20TH JULY, 2026

 

Hello all,

I set the theme for the advanced students last week of 'Bare Branches'. This is subtly different to the 'Fresh and Dry Materials' theme in our curriculum. Here the branches, although bare, are alive and can be placed in a container with water. But, because they are bare, they can also be placed outside of the container.

In my example, above, I used branches from my apple tree chosen for the unusual curve of the main one. The vase is a gift from my cousin, Nieves, who, although not an ikebanist, has excellent taste in the containers she has gifted me over the years. In this arrangement the challenge was to secure the heavy strelitzia without it resting on the rim of the vase.

Later, with the sun shining onto the Siberian dogwood with its deep red stems, I couldn't resist making another arrangement on the same theme. I, initially, created the structure with the branches and let it sit in the studio until I pruned my hydrangeas yesterday and was able to create a mass with the flowers. 

Below is Vicky's arrangement made in an ikenobo style container, using nectarine branches, small chrysanthemums and wattle.

The branches that Nicole and Lucy used are from a photinia, which is an evergreen tree and, therefore, should not have been bare. This particular tree belongs to our next door neighbour and it has fallen onto the fence during some extreme weather. It now rests there, most likely dying, with few leaves but covered in luminous lichen.

Nicole secured her branch over a low suiban, without it resting on the table, then added two camellias to complete the arrangement.

Lucy chose a tall, nageire container for her arrangement and, like Nicole, used variegated, camellias with her branch.

Jenny's branch was prunus elvins, which she placed in a tsubo vase and added monstera deliciosa leaves, cut in half. She, also, added a couple of camellia buds, peaking out from behind the leaves.

Vicky, having finished early and with extra materials, made another arrangement.

Wendy's class theme was 'Using Various Locations'. She made an arrangement in a tall vase using camellias and wattle.

She, then, took it home and placed in her tokonoma to the side of the framed picture, thus avoiding obstructing the view of the picture.

My leucadendron shrub is at its best at the moment and I wanted to use some of it here. The little, bamboo, wall container seemed ideal for my small sized materials. The berries are clivia seed heads.

I used cuttings from my only reticulata camellia, the name of which I don't know. I use this camellia infrequently because it produces few flowers and those flowers are heavy and likely to drop. I was pleased to find two flowers that I could use for this week's camellia arrangement.

Bye for now,

Emily

13TH JULY, 2026

 

Hello all,

At our last, regular class I had set the theme 'A Composition Using Unconventional Materials' for the advanced students. In my example, above, I found at a metal recycling place a spiral of what looked like white insulation. On closer inspection I noticed that there were copper pipes inside. I unwound the spiral and removed quite a lot of the insulation to reveal the pipes, then added some copper wires that I had lying around. (Sometimes it pays to be a hoarder).

Cymbie used a vinal record that had been bent, presumably with the application of heat, into a fluted bowl shape and secured it onto the orange, metal piece. And, as a final touch, added the black wire.

Lucy secured a tube diagonally onto a wooden board and into it she placed the ends of metal ribbon curls. Then added smaller curls made of some gold material.

Vicky's core material was squares of synthetic felt. The rod coming from the container pierced through the felt and the blue baubles added a dash of colour.

Wendy's class theme was one of the Fifty Principles of Sogetsu. She chose number 33 - Select a container that accentuates the beauty of the ikebana arranged in it.

Wendy used a number of soft, delicate materials in a basket shaped like a boat.

Mary made a Vertical Arrangement. She used the dried flower stem of the NZ flax as well as 2 leaves from the same plant. The brightly coloured chrysanthemums completed the arrangement.

I had a couple of proteas left over after the last lesson, which I simply had to arrange. One stem had an interesting curve, which suited my low, self made container to a T.

And for this week's camellia arrangement I wanted a more contemporary look, so I removed all the leaves from the camellia stems and added curled, jonquil leaves. I know I'll be asked about this, so I'll tell you. I curved the leaves by inserting a fine, very straight wire vertically through tiny cells, then when I bent them, they kept their shape.

Bye for now,

Emily

6TH JULY, 2026

 

Before trimming

Hello all,

The photographs of the arrangement, above, demonstrate how judicial trimming is necessary to reveal the beauty of the material. It is one leucadendron salignum branch, which can stand alone without the addition of other materials.

At last month's Ikebana International meeting Chieko Yazaki, of Shogetsudo Koryu school, presented the workshop and the theme was 'Flax'. She made a number of arrangements using flax in a variety of ways.

The two photographs, below, are of my arrangement photographed against two different backgrounds. I used variegated NZ flax and a single stem of umbrella grass in a triangular, glass vase. 

Photo by Lei Wang in situ

Photo at home against
black background

Jenny used a number of different coloured flax leaves and begonia maculata flowers in a vase with holes all around.

Photo by Lei Wang

Wendy arrived at the meeting without materials or container. Chieko had brought some materials for those that didn't have any, so Wendy took some flax leaves and created a large, free standing structure without a container.

Photo by Lei Wang

Nicole used variegated NZ flax and agapanthus seed heads in a trough-like, ceramic suiban.

Photo by Lei Wang

Mary's theme was 'Complementing an Art Piece'. She brought a small painting made by indigenous artist, Karen Bird. 

Mary used Siberian dogwood stems, Cornus Siberica alba, reflecting the curved, vertical lines in the painting and pink tulips and yellow Billy buttons, Pycnosorus globusus.

For this week's camellia arrangement, I was happy to see my Brushfields' Yellow camellia shrub in full bloom. I placed two stems in this double, ceramic container.

Bye for now,

Emily