BOXING DAY GREETINGS

 

Summer seems to have arrived on the south coast of Victoria. We had cool weather up to only one week before Christmas. However, yesterday was a classic summer beach day in this part of the world with a top temperature of 32 Centigrade.

It was also warm when I took this photo on the Torquay front beach last Thursday. We love the brilliant red of the well-named New Zealand Christmas trees Metrosideros excelsa.

Laurie was also providing human interest and a sense of scale in front of this gloriously flowering Grevillea robusta in the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne.

Here is most of the rest of this specimen... 

...and a close-up some of the lower flowering branches. In the garden at Torquay our G. robusta has responded well to this year's wet spring with lots of leaf growth and a rather small cluster of flowers about six metres above our heads. 

This year after celebrating Christmas with some of Laurie's siblings at our flat in Melbourne, we had a leisurely walk around the lake at the bottom of the Botanic Gardens.

Lovely to see the Lotus plants beginning to flower.

A family photo taken by a kind stranger.

Earlier, down at Torquay, I had made a Christmas ikebana "to be seen from all angles". The only Pinus radiata branch from our neighbour's garden that I could reach had some small side branches which tended to hang down. The nature of the branches is what dictated the form of the ikebana.

I chose a wide shallow ceramic bowl and arranged the materials asymmetrically. This means that a different material and appearance is presented depending on the angle of the viewer.

 

Here is my Christmas ikebana in the living room niche. The other materials are: three small buds of Rosa "Mr Lincoln" and some flowering branches of Bursaria spinosa, from the garden.

The vessel is by the Victorian ceramic artist Phil Elson.

Wishing you a Happy Boxing Day.

Christopher

26th December 2022
 

EARLY SUMMER FLOWERS

A few years ago I decided that I needed to grow some plants that would provide flowers on long straight stems; highly desirable for the hikae element in the basic Sogetsu ikebana exercises. Of course, in our garden the plants also needed to be able to cope with the usual hot, dry summer of the south-west coast of Victoria. I did give them some encouragement by putting down a layer of potting-mix-quality soil that I bought in bulk from a garden supplier. The exercise has been a success, although limited in range as only two plants meet the desired criteria of long stemmed flowers. It is now more of a herbaceous jungle or weed-patch than a herbaceous border. The two plants are...

...Verbena bonariensis, which produces smallish purple flower clusters on very long thin stems;

.....and Red Valerian Centranthus ruber, which has  pink flowers in a larger inflorescence than the Verbena. The stems of both plants are firmer than the...

...Scabiosa atropurpurea which has already gone a little wild in the garden. This week I decided that I wanted to use the first two of these plants in a late spring-early summer freestyle ikebana. 

 

The vase I had in mind to use has an exceptionally narrow trough shape. I braced lengths of two straight leaf stems of Strelitzia juncea to secure the fine stems of the materials in the gap between them and the wall of the vase.

I created an overall design of tall scalene triangles with the stems. The resulting appearance is open and loose to capture the feeling of the rampant late spring/early summer (sprummer) growth. The vase is by the Japanese-born Australian ceramic artist Hiroe Swen.

I also decided it was time to make an ikebana with the Strelitzia that is flowering very well this year. The vessel I wanted to use is another challenging one with a narrow opening that required an improvised fixing technique.

This photo shows the opening into which I have inserted a forked branch. It is wedged with the forked part on the outer edge of the opening. 

I used two Strelitzia flowers and the fixing method enabled me to set the tallest stem securely in an upright position. The second flower is placed lower and faces up toward the principal line. Because Strelitzia juncea has only tiny leaf margins on the stems, I have used New Zealand flax leaves to create a small mass at the base. The large leaf on the right was initially hanging down toward the mass but lifted its head overnight (!).

The vessel is by the Victorian ceramic artist Paul Davis and was shown in his 50th anniversary exhibition "Under the Influence" at the Sturt Gallery in Mittagong in April - May this year.

Greetings from Christopher

18th December 2022

IRIS ENSATA

( Oops, re-published with the correct date. December not November.)

In mid-November I set the advanced students of my Geelong class the exercise of making an ikebana in a tsubo vase; that is, a round vase with a relatively narrow opening. In the Sogetsu School practice, one should not use a kenzan in such a vase. The opening in the vase should be greater than the ikebanist's fist and the diameter of the vase should be at least 1.5 times greater than the opening.

Of the three recommended fixing methods taught by the Sogetsu school, one involves using a cross-bar. In this particular class I showed the students how to attach the cross bar using string. The particular advantage of using string is that it enables the ikebanist to swivel the cross bar. It is a useful technique when the opening is too narrow to put one's hand inside the vase. 

Tess used a branch of Cotoneaster, and a small focus of red Grevillea.

Maureen used a branch of Magnolia grandiflora, and a single stem of Asiatic lily for the colour focus.

Ellie's branch material is Eastern ninebark Physocarpus opulifolius, (native of the USA). She has added a subtle contrast with a mass of Queen Anne's lace Daucus carota.

Helen used Mahonia for her branch material and pink Geranium for the floral focus.

