Ikebana International #71 - Multiple School Demonstration

Ikebana International #71 April meeting event featured the demonstrations of four masters presenting their schools: Ikenobo, Ohara, Sogetsu and Ichiyo. After they took turns creating classic and freestyle arrangements, each one of them were challenged to create an arrangement using a provided mystery bundle of materials. 

Ikenobo school, classic and freestyle arrangement 

Ohara school, classic and freestyle 

Ichiyo school, classic and freestyle 

Sogetsu freestyle, using washi paper tape on the Aspidistra 

These four pictures below are the challenged arrangements from the same mystery materials that they chose to use. Can you tell which school they are from?  (4/27/2023)

Miniature Ikebana

Lesson (2), Miniature Ikebana: “An experience of searching out or making containers and reaffirming the importance of close observation of plants. Make the best use of this opportunity of creating a tiny original world or microcosm.”

My miniature Ikebana theme: Expressing a feeling of spring. Using spring flowers, Japanese teacups and crystal vase. A wooden base was a gift from my Japanese friend. It got many compliments!

Arranged at home 

Arranged in the class 

Lessons for April 18th - Floating Arrangement

Time for April class lessons: (1)Floating arrangement  (2) Miniature Ikebana  (3) One last review, Variation no. 2 Upright Style Moribana.

Lesson (1): “To positively present the water, leaving the wide open space on the container to show an expense of the water.”  My teacher Hata Sensei’s demo said it all!  Beautiful example!

The story of my arrangement: I heard the soothing sound of the flowing stream, and I saw tiny flowers floating on the water! 

Hata Sensei’s demo arrangement 

My Arrangement story explained on top

Classmate’s arrangement 

MWGC April Virtual Little Show- Horizontal or Arched Format

Spring has sprung!  April’s virtual little show encouraged MWGC members to enter an arrangement in a horizontal or arched format.  I always enter my Ikebana style arrangement to the little show to compare with our members’ western style. At the same time I also present the art of Japanese flower arrangement. 

Hello Spring

Spring has come early this year. We have had a gorgeous color show in our neighborhood and park area with the blooms of cherry, magnolia, dogwood, crabapple and eastern redbud. I have to use some of the flowering branches to make an arrangement!  (4/16/2023)

Materials: Eastern redbud, dogwood, azalea and mum / ceramic vase 

Eastern redbud 

Dogwood 

Weeping Cherry 

Crabapple 

March and April Orchids Bloom

My orchids collection have not been flowering like they used to! I know I have not paid much attention to them, and that's the reason for the most part. I devote more time to Ikebana than mending the orchids. 

Phalaenopsis 4/14/2023

3/19/2023

Long lasting Cattleya (5 small blooming orchid)

Phalaenopsis 4/14/2023

Cherry Blossom and Japanese quince

I am playing around with an existing arrangement. I think it’s pretty to arrange Cherry blossoms and Japanese quince together. Their colors of pale pink and orange pink with a dark container and drift wood all together just look beautiful!

“Autumn Cherry Tree”

The "Autumn Cherry Tree" blooms twice a year, spring and fall. They are stunning and unique. After an early spring bloom, deep pink buds opened up to pale white flowers in large clusters, and then these trees give an encore in fall, when many other trees are losing their leaves. 

We have planted two cherry trees in our backyard since we moved to this house.

Japanese quince and Daffodil

Here’s another arrangement using Japanese quince which are in full bloom now. It looks beautiful!

Again, I used Japanese quince for my arrangement. My choice of the container has a bigger mouth. So, I used a piece of driftwood to stabilize the branches and also as a part of the design. I trimmed the big branches of Japanese quince, which I cut from my garden, and completed the arrangement with daffodils. 

4/4/2023

Japanese quince and Lily

I made this arrangement similar to the previous one. I just changed the branches to Japanese quince. Which are about to burst open into gorgeous flowers! I love the Japanese quince and their beautiful branches. I wish I could make full use of them for Ikebana. 

3/31/2023 

Free Style - Gentle Spring Wind

Spring is in the air! Daffodils are blooming everywhere! 

Materials: Aspidistra house plant and daffodil / ceramic container 

I replaced the faded daffodils to fresh daffodils 4/4/2023