Filtering by Category: ikebana

Ikebana At The Biscuit Eater

Added on August 1, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

We went to Mahone Bay to share a little ikebana joy. The Biscuit Eater kindly let us use their beautiful space again to set up some ikebana arrangements. (Yes, we did this a couple of years ago too!)

Miyako and two of her students--Susan & Val--put arrangements in some corners of the café...

...including one in the ladies' room...

Oh...and the ladies did not forget about the men's room either. They decided to have a bit of fun there too!. Not ikebana...just mischief! :-)

The big table at the entrance was host to multiple arrangements that could be taken as one harmonious piece.

We plan to have ikebana workshops at The Biscuit Eater, outdoors on the deck, weather permitting. Aug 14th (Fri) and Aug 28th (Fri) both 3:00-4:30 p.m. Miyako will teach basic upright moribana on the first date and basic slanting on the second. We put sign-up sheets on the table so please join us. Or, you can contact us directly to register too. (Cost: 35.00 plus HST).

Of course, a trip to The Biscuit Eater always includes a lovely meal. Food there is always good!

Thank you very much Cara and Frederick for allowing us to intrude into your charming space!

L-R: Susan, Cara (co-owner of The Biscuit Eater), Miyako and Val.

My Ikebana: Using Cardboard

Added on July 13, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

I was in the middle of putting together some fir branches for an arrangement about disassembling-and-assembling branch material when I realized that the vase I was using did not really fit.

I could not find another suitable container so I decided to make one...with cardboard!

In the Sogetsu textbook, there is also a theme about using unconventional materials. I decided to give that a try too! Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it. --Miyako

My Ikebana: A Little Tension

Added on June 23, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

Adding an unstable element creates s a little tension in an arrangement...and makes it more intriguing.

Roses that bring a weighty feel sit in contrast with the lightness of baby's breath.

Then, gentle wavy branches.

The arrangement is intentionally put off-centre to create a sense of instability.

Here is the whole arrangement. Do you feel the slight tension?

I hope you like it. --Miyako

My Ikebana: Pink Like Sakura

Added on June 4, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

Spring comes late in Halifax. I put together this arrangement early April of this year. The sakura were already blooming in Tokyo and I longed to see them. I decided then to use pink blossoms--a mix of spray carnations and alstroemeria--to remind me of pink sakura.

I took care not to let the flowers and branches sit heavily onto the vase. Rather, I made them "float" a bit from the mouth of the container. This lent an air of fragility to the arrangement.

Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it. -- Miyako

My Ikebana: Free Style Kabu-wake

Added on May 16, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

The maple branches that I have been keeping have bloomed! I decided to use them for a kabu-wake arrangement.

Kabu-wake is a type of arrangement where two separate groups are made inside one container, with a special focus on the water and the space that separates the two "islands".

I chose gently curving pussy willow branches to match the maple.

Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it. --Miyako

My Ikebana: Showing Water

Added on April 24, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

I use a simple glass container to show purity of water.

Inside, statice stems are arranged in a horizontal manner to contrast against the long, tall cylindrical vase.

A small mass of statice blooms is created not only on the inside but also on the outside to keep the arrangement a bit off-balanced. (How does the statice mass stay in place? Secret revealed below!)

Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it. --Miyako

Here is the secret to affixing the blooms at the top of the container: Plastic kenzans! They have suction cups to keep them in place.

Find out more about the plastic kenzan here.

My Ikebana: Simple Pine Re-Construction

Added on April 5, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

This arrangement's theme is about deconstructing and re-inventing a pine branch.

After being separated from the branch, the pine needles are re-arranged to show a certain flow, somewhat a downward cascading movement. At the same time, the tiny branches shooting from the main pine limb are displayed. The yellow freesia reminds us of the coming of spring.

Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it. --Miyako

My Ikebana: Curved And Straight Lines

Added on March 22, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

This arrangement brings together curved and straight lines.

Myrtle branches make the straight line component whilst eucalyptus and birch branches provide the curves.

The chrysanthemums on the left side look as if they are peeking through the eucalyptus to give the arrangement a sense of depth. One bloom mixed with the towering myrtle puts more emphasis to the unbending component.

The connection of birch branches combine the two elements into one whole arrangement.

I hope you like it. --Miyako

Ikebana With Coirón

Added on March 12, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

Coirón? We've never heard of this material before until once again our friend, Ana Luisa from Chile, introduced it to us, albeit vicariously. (See what she has shown us in the past here.)

Coiron is a strong fibrous grass that grows in bunches. It is predominantly found in southern South America.

(Source: Flickr)

In the summer, the coirón bakes in the sun and turns into a naturally bright golden colour. The grass is woven together to make baskets and other traditional crafts.

Wild Chilean coiron collected from the hills near Lake Colbun.

Lake Colbun (Source: Flickr)

Where is Lake Colbun? Right here!

Our friend from Chile, an enthusiastic ikebanista, shared with us some photos of her arrangements using coirón. It must be wonderful to be able to work with such interesting material!

In the arrangement, she uses deep fuschia peonies to contrast the golden yellow of the coirón. The wavy lines create an interesting sense of motion!

These special coirón pieces were woven by Chilean artisans.

The arrangement to the left has blue hydrangeas and yellow roses.

The coiron form a captivating "cover" for the glass vases.

The work below is an archived photo (40 years ago!) of an arrangement using coirón by Ana Luisa's teacher, Maria Undurraga MacKenna (rank of 1st Grade Komon). We love this arrangement as it uses the coirón to add a certain lightness around all the chrysanthemums. It is a good contrast against the two arrangements above where the woven coirón drapes over the arrangement as a more solid material.

Thank you, Ana Luisa Quiñones, for sharing lovely ikebana with us!

My Ikebana: The Nambu Iron Ashtray

Added on February 10, 2015 by the ikebana shop.

For this arrangement, I used a very unusual "container". It is an old ashtray made of nambu iron (the same type used for the cast iron teapots.) I found this ashtray in a flea market in Tokyo. Though I didn't smoke, I saw its potential to become a flower container!

I wanted to show the fine intricacies of the tiny branches so I made the arrangement short and horizontal so that the viewer may have a closer look. I also tried to show the "feet" of the snapdragon stems coming out of the container. It adds a little vertical component to contrast the very horizontal nature of the arrangement.

Here is the whole arrangement.

I hope you like it. --Miyako