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