This week I was delighted when the first bud in a couple of years opened on the Kamo Hon'ami camellia. Unfortunately the plant, which is in a terracotta pot, suffered some serious neglect from me last summer. I have been mending my ways and the little bush is looking healthier than it has since it came into our garden a few years ago.
Last week my senior Geelong students' exercise was to make an ikebana composition "...of Mass and Line". In this exercise, either the mass or the line element should be emphasised.
Tess made this ikebana with a strong line. She then created a small mass of pink Ivy Geranium (which might actually be a Pelargonium) that sat beneath the unusual curve of the line element. The mass was carefully constructed so that it extended beyond the opening of the vessel and had an "undulating" surface.
Tess also made this second rather bold, small ikebana in a box-shaped vessel with a corner opening. The botanical materials are a Yucca leaf, some small succulent rosettes and two dark green ivy leaves.
Ellie made an upright ikebana with two closely-spaced leaves and a mass made with two different kinds of small pink flowers.
Her second ikebana also featured pink flowers in an annulus-shaped vessel. A single line connected the two flower masses.
Her third work was dominated by a strong oblique line that came to a sharp bend and reflected back through a hole in the side of the triangular cross-sectioned vessel. The botanical materials are Bamboo and Jerusalem Sage Phlomis fruticosa.
Helen's exercise was to make a freestyle work. Her material was the unusual Salvia africana-lutea which has rust brown flowers. The irregular vessel by Graeme Wilkie proved challenging to achieve this strong horizontal design. The small bright yellow flower is Jerusalem Sage.
Maree's exercise was to make a "seasonal ikebana". She has used Japanese Maple for her branch material. The flowers are yellow Ranunculus and orange Clivia.
For my own ikebana this week I have created an ikebana arrangement from the basic curriculum.
This ikebana is the first exercise in the Sogetsu curriculum. A "Basic Upright Ikebana". I made this ikebana as a demonstration for members of the Anglesea Art House where I presented a beginners' workshop yesterday. Despite its simplicity of design it is quite elegant. It enables the teacher to show basic techniques and design ideas; and to talk about the history and philosophy of Ikebana and the Sogetsu School in particular.The branch material I have used is the indigenous Boobialla Myoporum insulare, which is common in coastal areas of southern Australia. The flowers are Red Valerian Centranthus ruber, which I started growing in recent years because it flowers generously and has straight stems that are so desirable for ikebana teaching purposes.
Greetings from Christopher
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