Beautifying Glass

Sunflowers with roses
Glass containers

I loved this week's challenge of using see through multiple glass containers. Water is always being considered as an important element of Ikebana arrangements but in this particular case of glass vases, water is the shin. 

Bamboo Revisited: Trial and Error

I was looking forward to this bamboo lesson. How shouldn't I? I have seen incredible, sculptural, over-sized Ikebana arrangements from Sogetsu School using bamboo in amazing ways lately and I was more than ready to get some hands-on experience. You can see a few examples here showing the masters' work.

One of the end results of my trials and errors can be seen in the picture. The bamboo I used was a little bit drier than ideal so I couldn't get the curves I really wanted and had to content myself with what I could achieve.

I put two photos below to show you the hand tools we use to cut and separate the bamboo.

In addition to my struggle with bamboo, the beautiful flowers of ginger I happened to choose for this week was proved to be a difficult one to use. Anyhow, I am content with the process and the arrangement. 

For other bamboo arrangements you can check this earlier post and this one from 2013.

Bamboo cutting tool and hasami

Bamboo cutting tools

A Basket of Autumn Colors

Well, this is my first basket arrangement which has a full range of rules that I was not aware of at the beginning. Even if I found it challenging to comply with all the rules, I enjoyed a lot using these autumn colored big chrysanthemums with other beautiful flowers.

Brilliant Ikebana Arrangements from the Masters

Elsbeth von Siebental

Enjoy these wonderful arrangements from the masters of Geneva Sogetsu Chapter with Elsbeth von Siebental.

I took these pictures in the Ikebana Exposition, Geneva, Switzerland that took place on 3-5 October 2014 as part of the 30th anniversary of Sogetsu Branche Suisse.

I couldn't be able to photograph all the arrangements and surely the ones you see in this page don't honor enough of their original beauty, size, technique and the feelings they arouse in the spectators. I am also sorry that I couldn't add the names of the participants.

For some more photos, you may like to check this other post in Turkish.

Elsbeth von Siebental

Elsbeth von Siebental, Ariane Poussiere, Merren Tardivelle,
 Nicole Meyfarth, Agnes Merz-Schanz

Nicole Meyfarth

Nageire with Astonishingly Beautiful Spirea Branches

Spiraea, Peony
Sogetsu Variation No:3 Upright Style Nageire 

I love the tiny white flowers of spirea shrub. When I have seen these beautiful branches freshly cut, I decided to utilize their natural curb to make a classical Sogetsu nageire arrangement. The peonies of the season became the focal point as hikae.

In the second arrangement you see on the right, done a few days later, I recycled the spirea and used some dry old magnolia branches with my favorite stoneware dark brown to black vase. I made this vase in Michelle's studio after I have seen similar ones used in the Ikebana Demonstration done by Master Koka Fukushima in March 20, 2014 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Swiss Sogetsu Branch.  

Check this other post to see another arrangement that uses the same vase.   

Peonies and Hosta Leaves, Again...

Well, the peony season is on and today's theme in my Ikebana class is hosta leaves. So I come up with this yet another classical arrangement using hosta leaves with peonies in two seperate kenzans. 

For another similar arrangement, check this earlier post in Turkish.

Both the various types of hosta and the pink peonies with their buds are so very beautiful, it is almost impossible to arrange them wrong. However, I gave quite attention to keep the empty space between the two parts of the arrangement while ensuring their harmonious integration as I was thinking about the Sofu Teshigara's words that I encountered in the inspiring and resourceful blog of Nordic Lotus:

"Ikebana is the art of space - the space between the branches, the space between flowers and leaves and the space between masses. In other words, the space between the branches and flowers comes alive. This space is a plentiful void projecting tension and power."  
Sofu Teshigara, Founder of Sogetsu School

When I was back home, I also couldn't resist to use the leftover leaves and flowers in this small arrangement to lighten up my room. I used one of my favorite wheel-thrown ceramic vases that I made in Beatrice's studio in deep blue.

Amazing Bamboo

Bamboo is an amazing material to use in Ikebana. This arragement is a simple one searching for the sculptural quality of bamboo.

Remember, it is not possible to put the bamboo directly to the kenzan. The stem is quite hard. Therefore, one should introduce an auxiliary branch within the bamboo to fix it properly. 

For another bamboo arrangement and the tools used to cut and separate the bamboo, you can check this post.

I also used bamboo in a more classical way in this earlier arrangement (post written in Turkish).