27th March, 2022

 

Hello all

Last Monday the Sogetsu group had its AGM followed by a workshop run by Lara Telford. Lara chose the theme 'Creating Space in Ikebana'. Lara's presentation was quite informative and I recommend you visit our blog Sogetsu Victoria and click on Recent Workshops, to see Lara's demonstration photographs and read her explanation of the theme.

Below is my arrangement. I used a structure which I constructed from the dried stems of New Zealand flax flowers, creating a number of spaces, both closed and open. I placed a mass of hydrangeas low in the stainless steel, trough container and two crucifix orchids coming forward from the back into the space created. I chose these flowers for their fine stems and relatively small flower heads so that they did not take away from the spaces created. Because it's not possible to capture depth in the photograph, I included a side view below it.

Lucy was keen to use her new container, and who could blame her. She kept her arrangement uncluttered and her space clearly defined by using just two umbrella grass stems and one crucifix orchid.

Nicole used a branch sweeping forward creating a wide, open space in a ceramic container, the shape of which has its own space. Her flowers were wild sunflowers (Helianthus maximiliani sunflower).

In our regular class Shaneen's curriculum lesson was 'An arrangement to be viewed from below'. She used three small, white vases and a number of colourful materials. They were placed on a high window sill for viewing from below before moving them to a more appropriate place for photography.

Wendy' lesson was 'A mass arrangement'. She created a mass with crepe myrtle flowers and another, smaller mass with the leaves of the crepe myrtle. The colour of the ceramic vase toned in very nicely.

Mary's lesson was 'Mass and Line'. She massed together Murraya Paniculata in bud and some roses in a black tsubo vase. Her line was made using two curved agapanthus stems.

Dianne was doing Variation No. 8. In this case two nageire arrangements placed together to create one. She chose Variation No 4 slanting stile and Variation No. 4 horizontal.

You may have noticed that I'm publishing this post a day early. That's because I'll be extremely busy the next couple of days preparing my exhibit at The Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show (MIFGS). For those of you unfamiliar with this event, it is the largest such show in the southern hemisphere, very similar to the famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

We had two years without the show, so, those of us who are regular participants, are quite excited to be back at the Royal Exhibition Buildings (REB). I recently found that the REB is the first building in Australia to be awarded World Heritage status.

Anyway, the show will open on Wednesday 30th March and will run until Sunday 3rd April. I'm taking part in the Shop Window competition, as I have done many, many times before. I. also, have two large sculptures in the Victorian Sculptors Association exhibition, which is in the middle of the gardens. I will be on duty at the Sculpture Walk on Wednesday afternoon. If any of you are coming to the show, I hope you'll stop by and say hello.

Bye for now,

Emily