Composing With Branches

Expressing your creativity in Ikebana requires a certain skill set and techniques without which reaching a higher level is not possible. Therefore, in the recently-published 5th book of Sogetsu School Curriculum, the technical side of Ikebana is highly emphasized. The methods of binding, fixing, wiring, weaving, interlacing, in short, composing with various materials in a better way have been taught systematically. 

So this week, we studied once again "composing with branches" which requires at first to create a stable structure with the branches themselves. The branches could be fixed together by wire, nail or screws to be a self standing composition. Only after then, you can choose your flowers and vases to go with the branches. You can see these steps in the following photos. 

Check this other arrangement of the same method with wonderful protea from South Africa.

First, composing with branches only

Self standing branches fixed with wire and
the willows thin and flexible ends

Gerberas added to the arrangement afterwards