Maree's exercise was to make an ikebana in which a surface is created by massing lines. The leaves are from a Yucca plant. The flower inflorescence is possibly Gymnadenia rhellicani. 

Meanwhile in the garden...

...the Japanese iris Iris ensata, has finally flowered. It is a bit late this year, presumably because of a cooler and wetter-than-usual spring. These plants were given to me by my friend and colleague Emily Karanikolopoulos. I have two pots in which I am able to keep the soil wet, which would not be possible in our garden otherwise. The flowers are large with very soft pale blue-purple petals. 

I am not prepared to sacrifice the leaves to make a traditional arrangement as the plants are few and small still. I was pleased to create a modern ikebana setting them with these two inwardly curving New Zealand flax leaves. The shallow bowl is by the Victorian ceramic artist Phil Elson.

Greetings from Christopher

11th December 2022

 

FINAL CLASSES FOR 2022

During the week before last, I held my final classes for 2022; all of which were held in private homes. I realised rather too late that I had failed to take any photographs of the largest class. However, I have photographs from two other classes both of which had reduced numbers as some of the students were away. The first class was in Melbourne. As the theme was "ikebana at home" students brought their own materials, but worked in unfamiliar vessels and locations rather than on the usual tables.

Jacqueline had chosen a Christmas theme for her slanting ikebana. She had painted a bare branch white and used red Carnations, Dianthus Caryophyllus and some Cypress, Cupressaceae. The addition of the red cord gave a celebratory feel. The vessel is by the New South Wales ceramic artist Ian Jones. 

Marisha made a slanting ikebana "to be seen from above and from all angles". Her materials were yellow Pincushion flowers  Leucospermum cordifolium, Alstromeria and Hop Bush Dodonea, branches. The high sided vessel was intended to hold a pot-plant (maker not noted, sorry).

Marcia set some weeping pine in a curving sweep with a mass of orange Alstromeria as the focal point. The ikebana vase was made by the Victorian ceramic artist Tom Cockram. 

Only two of my Torquay U3A students were able to attend the final class so we had the opportunity for a good long chat. However, we also made ikebana.

 

Like Marisha, Róża also made a spreading ikebana "to be viewed from above". She used pale pink roses from her own garden with long stems extending across a coffee table.

Coralie used flowering Melaleuca armillaris branches, Bullrush leaves Typha orientalis and red ribbon in a large round white ceramic vase. She said she was thinking of the curl of waves as she made this ikebana.

Ikebana in-situ with the makers relaxing before we shared our meal.

Because there were only three of us I made an ikebana as well.

I used the long-lasting New Zealand flax leaves that had previously served as the principle line in the Ryureika I made on 20th November. This time I have turned the shorter leaf to face the taller, so that its back shows to the viewer. A single inflorescence of Red Valerian Centranthus ruber, peeps from between the blades of the flax making a high focal point. Fine leaves of Japanese maple Acer palmatum, help conceal the kenzan. The suiban is a traditional one from Japan and has a deep blue glaze.

SUMMER and MOVEMENT

A couple of weeks ago the Mr Lincoln rose produced its first flowers for the season. I was surprised to see three large fully- opened flowers all at once on the bush. I especially love the sweet, apple-like fragrance of this rose. Wikipedia says the rose is very similar to the Mohammadi rose that has been grown in Isfahan for centuries. I am also comforted to learn that Mr Lincoln is "drought friendly", which is perhaps not surprising if its heritage traces back to Iran. 

Because the weather was about to turn, with rain predicted later in the day, I picked the flowers and massed them in this black ceramic vase by Terunobu Hirata. The dark lines are small, naturally-dried Agave leaves.

In my Melbourne class I set the theme of "Using Australian Native materials and exchanging vessels".

Eugenia has used Hop bush, one of the Dodonea genus for the principal line and some massed red Callistemon. The vessel, from Margaret's collection, is by the Victorian ceramic artist Mel Ogden.

Marcia created a cascading design with a red flowering eucalyptus. The vessel, by Alistair Whyte, is from the collection of Laurence O'Keefe. 

Margaret created this ikebana using a green Banksia flower and a mass of Cushion Bush, Leucophyta. The split-cylinder vessel is from Eugenia's collection.

The Cushion bush shown here is in our garden and is a common sight on the cliff-faces and sand dunes around Torquay. I used this plant in my ikebana at the Victorian Sogetsu Branch workshop last Monday. 

The theme of the workshop "A summer ikebana with focus on movement", was set by Emerald Leung, one of the Branch teachers. It was a rather unexpected combination of ideas and brought out interesting results from Emerald as well as the members (Photos from the workshop).

My summer associations are all about the beach surrounds at Torquay. I chose the vessel by the New Zealand ceramic artist Elena Renka for the hot summery colour of the Shino glaze. I have massed some Cushion bush to one side of the vessel and placed a curving dried branch so that it extends over and beyond the vessel. I was surprised that when I tried to add some green lines of sedge to the ikebana the whole was weakened. So I kept it simple. In retrospect, a small focus of another coloured material placed in the centre of the vessel would probably have worked. However, the green lines  were definitely going to compete too much with the lines of the dried wood.

