In a recent class, I had set my Melbourne students the Sogetsu curriculum exercise of making a "Simplified Ikebana". In this exercise students are encouraged to study the materials carefully and then remove all elements that are extraneous to their design. The main challenge is to not remove so much that the original material becomes unrecognisable. Below are before and after photographs of the exercise I took in 2015, when I had the presence of mind to take them.

The photos from the classroom are only of the finished ikebana.

Eugenia used a small branch of Calistemon without any flowers and most of the leaves removed. The unusual vase really suited the angular lines in the branches, which have been flattened in the photograph unfortunately.

In a second example she again showed the angular lines in a branch of mostly defoliated Banksia, which was set in a green bottle-shaped vessel.

Marcia used a stem of prunus and a single Camellia bud. All the side branches and most of the leaves were removed.

In a second example, the main stem was reduced to a single angular line beside which stood a single line of ... blossom

Jacqueline had brought a stem of Cymbidium orchids. Only a single flower was used. The dried branch that was chosen to be included had to be inverted to fit into the narrow opening of the vase.

When I came home I re-worked the ikebana into a slanting style and significantly reduced the volume of the wattle, changing the balance of the three elements of the ikebana. Professor Kurata's observation, of course, was correct and in this final version the different volumes of the three materials contribute to the dynamic balance of the ikebana. The vase is by the Japanese borne Victorian ceramic artist Terunobu Hirata.

The second exercise in the workshop was to make an ikebana using spring-flowering materials. 

Although all the materials I had used in the first ikebana fitted that description, I thought I should be using something different  for the next exercise. I particularly wanted to use the Dutch Iris Iris x hollandica that I had grown in a pot, as well as some of the red Japanese flowering quince Chaenomeles.

When I came to place the iris in this simple (not simplified) ikebana the flowers were far too large. The solution was to use the leaves only, which added a feeling of freshness. This style of arranging the materials all arising from a single line was my "nod in the direction" of Ikenobo traditional practice.

The domed ceramic vessel is by the Victorian ceramic artist Owen Rye.

Greetings from Christopher
17th September 2023

Eleven days ago, on 24th August, I attended the evening reception and online demonstration held in celebration of the Queensland Branch of the Sogetsu School's 60th anniversary. 

The Art Gallery of Queensland is privileged to hold this large bronze-sheathed wooden sculpture by Sofu Teshigahara, the founder of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. The sculpture was especially placed on display in recognition of the 60th celebration. It was placed next to the current week's ikebana arrangement made by a Queensland Sogetsu Branch member. A fresh ikebana arrangement placed in the Gallery has been the weekly practice of Queensland Branch for almost 30 years.

The ikebana arrangement for the week of the anniversary was created by Robyn Cuming using Anthurium flowers and leaves which rise above dried Mitsumata Edgeworthia chrysantha branch stems from a footed, trough-shaped vessel.

On the evening of 24th August a live on-line demonstration, from Sogetsu Headquarters in Tokyo, was screened in the theatre of the adjacent Queensland Art Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA).

This ikebana was created in QAGOMA by the Queensland Sogetsu Branch Director, Wendy Hoskin, using Tortuous Willow, Anthurium flowers and a single variegated New Zealand Flax leaf.

The above ikebana, also in the QAGOMA foyer space, was made by senior teacher Pat Mackie. She has used dried Mitsumata branches, orchids and other unidentified materials.

In the theatre, on the stage below the screen, was set a large ikebana installation. The materials used were natural and coloured bamboo, bleached Fan Palm and Monstera leaves. It was created by a team including: Vernisher Wooh, Christine Wyer, Ikuko Okada, Tomomi Tanowaki, Christine Chen, Masako Morrison, Samantha Wooh and Chiu Lan. 

A photo of one of the arrangement from the online demonstration by the Master Instructor Sozan Nakamura can be seen on this link. I would encourage you to explore Mr Nakamura's Instagram to see the wide range of his ikebana expression.

The celebration presented an opportunity for four of the five current Australian Sogetsu Branch Directors to meet face to face for the first time.

On a completely domestic scale...

This photo was taken with a mobile phone camera and some others above are screenshots and therefore may be a bit grainy.

