Two single Agapanthus flowers pick up the colour of the vase base.

 

Ellie's Ikebana made me smile. Some stems of bamboo and a single Heliconia flower shoot from a vibrantly coloured shoulder bag that was hanging on a grey room-divider. It surprised me, and by definition met the (unstated) criterion of an "Unexpected Ikebana".

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With the extra rain in the late spring and early summer last year the Hydrangeas in our garden have grown well this season. However, they have flowered later. I picked three blooms for my ikebana this week. 

These three were growing on almost horizontal stems because the plant's growth was strong and the flower-heads are heavy. I have arranged them as they grew so they are spreading away from each other. To connect them I have added three stems of striped Miscanthus sinensis, 'Zebrinus' . Because I wanted the lines to complement the 'movement' of the Hydrangeas, I have caught their tips together rather than allowing the miscanthus to adopt its natural fan-like habit. The ikebana is set in two opaque glass vases.

Greetings from Christopher

21st February 2021