Greetings from Christopher

27th November 2022

 

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Over the years the majority of my students have been westerners, most of whom had never been to Japan when they began studying ikebana. In my opinion when teaching westerners, the teacher needs to be prepared to provide some of the historical and cultural background that has led to the development of today’s ikebana. This is perhaps best done in small ‘doses’ as the classes progress. However, I think such background information is necessary for the student to develop the sensitivity to be able to make ikebana that has depth and is not just formulaic.

The oldest known manuscript, "Kaoirai no kadensho", that provided direction to the arrangement of flowers for specific festivals dates from around the 1460s. This document is regarded as the beginning of Ikebana as a codified art form; that is, an art form with clearly enunciated underlying principles.

At the last couple of classes with my Geelong students I have spent some time drawing their attention to these historical developments of ikebana.To this end we began by looking at the images of the late 16th century development of the Rikka style.

This example of Rikka was made by Yukako Braun for the 2016 Annual Exhibition of Ikebana International Melbourne. This elegant and complex design has nine principal lines, all of them arising from the water surface of the Usubata vessel as a single column. Rikka is described in the following way by the Iemoto, Sen'ei Ikenobo, "...in a small container the magnificent scope of Rikka expresses in a scene which depicts the grand spectacle of nature." ( Fujiwara, Y. "Rikka, The soul of Japanese Flower arrangement" p 8) 

Approximately 150 years later a new style was developed called Seika. This refined style, in this case using only Aspidistra leaves, has five lines. To me it looks like an abstraction of the Rikka style, as though the pendulum has swung to the opposite direction from complex elaboration. I made this arrangement, to show my students, as part of my investigation into historical styles.

In November 2014 Shihosai Uematsu, the then Iemoto designate of Shogetsudokoryu, visited Melbourne. He conducted a workshop on the theme of Ryureika, a modern interpretation of the Seika form devised by his father who was the Iemoto at the time. In the new Ryureika form, each of the five lines is composed with a different material. I made the above Ryureika ikebana as the demonstration for my students. I have used  New Zealand Flax Phorium, Dock weed Rumex, Aspidistra, Red Valerian Centranthus ruber, and Kangaroo Fern, Zealandia pustulata.

After my students completed this exercise I asked them what connections they saw between the Ryureika form and Sogetsu Ikebana which they now practise and study. Among other elements they mentioned were: the use of line, space, surface of the water, asymmetry of design and the proportions of the lines. 

Below are the Ryureika ikebana arrangements made by my students.

Tess

Maree

Ellie

Helen

Christine

Maureen

Greetings from Christopher

20th November 2022

SPANISH BROOM

Last Tuesday at the meeting of Ikebana International Melbourne the guest speaker was Ema Shin, a Japanese-born, Australian textile artist of Korean descent. Ema's presentation had been planned for July 2021, however a Covid-related lockdown prevented the meeting from taking place at that time. Ema spoke about the way her creative work has evolved from printmaking to three dimensional textile sculptural work involving a variety of techniques. 

Her recent work has focused on the depiction of the female body, including internal organs as well as flowers, as "...symbols of her life and emotions...". In particular, her embroidered soft heart sculptures represent the "missing women" of her own ancestry whose names were not recorded in the family's genealogical records. Images of Ema's work in this link are included with an article about her exhibition earlier this year.  

At the meeting Ema demonstrated tapestry weaving on a small portable hand loom. As is the custom when there is a guest speaker at meetings, members are encouraged to make ikebana related to the presentation. Below is the ikebana I created in which I improvised with a textile-covered Japanese wine-bottle carrier instead of a vase. 

 

The fabric is an olive green with a subtle dull gold brocaded pattern. The materials are Forest Bell bush, Makaya bella, flowers and Dietes grandiflora leaves. 

Last year I made the ikebana below...

...in response to viewing Ema's work online. I must admit I am happier with this earlier work, in which I wrapped a single line of a branch in two shades of red wool as a direct reference to her work. The fresh pink material is a stem of Bougainvillea flowers. This link is to the Ikebana International Melbourne blog for more photos from the meeting.

In the garden a couple of weeks ago...

...the bush of Spanish Broom, Spartium junceum, started to flower. The bright yellow flowers were vibrant in the bright sunshine and became my chosen ikebana subject for a vase with a very narrow slit-like opening. 

The particular challenge with the vase is that it is deep and with the narrow lateral opening the materials tend to lean forward or to the rear. However, what are such challenges for but to find a solution!

I have used two stems of Broom that each have straight almost parallel lines, and a single stem with a zig-zag form. The single stem, placed on the right, is angled forward and creates a loose open space. The two leaves of Kangaroo fern, Zealandia pustulata, provide a mass that visually holds the lines together.

As you can see the vase has a turquoise glaze on the top half and is creamy white below. It was made by the Japanese-born,  Australian ceramic artist Hiroe Swen. More images of Hiroe Swen's ceramics.

Greetings from Christopher

13th November 2022