Wishing you all have a happy holiday season and a peace, healthy, wonderful 2018 New Year!
Two arrangements shown here for New Year celebration!
Picture 1- Hata Sensei's demo, using bamboo, pine, nandina, carnation, lily and mum / hand made wood container.
Picture 2 - My arrangement, the Materials, please check previous post. (12/18/2017 class)
I have been growing orchids for 15+ years now. In 2008, I took my first lesson in Sogetsu Ikebana. For me, growing orchids and creating Ikebana arrangements are my meditation. I created this blog to share my pictures and ideas with you. It is like my JOURNAL and helps me keep track of my progress.
Thursday, December 28, 2017
Monday, December 25, 2017
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
In Hata Sensei's class this month, we celebrate Eastern New Year and Western holiday traditions in our arrangements. So, we only need to arrange two holiday celebration arrangements in the morning, followed by a year end pot luck luncheon. For Christmas, traditionally use color red, green and white. For the New Year, we need to use Japanese traditional materials like pine, bamboo, chrysanthemum, red berries, lily, nandina and any budded branch... The mizuhiki (Japanese paper string, for celebration) can be use for both design. Sensei said using mizuhiki in Western arrangement can be striking and modern looking.
Poinsettia, treated baby's breath, holy and spread painted azalea / metal container |
Pine, nandina, mum, winter berry, spread painted
azalea branch and budded lilac branch with mizuhiki / ceramic container |
Winter berry, mum, pine and branch with mizuhiki / ceramic container |
Saturday, December 16, 2017
Holy Night and Silent Night
Ikebana class for this month is all about holiday design. Christmas is just around the corner. For my Christmas celebration arrangement, I choose my metal crescent moon shaped container to arrange a "Mass Expression". That will be the " Holy Night". The other one, I used a Japanese lacquer salad bowl for another holiday arrangement. It will be " Silent Night". (12/12/2017 MeiiHuey Sensei's class)
Holy, Nandina, Carnation, berry, ornament and pine corn |
Bitter sweet, mum, rose and green.Water is silently shown |
Monday, December 11, 2017
Season's First Snow
I said before that this Winter has been very mild, but it's turning colder and colder as time goes by. On December 9, snow was falling all day long, sometimes heavy and sometimes just flurries! We had only 3 inches of snow on the ground at the end.
These are cornflowers, we did not clean them up yet. It looks like road side IKEBANA |
The five Magnolia trees look like X'mas tree. Beautiful ! |
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
Thanksgiving with Family
Using all the materials I had on hand to make an arrangement in ten minutes. |
My four grandchildren and their cousin are sitting at kids table. |
Climbing up a tree at Washington Crossing park |
Monday, November 20, 2017
Fall Arrangement (Lesson 3)
Morimono Thanksgiving Arrangement (Lessons 1 and 2)
Hata Sensei's class had been moved one week early for November because of the Thanksgiving holiday. We had three lessons as usual. Two in the morning, and one after lunch, which was Free style.
Lesson 1) Variation #4 Upright Style Moribana: Basic style, Shin and Hekei but no Soe arrangement
Materials: Magnolia, Kale and mum / ceramic container ( 11/13/2017)
Lesson 2) Morimono arrangements
Lesson 1) Variation #4 Upright Style Moribana: Basic style, Shin and Hekei but no Soe arrangement
Materials: Magnolia, Kale and mum / ceramic container ( 11/13/2017)
The Magnolia branch should be a little bit taller |
Hata Sensei's morimono arrangement |
My morimono arrangement in class |
My other morimono arrangement, days before class |
Friday, November 17, 2017
Leaf Manipulation Demonstration with Yuri Ishizuka
On November 16th, Ikebana International Philadelphia chapter held a program "Leaf manipulation." I was there to see first hand Sensei's demonstration. I usually just leave the leaves in a natural way in my ikebana arrangements. If I should have the big tropical leaves like below, I certainly can use the ideas from Ms. Yuri Ishizuka. Please see the arrangements that she made for the I.I members below. Here is her biography from the program:
"Ms Yuri Ishizuka is a Senior Professor of Ikenobo School, the highest Ikenobo diploma- Jun Katoku 15, a Special Teaching Member. She teaches privately and at the Nippon Club in NYC, and holds workshops at the Tiffany & co. design studio. She has also exhibited widely, including at the United Nations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the residence of Japanese consulate General."
"Ms Yuri Ishizuka is a Senior Professor of Ikenobo School, the highest Ikenobo diploma- Jun Katoku 15, a Special Teaching Member. She teaches privately and at the Nippon Club in NYC, and holds workshops at the Tiffany & co. design studio. She has also exhibited widely, including at the United Nations, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the residence of Japanese consulate General."
Sunday, November 5, 2017
Beautifying the Township Building for MWGC
For the week of 11/6 to11/9/2017, I promised to do an arrangement at the township building. It is our Martha Washington Garden Club's weekly job to have their members bring a potted plant or a flower arrangement to beautify the office's front desk.
Here is my simple arrangement. It should last for a few days.
Here is my simple arrangement. It should last for a few days.
Saturday, November 4, 2017
Kale Cabbage Arrangements for Fun
Monday, October 30, 2017
Main Line Exhibition at Haverford College
All dried materials arrangements "Santa Anna Wind" |
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Hata Sensei's Class for October
It is almost the end of October, but the mild weather is still around. The fall foliage are so colorful and beautiful! The Autumn is in the air. I am enjoying every minute of it!
For my lesson of this month, the materials I need are easy to find.
Lessons for October 23:
Lesson 1) Variation #3 Slanting Style Nageire, try to arrange from behind
Lesson 2) Free Style - Basket using fall materials
Lesson 3) Book 5-13 - Glass Containers
For my lesson of this month, the materials I need are easy to find.
Lessons for October 23:
Lesson 1) Variation #3 Slanting Style Nageire, try to arrange from behind
Lesson 2) Free Style - Basket using fall materials
Lesson 3) Book 5-13 - Glass Containers
Lesson 1: zinnia, crap apple and azalea |
Lesson 2: basket with bittersweet, kale and forsythia |
Lesson 3: Sunflower, horsetail, pepper and forsythia |
Hata Sensei's arrangement, very pretty. |
With glass container arranged at another view |
Margaret's glass container arrangement, I like it very much! |
Monday, October 23, 2017
The 2nd Annual BuxMont Study Group Exhibition
1) "Indian Summer" (Triforlia Orange, Baby's breath, dried and fresh Sunflower, Nadina / two ceramic containers with wood base.)
2) "Autumn Joy" (Hydrangea, mum, Azalea, Hinoki, pepper, dry branch / ceramic vase with wood base.
The third one "In Memory of Dr. Loraine Toji." Please see next post.
"Indian Summer" the Triforlia Orange branch painted in orange |
"Autumn Joy" arranged day before exhibition |
Some Materials were changed to be exhibition |