Folding Fan for a New Year

Flowers only. No. 3 oyo, fan shape.

Roses and anemone.

A boat shaped ikebana vase brings good wishes for the year to come. May the trip be adventurous and safe for us all. I'm starting off the new year with a fan shaped arrangement using flowers only. In Japanese culture the folding fan is a necessary item at celebrations to mark important events in life. The fan symbolizes friendship, respect and good wishes. It is also used when performing arts such as tea ceremony, traditional dance, Noh songs and traditional comic storytelling.

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Last Call - Fiber Futures: Japan's Textile Pioneers

Today we had a stroll in Manhattans midtown East heading for Japan Society and the exhibition "Fiber Futures: Japan's Textile Pioneers". If you're in New York there is still time - tomorrow will be the last day of this absolutely beautiful exhibition showcasing the dynamic field of Japanese fiber art.

"The works on display range from ethereal silk and hemp to paper pulp and synthetic fiber using methods that are sometimes deeply traditional, but sometimes employ the latest weaving and dyeing technology along with an environmentally conscious "green" ethos. Moving far beyond traditional utility, Japan's textile pioneers fuse past and present to create innovative, beautiful and sometimes challenging works of art."

Fabulous!

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Ichiyo Hana Festa

I love stage performances with large scale ikebana arrangements. It's not often that I get to see any live performances, but watching them online is fun as well. This video is from the stage performance at Ichiyo Hana Festa 2011. Akihiro Kasuya, headmaster of the Ichiyo School creates a magical landscape of ikebana arrangements.

One of my Flickr friends received his instructor certificate from the Ichiyo School earlier this year. If you're interested in seeing more Ichiyo ikebana I recommend his photo stream on Flickr. I especially like his arrangements without kenzan.

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Avant-Garde Christmas

Christmas ikebana.

Metal wire, birch bark circles, pine, red tinsel.

It's time to prepare for the Christmas season. Why not go for an avant-garde ikebana this year? I'm posting to versions of this nageire free style emphasizing curved lines. Materials are metal wire, birch bark circles and pine. In the first one red tinsel has been added. In the second version I've used red roses and silver tinsel. Which one do you prefer?

Christmas ikebana.

Metal wire, birch bark circles, pine, red roses and silver tinsel.

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7500 Visitors

This video presents a slide show with ikebana arrangements that are previously posted on my blog. The last year I've had 7500 unique visitors, and I made this slide show to mark the occasion. I'd like to thank you all for visiting, and especially my regular followers. Enjoy!

Music: Kôjô no Tsuki (Moon over the Ruined Castle), Jean-Pierre Rampal and Lily Laskine, Japanese Melodies for Flute and Harp.

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Hong Kong Exhibition

The Hong Kong Branch of the Sogetsu Teachers' Association held their annual ikebana exhibition in November. This years theme was "To create is to love".

This YouTube video was uploaded by a visitor at the exhibition. You'll find a lot of ideas for large size ikebana installations and interesting material combinations. If you need to get inspired and start planning for your own installations, or you just want to enjoy the beauty and variety of the arrangements, you'll love this exhibition.

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Teachers Certificate

In June this year I had my first teacher's exam for the Sogetsu School of ikebana. Yesterday I finally got the certificate issued by the present iemoto (headmaster) Akane Teshigahara. What can I say - it was worth waiting for.

As you can see my new teachers name is Senju. I don't really know what it means, so if any of you that know Japanese have thoughts on the interpretation of the name I would appreciate a comment. Thanks!

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Mass and Lines

Mass and lines.

Birch Witch's Broom, Gerbera, painted sticks, Bergenia leaves.

Very often the structure in modern ikebana is based on the balance between mass and lines. This way of working with sculptural free style ikebana takes the traditional styles a step further, reinterpreting the traditional use of main branches for the lines and a focus point or a weightier part at the base of the arrangement for the mass.

For these arrangements I've used Birch Witch's Broom as the main material of the mass, combining the messy twigs of the "broom" with soft textured and collorful Gerbera. I've never used Witch's Broom before, so that was an interesting experience. It's a quite fragile material and not that easy to arrange. On the bright side it has a lot of character and eye-catching texture.

Mass and lines.

Birch Witch's Broom, Gerbera, painted sticks, leaves.

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Heaven, Earth and Man - A Mongolian Perspective

Heaven, earth and man are the main branches in all major ikebana schools. But it is also a philosophy of balance between the spiritual and the material, and a vision statement for mankind. The "heaven, earth and man" philosophy is a basic component also in Chinese culture and you will find it in Tibetan philosophy as well.

In this video Professor Bira, an 85 year old student of George Roerich, speaks about "heaven, earth and man" in Mongolian thinking, since ancient times depicted as three circles. He gives a modern interpretation naming the principals cosmos, planet and humankind, and explains how this came to be an international symbol of peace and the inspiration for "The Roerich Peace Banner".

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The Poetry of Leaves

Working with large leaves last week, I revisited one of my favorite ikebana books: The Poetry of Leaves: Creative Ideas for Japanese Flower Arrangement by Norman J. Sparnon. I bought this 1970s book on eBay a couple of years ago and I love it. It contains 107 arrangements focusing on leaves in different ways, from very modern sculptural works to classical Narcissus and Aspidistra ikebana arrangements. Most of the pictures are black and white. On the second hand marked this is a quite expensive book. Mine is an ex-library copy, not as fun as a nice book from a private collection, but surely cheaper.

Norman Sparnon from Australia lived in Japan for 12 years where he studied both classical and modern ikebana. One of his teachers, Sofu Teshigahara of the Sogetsu School of ikebana, talked very highly of Mr Sparnon who for many years was considered the best-qualified master of Ikebana in the western world.

In the introduction Sparnon writhes:

"Harbingers of both spring and autumn, with their vivid colors and delicate patterns, leaves are one of the miracles of nature and are considered by the Japanese to be one of the major elements of flower arranging."

"The Poetry of Leaves:

Creative Ideas for Japanese Flower Arrangement"

by Norman J. Sparnon

Walker/Weatherhill; 1st edition (1970)

ASIN: B0006C07HS

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