DEMONSTRATION #1

 

Hello all,

As part of our exhibition I conducted two demonstrations. In this post I'm sharing the arrangements from the first one. For the above arrangement I demonstrated the technique of joining bamboo into scalene triangles first and then joining them into a structure. I had prepared the arrangement in advance because it would have taken far too long to do it in front of an audience. I worked the bamboo through the container taking advantage of the three openings. I finished it with three crucifix orchids.

The demonstration was shortly after Orthodox Easter, which inspired the arrangement, below. I used red died Easter eggs in a triangular shaped, glass vase and wisteria loosely wound in a way to represent a 'nest'. The cosmos added lightness and life to the arrangement.

In the basket arrangement, below, I wanted to demonstrate the lesson 'Paying Attention to the Shape of the Container'. I used curved agapanthus, stripped of their seed pods, nandina domestica nana and chrysanthemums.

This next arrangement is simple but quite striking. Just two leaves and a flower of strelitzia reginae in a ceramic container. I also used some small aspidistra leaves at the base.

In our area we have an abundance of pine trees (Pinus radiata), planted by the original residents who were predominantly German. I wanted to make at least one arrangement with pine and spent an hour and a half walking from tree to tree, looking for just the right branch. I setted on the one below and, for the demonstration, after a great deal of trimming and removal of superfluous needles, I showed the mechanics of securing this very heavy branch on to an appropriately strong container. I, then, needed equally strong flowers to complete the piece and for that I'm grateful to my son's neighbours, who, very kindly, let me have five proteas from their tree.

Amongst the offcuts from the pine branch I noticed one that had potential. I demonstrated how, by removing a number of side shoots, I brought out the beauty of the little stem. Then, I placed it in a small container, which I bought in Greece in 1988, long before I knew about Ikebana.

Side view to show the depth

The next arrangement is an example of three different lessons from the curriculum - 'Paying Attention to the Colour of the Container', 'Disassemblying and Rearranging the Material' and 'Repeating Similar Shapes and Forms'. I used dried bamboo and hydrangeas in a self-made, ceramic container.

For my last arrangement I used an obi which I folded into rough pleats. For this I have to acknowledge Missei Ishikawa sensei, who, in a zoom demonstration had used three obis folded this way. Although I used her idea of the obi, my arrangement is quite different. I used a very heavy, stone container into which I secured the obi. Because I could not use water in the same container, I placed a vase behind it, into which I placed flowers. For the demonstration, I used dark pink cosmos but, by the time I brought them home and reset the arrangement to photograph it, the cosmos had perished. Hence the button chrysanthemums in the photo. The cane added te necessary line and space to the arrangement.

Last Friday, Lucy, Vicky and I attended an End of Life Celebration for Judith Cougle, a student of mine, who passed away this time last year. Because of Covid, her family could not give her the send off she deserved, so they had postponed it to exactly one year to the day of her passing. Judith had planned all the details of this event, wanting to spare her family the anguish of 'What would mum have wanted'. This included her asking me to do the flowers. It was an honour to be asked and, of course, I accepted. In all of her communications, Judith followed her signature with the sunflower emoji, so I made sure that in two of the arrangements, I used sunflowers, which were then given to her friends at the end of the ceremony.

In the eulogies her family and fiends spoke of Judith's many, admirable qualities and achievements but what I remember most is her warmth. I have a vision of her looking up at me, as she was a little shorter, with a broad smile and partially squinting eyes. Judith was not just my student but also a friend. My sisters and I connected with her on a personal level and we will miss her.

Judith with her only son, Callum

Judith with Maisey, the light of her life

Bye for now,

Emily