At this time of year we are blessed with winter flowering plants. In the Mediterranean climate of coastal Victoria we have not only introduced species from the northern hemisphere, but also introduced Australian native plants from elsewhere on the continent as well as our own local (native) species.

The Lorraine Lee rose has its origin in the northern hemisphere. However, this particular rose was bred in Australia by Alister Clark in 1924. It is looking better this year than for a very long time as it is now better protected from possums. My protective device, a curtain hanging below the horizontal lattice on a tall pole, through which the rose grows, has kept the possums at bay. I also pruned the adjacent trees from which the possums might have jumped onto the rose to eat the new growth.

The Swan River pea Gastrolobium celsianum, is endemic to Western Australia and has masses of bright red "beak-shaped" flowers at this time of year. It is a spreading plant and has been useful on some of the sloping garden beds around the house.

Here is a close-up of a couple of flowers.

Finally, the long-flowering Coastal Banksia B. integrifolia. It is a widely distributed plant growing along the coast from just west of where we live up the east coast of Australia as far north as the central coast of Queensland. It is also generously self seeding in the garden.

About four and a half weeks ago my teacher, Elizabeth, had a Magnolia removed from her garden which had out-grown the space available. I used the bare branches in an ikebana a few weeks ago and kept some unused branches in water in a cool dark room. During the week I went into the room and, to my complete surprise, found that a single flower had opened on one of the stored branches.

What classic beauty! Elegant form with subtle colouring. I am amazed and enchanted still. Of course I immediately had to arrange it in a vase.

My solution was to find a small forked branch against which the branch could be supported, otherwise it would have been lying quite flat.

I was quite happy with the effectiveness of my technique. However, because of the flattening effect of the camera I do not think this has photographed well.

At the beginning of the week, the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School held a workshop on the theme of using New Zealand Flax. We were also asked to bring an "interesting vase". The workshop leader, Jenny Loo, showed several examples which can be seen on the Branch website. A twist was added to the participating members' work. They were required to exchange their "interesting vase" with their adjacent neighbour.

Above is a strikingly effective, simple ikebana created by Thea Sartori, one of the senior teachers of the Branch. Thea created a bright point of colour contrast by placing a small sprig of purple pea-shaped flowers on the left hand side. I was surprised by the unexpected harmony between the colour of the flax and the oxide colouring on the vase. Readers of this blog may recognise the vase made by Janet Keefe from Ontario, Canada. This was the "interesting vase" which I brought to the workshop, but which I had to exchange with Thea.

This is my ikebana in the vessel brought by Thea. The square fronted vessel is very narrow front to back and I decided to  reference its shape with a straight line design. This turned out to be much harder than I had anticipated because the ikebana was looking unacceptably flat as I was working on it. I was relieved when Thea advised me to turn the tallest flax leaf side-on and then thread the others through it. In retrospect I should have also angled the vessel by slightly moving the right hand side back so that there would be a subtle forward movement giving a feeling of depth.

Click here for further images from the Victorian Branch workshop.

Greetings from Christopher

22nd July 2023

Here is a photo of the source. Arum lily plants have escaped into the creek near our house. I had to put on my gumboots to collect some flowers as well as the leaves. Although it is not visible in the photo there is slowly flowing water under the debris and greenery. 

This week I travelled to Brisbane to present two days of workshops to members of the Queensland Branch of the Sogetsu School. One of the workshop themes was to learn how to use ‘dowels” to secure woody branches to make either small or large sculptural elements in ikebana. For larger pieces of wood, dowels may not be quite as strong as metal screws but they are not visible when carefully  done.

In this simple example that I made recently, I used two little wooden sculptural pieces constructed from small cylindrical sections of Birch wood. The upper one, hanging from the vase opening, has eight sections and the lower one, on the table, has five sections. They are aligned so that they form an interrupted curving line across the face of the vase. The fresh material is a single variegated leaf from the narrow leafed Cordyline "Pink passion". These mini sculptures can be seen at close range, so it is important that the joining technique is not visible.

At the workshop, Belinda made this sculpture which could be displayed as a tabletop sculpture or used in conjunction with fresh material in an ikebana work.

This larger, freestanding sculptural ikebana was made by Ann and Helen. In the process of making the sculpture they used pre-cut 10mm diameter dowels. They also made some dowels using kitchen bamboo skewers for some of the finer branches.

