WINDSWEPT BRANCHES

As I write this today (Sunday 10th July) I must say I am having a 21st century experience. One that I find quite surreal. I am sitting in a long metal tube, flying at several thousand metres above ground level. If I could make the screen work on the back of the passenger seat in front of me I am sure I could tell you the correct altitude and the air speed. Having first checked my emails, I can now prepare this blog. Oh, I should probably say that Laurie and I are heading north for a couple of weeks to visit family and friends whom we haven't seen for four and more years. In part due to we all know what !  It begins with "C" and ends in "19".

Early in June I had set my Torquay students the task of making an ikebana using branch material in a suiban without using a

kenzan. This exercise works particularly well to show the lines of branches that have lost their leaves with the onset of winter. For these students this was a new experience. 

Marta used three branches of Elm, to which she added the last rose for the season from her garden. The green leaves and small, bright red bud gave a feeling of freshness and life to the arrangement.

Ròża used some straggly, windswept branches of Coastal Tea Tree, Leptospermum laevigatum. Given that these were dead branches and not needing water, placing the bases outside the suiban is permissible. A focus of colour was provided by two stems of yellow Chrysanthemums.

Coralie used multiple straight branches of Silver Pear, Pyrus sylvestrus, creating a striking design. The small green seedheads massed in the centre of the work are Dietes and provided a feeling of freshness.

My own ikebana follows this theme also. Yesterday I attended a Sogetsu School, Victorian Branch workshop. The afternoon theme was to make an ikebana using materials representing winter.

In advance I decided to look for some bare branches in the garden and found this very windswept-looking one on the Apricot tree. The branch is not very big; so to keep the focus on the dramatic line I decided to use my conical metal vessel. The fresh material is Narcissus that was growing in the creek at the back of our property. Unfortunately, the photo does not clearly show the small bunch at the back that gives the work depth.

Greetings from Christopher

10th July 2022