The wonderful thing about being in Japan is that there are many ikebana-related events happening year-round.
We were fortunate to be in Tokyo when the Ohara Ikebana exhibition was happening at the Takashimaya Shinjuku department store (Apr 11-16, 2024).
Please enjoy some of the exquisite works at the exhibition!
My next class at Sogetsu HQ was under the direction of Sensei Ishikawa Misei. I worked with Japanese roses (yamabuki) and gloriosa lilies. In a conic container, I made the Japanese roses seem like they were playing together while the gloriosa lilies brought them all together in one unity. I hope you like it.
Ishikawa-sensei also made a demonstration using Japanese roses and red dogwood.
It’s good to be back at Sogetsu Headquarters (Aoyama, Tokyo)!
There’s always lots of material to choose from.
I joined the class of Sensei Takagi Suisen and chose to work with the softstem bulrushes. This arrangement plays with straight lines. I hope you like it.
Takagi-sensei also made a demonstration of 2 arrangements. She was very inspiring!
I had the honour to install ikebana arrangements at the 26th Atlantic Canada Japanese Language Speech Contest held last Mar 9th, 2024 at St. Mary's University. Congratulations to all the participants!
Welcome flower at the entrance.
At the podium.
I hope you like them. —Miyako
The dried and fresh leaves were both from the Dracaena plant. Withered leaves display interesting patterns. It was interesting to put them together with the fresh ones in an arrangement to show contrast and the passage of time.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
Young branches are soft & pliant. They are fun to work with because they usually comply to what we want them to do! In this arrangement, young magnolia branches obediently curl up together to fit in a glass container.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
A neighbour had been pruning his garden and offered us some of these very fine and thin branches. This calls for a “light” arrangement, where the material is floating out of the container and could be carried away by the wind at any moment!
I hope you like it. —Miyako
Our ikebana exhibition at the Halifax Central Library last May, 2022 is featured in the June, 2023 edition of "Sō" (「草」) magazine, the official publication of the Sogetsu Teachers' Association.
Dissambled pine branches. The needles are used to create mass while the bare branches form the line.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
Our welcome ikebana arrangement for the 2022 Atlantic Canada Japanese Language Speech Contest at St. Mary's University is featured in the April, 2023 edition of "Sō" (「草」) magazine, the official publication of the Sogetsu Teachers' Association.
