ACACIA BAILEYANA

Recently, at different classes, some students have completed the same exercise; in this case, an ikebana using fruit or vegetables. In an earlier version of the Sogetsu curriculum, when I was a student, this was usually done as a morimono, or "heaped things", arrangement. In the current curriculum, setting the materials in vases is the usual style.

Jo used a clear glass vase in which she set two leaves of  red-stemmed rhubarb, the larger one showing the veins on the back of the leaf. They are supported by red grapes submerged in the base of the vase.

Jo also arranged these three stems of intensely-pink silverbeet stems in a conical vase. They are supported by folded silverbeet leaves and grapes.

Marisha made her ikebana in the morimono form, which creates some particular challenges. In particular, attention to the elements of Line, Mass and Space, in the work. She has achieved this through the choice of the materials, which she has cut to reveal unexpected aspects. The material at the top of the morimono is some zucchini which she has cut so that she could elevate it while showing its white flesh. The other materials are lime, capsicum and pomegranate.

In the same Geelong class the advanced students' exercise was to make an ikebana of winter branches in a suiban.

Ellie created a design of flowing lines supported by an inverted branch of the same material. She added some bright orange Chrysanthemums to give a feeling of living freshness.

Christine set some branches of her Ash, Fraxinus, tree. A single stem of red leaves defines the space on the righthand side.

Maureen arranged a lichen-encrusted branch, which is supported above a glass vessel on a stem fixed in a Kenzan. The fresh materials are Chrysanthemum  and ornamental Kale, Brassica oleracea.

Tess set some branches of, almost bare, Pomegranate at a steep angle creating a windswept look. The green material is Calistemon, and some white Narcissus provide a freshness in the centre of the work.

*          *          *          *          *

 

In the garden is a semi-prostrate Cootamundra wattle, Acacia baileyana. I really like the arching branches and thought the silvery blue would go well in a tall vase by Pippin Drysdale, which has alternating fine lines of blue and red. The wattle should be flowering in the next four to six weeks and I wanted to use it without the bright yellow flowers. The colours in this photo are distorted because I took it in the twilight without using the flash.

My ikebana is a one-material ikebana using mass and line as the principal elements. The mass arising from the vase has lines that curve forward from the back and spill over on the left hand side. Unfortunately, the flattening effect of the photograph makes the forward curve less obvious. However, I was happy with the colour harmony between the vase and the material.

Greetings from Christopher.

26th June 2022