20th March, 2022

 

Hello all,

At our Ikebana International meeting last Tuesday, we had the pleasure of learning a little bit about Kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing ceramics. Our guest speakers were Mr. an Mrs. Murooka who are instructors of Kintsugi. We, the members, were asked to bring an arrangement celebrating imperfection, which can be interpreted - Under the spirit of kintsugi and under the spirit of reuse/recycle.

In my arrangement, I used a much loved container, which I had broken. Some of you may remember my lamentation at the time. Compared to the work of Mr and Mrs Murooka, my attempt at kintsugi was quite clumsy but I had done it with little or no instruction and the gold joins are much thicker than they are supposed to be. However, I rather like it that way. 

For my material I had reused a piece of bamboo from a previous arrangement, whose leaves were turning yellow. I added two kniphofias. Unfortunately, the bamboo did not survive the trip home and had to be replaced. The new piece was a little larger, necessitating the addition of another kniphofia.

For class I had set the theme 'Dried, Bleached or Coloured Materials' for the advanced students.

In my arrangement, below, I used bleached mitsumata, dried and coloured fine branches and creamy coloured belladonna lilies in a tall ceramic vase with a number of holes around it.

Bredenia used dried Honesty (Lunaria annua) in a ceramic vase with three holes on either side. As the honesty did not require to be in water, she was able to feed the stems through the holes and out the other side. Her yellow roses completed the rather soft, ethereal look.

Lucy used strelitzia leaves, dried and sprayed gold in a ceramic container with a metallic patina. The deep red coloured geranium flowers added to the strength of the arrangement.

Nicole used a piece of dried palm inflorescence in a cream coloured vase. Her hydrangeas were also creamy in colour with tinges of pink. This arrangement, also, had an ethereal feel to it.

Vicky used a dried, straggly branch in a tall glass vase with anthuriums she grew herself.

Shaneen's curriculum theme was 'In a Suiban Without a Kenzan'. She used coprosma, sedum and smoke bush (cotinus), in a ceramic suiban.

 

Lei, also had the same theme as Shaneen. She used stems of rose hips and two fatsia leaves trimmed back into a more circular shape.

Diane's curriculum theme was 'Composition of Curved Lines'. She used stems of Siberian Dogwood and pineapple lilies in a ceramic suiban.

Bye for now,

Emily