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In the garden recently I noticed with pleasure that the Banksia ericifolia had come into bloom. 

These large flower heads are made of many small flowers and have strikingly hooked styles. I wanted to use one of these flowers in a vase that I had bought when I was in New Zealand recently. Because of the nature of the growth of this particular bush I imagined that a single branch could hang beautifully down the side of the vase. However, the branch was too long and would have touched the table surface. Another instance of the material creating constraints on what was possible. What a surprise when the branch sat beautifully in a horizontal position. 

Not a naturalistic arrangement but much more revealing of the character of both material and the vase. I was delighted with the line and the spaces it created, which I emphasised with some judicious trimming.

Here is the ikebana set in the living room niche showing the reverse side of the vase.

The maker is the New Zealand ceramicist Elena Renka. The vase has lovely twisting planes which make the base lift in two opposite corners. In this photo the lifting corner is in the centre .

Greetings from Christopher

11th June 2023

This morning the yellowing leaves on the apricot looked bright against the dark bark of the eucalyptus in the background.

And when the sun came out they positively glowed. The colours were also intensified with the rain that fell overnight. I have noticed the changes of the season with the coming of winter. The first buds have appeared on the Japanese Flowering Quince and strong new growth is showing on the climbing Lorraine Lee rose.

Jo's exercise was to make an ikebana without the aid of a kenzan. We had not discussed the exercise in advance and she quickly produced this very contemporary looking ikebana with a bold design. It has a good feeling of space and shows the water surface well. However, this exercise is an especially good opportunity to practise techniques of fixing so that the materials do not need to be supported on the sides of the suiban.

This was Jo's second ikebana, using branching material that can be intersected so that the branches are braced against each other. The use of wiring is permissible in this case, as long as it is not noticeable. Although it is not apparent in this photograph, the middle branch in the ikebana is not touching the back wall of the suiban.

The senior students' exercise was to make a slanting, variation number two, ikebana in a nageire vessel. I had not expected Christine to use Anthurium flower as the main stems. However, the proportions and angles were correct and the result quite striking.

Here is Ellie's version of the exercise. She used Magnolia grandiflora branches and white Chrysanthemums in a pale blue nageire vessel. The multi-headed nature of the flowers made it hard to emphasise the line element in that part of the ikebana.

Using two of the New Zealand flax leaves from last week's ikebana, I was particularly attracted to the silvery-fawn colours in the damaged part of this leaf.

The tall line on the left was intended to show the colour but it was not really successful. Quite a bit of mechanics went into positioning the angled leaf. Unfortunately it insisted in being seen side on and thus the colour was lost from this angle.

A few days later I re-set the materials in this black ceramic vase which showed off both materials much more satisfactorily. The position of the single flax leaf enables the surface to be seen clearly and has held its position without any help other than the "cross bar" fixture within the vase. I also feel that the mass of the Kale is more harmonious with the vase.

The vase is by the Victorian ceramicist Terunobu Hirata.

Greetings from Christopher

28th May 2023

 

As we walked home yesterday my attention was caught by the dark clouds and rain on the horizon that threw into high relief the brief shaft of sunlight on the cliffs at Rocky Point. A dramatic moment of transient beauty. Today the sky is overcast with showers and strong winds from the southwest.

I finally settled on this configuration with the vessel on its side. What appealed to me about this was the way that, from the left hand end, the wood seemed to leap over the vessel. I then collected three long leaves of flax from the garden so that the ikebana would have only a small amount of fresh material that would keep the wood as the principal subject of the ikebana.

Although it is not particularly apparent, I used a cross-bar inside the cylinder so that the leaves are not resting on the table. I chose the leaf on the right because it has started to wither and has some interesting colour and texture. Barely visible under the arch of the wood and between the other two leaves is a small dried Hydrangea head. In retrospect this element should have been a brighter colour. I was appreciative of the advice at "critique time" to slide the cylinder back so that its opening was closer in to the arch of the wood.

More photos from the workshop on the Sogetsu School Victorian Branch website under Recent Workshops tab. Lara can be found on Instagram and Facebook: lara_telford

Greetings from Christopher
21st May 2023