Two weeks ago I set my Melbourne class the exercise of making an ikebana "expressing a movement". Understandably, this led to the students focusing on the line in their ikebana. Line is an element of ikebana that the founder of the Sogetsu School, Sofu Teshigahara, spoke about in his "Kadensho". Among his observations, he spoke about the importance of the "...enhancement of line's beauty...". Ikebanists need to find the line in their materials and reveal it to the observer. Line is usually the clearest way of expressing movement.
Marisha chose to create a cascading line with this Devils Ivy Epipremnum aureum, from Mo'orea in the Society Islands. She added a line of flowering Wisteria and a similarly blue-coloured unnamed vine. Because of the length of the principal line, her basket is sitting on an inverted straight-sided ceramic vase.
Jacqueline chose the wandering movement of a tortuous willow which she emphasised with a purple ribbon. Two red carnations provided a small focal point in the space above the opening of the vessel.
Marcia created a swirling line below the water in a glass vase. Only two Dietes leaves were used so as not to clutter the vase. The single Ranunculus flower provides the focal point to the ikebana.
Eugenia's ikebana made a swooping line that also was emphasised by its visibality below the water in her glass vase. The focal point in this case being three small dark-red Anthuriums.
In my Torquay class, the students' exercise was to express an "emotion" through their ikebana.
Marta's ikebana shows a single strong idea flowing upward that has arisen from a cloud of confusion, represented by the Smoke Bush at the mouth of the vase.
Judy said she expressed "loss" in her ikebana. The materials are hanging their heads and tears fall. "It is very clear" I said, and felt "sorrow" as soon as I saw this arrangement.
Annie, who has returned to the class after a long break, created a cascade of "Joy" with a stem of "Dancing Lady" orchid and some green leaves.
Julie expressed an explosion of "joy' in her white and green ikebana. Her exercise became one of reducing the colour palate and the variety of materials for the successful purpose of achieving clarity.
Pamela represented "love" in her ikebana. She spoke about the variety of manifestations of love, including being swept up as well as enwrapped.
Róża used a dried palm inflorescence and line of tortuous willow in her ikebana. These materials were contrasted with a small green sprig of Leucadendron representing "hope".
My ikebana this week is a demonstration of the third variation of a Basic Upright ikebana as taught in the Sogetsu curriculum, which I had prepared for a class. I have used Coastal Tea Tree Leptospermum laevigatum and Red Valerian Centranthus ruber from the garden. My first Sogetsu teacher used to describe this variation as the one nearest to traditional western floral style because of its placement of the flowers at the centre of the arrangement and being flanked by the branch stems. However, it maintains asymmetry of design and is characterised by the elements of line, mass and space.
Greetings from Christopher
15th October 2023
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