Sunday, February 27, 2022

Orchids Bloom for February

Please see my blooming orchids this month below. The division of the orange Cattleya orchids always faithfully bloom this time of year.  Oncidium “Sherry baby” bloom several times this year, because I have two of them from division too.

Oncidium Sherry baby (left, smell like
Vanilla chocolate) 2/26/2022


2/16/2022
2/20/2022



2/17/2022

2/9/2022


Sunday, February 20, 2022

A Finale Arrangement

For February Ikebana class lesson (2/10/2022) and MWGC Virtual Little Show (2/18/2022), I bought more flower materials than usual, because of the subjects. After almost ten days, I still had some fresh flowers left, I don’t like to waste them, that’s why I made the last arrangement using the same leftover flowers and added maple branches.






 

Saturday, February 19, 2022

MWGC - “Surprise” Using Unusual Container

Time goes by too fast! It’s time for the MWGC Virtual Little Show.  The theme for February is “Surprise” using unusual containers. I still have flower materials left from last class but I have to think what is the unusual container that I could use?  OK! The answer is a hollowed tree bark (with plastic bottle inside). This arrangement is also suitable for book 3 - 8 “ Colors in the Same Tonal Range”.

I entered this one for virtual little show (2/18/2022)





Sunday, February 13, 2022

Emphasizing Materials Lesson (2) - Sofu Principles #45

Sofu principles #45:  “If the flowers are the main feature, the containers should be subordinate to the flowers. Likewise, if the container is the main focus, then the flowers should be secondary to it.”

Note: for an extra challenge, use the same container we used when we did this lesson last November emphasizing the container. This time emphasized the materials. (2/10/2022)

Forsythia, azalea alstroemeria and wood / ceramic 


Classmate’s arrangement 


Repeating Similar Forms or Shapes: February Class Lesson (1)

We had spring like warm weather for a few days. Our class date was three days ago, the temperature was up to 60 degrees. 2/13/2022 today, light snow has been falling nonstop since last night, flurries all day long, but we had less than two inches only! It’s really weird weather!

Time to post my class lesson arrangement, the subjects : #1)  Text book 3- 17: “……rather than making the material into a particular form or shape with your fixed idea”.  So I used round ceramic Suiban and Cymbidium orchid leaves.  Please see below:

In the class; Cymbidium orchid leaves, alstroemeria, forsythia

rearrangement at home
Sensei's demo, front view
back view

Marlys arrangement
Sensei's demo

With Flowers Only - Lesson (3)

Textbook 4-1, with flowers only but of two or more kinds. My flower selections were Stock, Alstroemeria, tulip, forsythia and campanula. I arranged them into a ceramic container with horizontal style. Hata Sensei seemed to like it but said too many flowers! I agree 😊!

In the class 


Little less flowers 


Wednesday, February 2, 2022

Dried Materials Arrangement

It’s deep Winter! Snow is still on the ground, cold outside, warm and cozy inside the house. There aren’t any fresh materials in my garden, only nandina bushes stand out beautifully! I made an arrangement using nandina red berries and all the other dried materials that I could find around the house: a bunch of dried statice flowers, a couple of pine branches, no pine needles but have a lot of small pine cones, which are quite pretty! A slightly leaking bamboo container is perfect for the use of a dried materials arrangement!