SHOWING LINES AT THE BASE: USING TWO VESSELS

During the final term for this year of my Geelong class, I asked the senior students to choose the subject for each week's exercise. At the class on 28th of November the chosen theme was an Ikebana "Showing the lines at the base" and "Using two vessels". 

"Showing Lines at the Base" is one of the Sogetsu curriculum exercises. This particular exercise has always made me think about the traditional rikka and seika styles which employ this characteristic. In those styles all the materials arise together from one point before spreading out. The Sogetsu exercise does not have the requirement that all the materials are grouped together. However, it does cause the ikebanist to focus on creating clean strong lines. Usually, it also leads to the creation of a high focal point in the Ikebana.

Helen placed her vessels one behind the other. The main lines are flower stems of New Zealand flax Phormium. The fine mass is one of the Corokia species, with small oval leaves. Helen has added a yellowing New Zealand flax leaf as a colour highlight in the middle of the mass.

Maureen used three flowering stems of Strelitzia reginae that curve toward each other creating an enclosed space. The fine leaves of a single Nandina stem creates a mass that surrounds the flowers. The right-hand stems are set in a black trough that sits on top of the suiban and runs toward the back; but it is very hard to see the trough against the dark background.

Christine stacked two suibans. The lower one is circular and the upper one almost circular with a small concave section on the right side. Her botanical materials are stems of Agapanthus in various stages from bud to opening flower.

Ellie used Grass tree Xanthorrhoea leaves, bundled tightly to create a single line at the base. She added Gerbera flowers as a focal contrast. The two vessels harmonise through their warm-coloured matte surfaces.

Last week I noticed that one of the leaves of the Tree Philodendron Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum was turning yellow as it began to die. The curious thing was that one half of the leaf had gone quite yellow while the other was mostly still green.

This looked like making a good ikebana subject. It took a couple of circuits of the garden before I noticed some Honeysuckle Lonicera, with a pale yellow flower. I chose it because it would harmonise rather than compete with the yellow of the leaf. It required some fixing technique to set the leaf at an angle while still showing its face to the viewer. The interesting faceted and sloping vase is by the Canberra-based ceramicist Therese Rasanen.

Greetings from Christopher

15th December 2024

SMOKEBUSH: COTINUS CORRYGRIA

 

In the garden, a week and a half ago, I noticed that the Brachychiton AcerIfolius was looking unhealthy. Some of the leaves were yellowing and dropping. I was worried that it may have had an insect infestation or some other problem. 

 

As I was looking for some explanation I looked up and noticed a small orange-coloured inflorescence that marked the beginning of the tree's first flowering. In some cases these trees will shed all of their leaves at this time of year and be covered in a spectacular display of red flowers.

I am not sure of precisely when we planted this now 4.5 metre tree. But I found a photo taken 32 years ago when it was about 30 cm tall.

It has been a long time coming and we are delighted; even though it is a small flowering. We are fortunate that this tree is tough enough to grow naturally over a wide geographical range from the tropical north of Australia to southern New South Wales. The flowering is especially spectacular because the stems of the panicles are the same bright red as the small bell-shaped flowers. I am hoping that this flowering develops well over the next few weeks.

Two weeks ago the final class for 2024 of my Melbourne class was held in Killingworth near Yea, which is northeast of Melbourne. My student Marcia kindly offered to host our end-of-year event at her property.  The theme was "Ikebana at home", with vases provided by Marcia and materials being gathered from the large garden. 

The ikebana was arranged on tables on the broad verandah, which created a problem for photography. We needed to hang a sheet as a backdrop, through which the outside light came rather strongly.  The result was a degree of silhouetting and an alteration to, and loss of colour.

Jacqueline used a footed vessel in which she arranged a single lichen-covered branch. After trimming the branch she added three stems of Salvia with dark blue flowers.

Marcia used a glass brick in which she set two stems and inflorescences of Smokebush Cotinus corrygria. The submerged stem follows a line in the front surface of the brick. The second stem, which supports a large infloresence, continues this line outside the brick.

Eugenia chose a ceramic vessel made from multiple slightly irregular cylinders. Her materials were branches of Linden Tilia cordata, which was in flower. Placed low at the front is a branch very much covered in lichen.

Aileen chose a "U" shaped square-section vessel in which she set a branch of an unidentified Acacia with interesting irregular lines on the left. On the right side are some purple Clematis flowers set among the seed pods and leaves of the same Acacia. Unfortunately, there is significant colour distortion in the photograph. The Acacia on the right had a distinctly bluish cast which is lost in the photo.

 

As I was in advance of the students, I had the opportunity to prepare an Omukaebana, 'welcoming arrangement', using a long curving branch of Smokebush. I added a mass of the inflorescence at the mouth of the vessel and underneath the water line. The dark maroon of the smoke bush looked heavy despite its feathery quality, so I added some large pale pink roses to brighten the ikebana. 

Greetings from Christopher

7th December 2024