WORKSHOPS

 

Hello all, 

At our recent Ikebana International meeting, our guest speaker was Mr. Eijiro Fukuda, a Kumiko Woodworking Artist - Kumino. So, we were asked to make arrangements using wood.

Our Lucy was the member demonstrator. She used a 'log', which had been sliced in two and she drilled holes on the cut face of each half and added spear grass to create curved lines. She then drilled a larger hole into which she placed a plastic vial to hold the stem of crucifix orchid. Photograph, below.

Lucy had, also, done an arrangement to place on the table using black bamboo attached to a board. She poured water in one bamboo 'cylinder' and used it to place the rose stem.

For my contribution on the theme, I wanted to use something other than the countless 'wood' materials in my storage room, which I'd used before. On my street there are a number of huge, mature, cypress trees. On the lower parts of the trees, limbs had died and dropped off, leaving stumpy pieces jutting out. I wanted to use these but I did not want to cut them with a saw, So I broke a couple by hanging on them like Tarzan (or maybe his monkey). I'm sure it would have been entertaining for passing motorists to see an old lady hanging from a tree. But, we, ikebanists wiil not be deterred!

I attached them together with a screw where they meet at the top and at the bottom. Then it was just a matter of adding flowers and I couldn't go past these red camellias. As any of you who have worked with camellias will know, there is a degree of difficulty in arranging them. The flowers often grow facing downward and care must be taken not to allow the backs of the leaves to show.

For photographs of other members' work, go to II Melbourne.

On Saturday our Sogetsu group welcomed Ray Bywaters, the director of the South Australian Branch and the most recent recipient of the Norman and Mary Sparnon Scholarship.

Ray spoke to us of her experiences during her stay in Japan and presented a short power point presentation. She, then, demonstrated two arrangements on the theme of the Japanese idiom : 'Kachoufugetsu'. We were told that the meaning is 'The beautiful features of natural scenery, the beauty of nature, artistic pursuits with natural themes, the wonder of nature, scenic nature.

Please go to Sogetsu Victoria for more information and photographs.

For my arrangement the greatest challenge was to cut down a strelitzia nicolai flower, which was very high on the plant. With Sam's help, I stood on a trestle table and, using an extendable cutter with a saw attached, I just managed to reach and cut my flower. 

My aim was to represent a bird. Then I was faced with the challenge of balancing the very heavy strelitzia in this doughnut shaped container, without resting on top of it. I pierced a skewer through the stem to help stop it from twisting. I then, added fern fronds and cordyline leaves as feathers.

Side view

The theme for the afternoon workshop was 'One Leaf and One Flower', which seemed much easier in comparison, but, for many of us, it proved anything but. We were told we could do a second arrangement if we wanted to.

My first arrangement was very simple using a haemanthus leaf and one arum lily. I did have to employ some mechanics to ensure that the lily stem did not rest on the leaf.

My second arrangement was a bit more challenging. It started with the crucifix orchid with aerial roots that I've been wanting to use for some time. I needed a high container from which the roots could hang and a strong leaf to hold up the flower and for visual balance. Hence the gymea leaf. To prevent the flower stem from resting on the leaf, I used a piece of wire which I pierced through the stem and into the top and bottom of the leaf 'tunnel'.

We had some discussion as to whether the roots constituted a part of the flower, with differing opinions. The orchid is epiphytic and draws nourishment from its aerial roots, which allows me to place it in the arrangement without it being in water. I just spray the roots every time I go past it.

Two days later and the fern fronds in my bird arrangement were drying and curling up. This necessitated the rearranging of the strelitzia.

I started by securing the flower in this ceramic container. That meant using skewers through the stem and wedging them on the inside walls of the container.

In new container

Mechanics holding the flower 
stem

 

Now, this is a deep enough container to conceal my mechanics but I was not happy with them being seen when up close. So I brought in a gymea leaf, which can survive a long time without being in water. The arrangement is now fits the theme of 'One Leaf and One Flower.

The final product

Bye for now,

Emily