WIND

Editor's note: The orange flower in Maureen's arrangement two weeks ago (30th June) was incorrectly identified. It is a Tagetes not Calendula. Thanks to Fermi, my friend and plant-knowledge guru, for the correction.

In my Geelong class...

...Jo's exercise was to use 'One Kind of Material'. For this exercise she deliberately chose challenging material, two large leaves of Tree Philodendron Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum. Jo dramatically stripped the large leaves to emphasise particular lines inherent in the material and the spaces she created. This was an exercise in exploration of the material.

Maree's exercise was to make a 'Celebratory Ikebana'. She used Delphinium, Eucalyptus leaves, Tagetes and some wild Rapeseed Brasssica napus. 

Maree subsequently sent me a photo of some 'homework'. A revision done at home of an ikebana in a suiban without using a kenzan. The branch material is Manchurian pear Pyrus ussuriensis and the flower is an incurve Chrysanthemum.

Because we are now in winter, I set the senior students the exercise of making an ikebana using both 'bare and leafy branches', flowers being optional.. 

Christine was inspired by the curving lines of this unidentified Hakea from her garden. The contrasting material is an unidentified Banksia.

Ellie used the strikingly coloured 'Peach sticks', which I gather is a cultivar grown for the floristry industry. The flowering material may be Pieris japonica.

Three weeks ago, the guest presenter at the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School workshop was Ray Bywaters. She is the Director of the South Australian Branch of Sogetsu and last year was the recipient of the Norman and Mary Sparnon Ikebana Endowment Scholarship. This is the scholarship that funds active Australian Sogetsu teachers to attend the Sogetsu Head Quarters in Tokyo for three months of classes. 

Ray chose interesting non-curriculum themes for her two workshops. In the first workshop members were asked to make an ikebana in response to the compound Japanese character, “花鳥風月“ Kachoufugetsu. The expression evokes the appreciation of natural beauty. Its literal translation being; flower, bird, wind, moon.  We were encouraged to make a freestyle ikebana drawing on any of the ideas these words evoked in us.

The idea of wind appealed to me and I used a twisting branch of Moonah Melaleuca lanceolata. This small tree grows on the clifftops around Torquay and, because of the strong prevailing winds, it develops twisting forms.

 

This is my ikebana from the first workshop using a small Moonah branch. I have also added some lines of Coastal sword sedge Lepidosperma gladiatum to give the feeling of the directional flow of the wind. The yellow Japanese ikebana vase allowed the branch to balance with one part resting on the table.

This was Ray's demonstration ikebana in the theme of 'wind'. The principal material is the base of a banana leaf stem. She added further lines of New Zealand Flax leaves and a small mass of red synthetic rope. The vessel is by Graham Wilkie.

For further photos from the workshops click on this LINK.

Greetings from Christopher

14th July 2024