Burlap fabric is usually used to make sacks to pack bulk dry foods like grains and beans. For this arrangement, a “vase” was fashioned out of burlap fabric!
This type of arrangement is called tsuri-bana (吊り花) or “hanging arrangement”.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
The objective of this arrangement was to show unbalance: a small vase versus a large arrangement of materials.
What do you think? Was it successful? ☺ Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
Every year, we are honoured to be invited to present ikebana to the Japanese Culture course offered at St. Mary’s University.
Normally, the demonstration would have been live in the classroom. Afterwards, the students would have been able to see the ikebana arrangements up close and enjoy the subtle details.
But of course, this year is different. University lectures are being conducted online and so must our demonstration! We are posting the demo arrangements below so that the students may have a second look at them.
We’d like to thank Dr. Alexandre Avdulov of the Department of Modern Languages and Classics and all the students in the Japanese Culture course for your warm welcome and keen interest!
Believe it or not, this was our first “Zoom event” ever.
Arrangement No. 1 - Basic Upright Moribana
Arrangement No. 2 - Drawing Attention to the Container
Arrangement No. 3 - Seasonal Arrangement: Autumn
We hope you enjoyed the demonstration!
Our ikebana demonstration for the closing ceremonies of the Asian Heritage Month las May 2019 at the Halifax Public Library Central Branch is featured in the June 2020 edition of "Sō" (「草」) magazine, the official publication of the Sogetsu Teachers' Association.
It sure took its time but we finally received our copy of the April 2020 edition of "Sō" (「草」) magazine, the official publication of the Sogetsu Teachers' Association.
Our exhibition, Surprise! (yes, the award-winning one!) last May, 2019 at the Keshen Goodman Library, is featured in this edition.
We’ve been through a heat wave recently here in Halifax. We finally capitulated and bought an electric fan. What caught my eye was the packaging cushion. It was made of moulded pulp, with a rough and interesting texture. It was of course formed in the specific shape to protect the appliance. But I thought to transform it and use it as a flower container!
So, I folded it in some parts, tore up other parts, and put them together again….and then painted it black. I also made room inside for a container to hold water.
Next, I cut off the light twigs from a dried spruce branch, which I had sparsely painted white. The little twigs were rearranged into a small cluster. By placing it to seem like it was floating above the dense-looking container, I sought to show contrast between heavy and light.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
It’s summer. The tiny yellow flowers of the forsythia in our garden are long gone. They have now turned into lush green leafy branches! They can bring a refreshing feeling into the house.
This arrangement is placed at our entrance foyer…a light and cheery welcome as one comes in!
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
I found some pine branches that fell off a tree. It looked like they had been there for a while because the pine needles were in showing different stages of discolouration as it started to dry up.
I took the branches apart, re-assembled and mounted them on a board to create a relief arrangement.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
As the weather becomes warmer, the lupins start to bloom here in Atlantic Canada. They are beautiful and, happily, they are all over the place!
A typical Halifax roadside scene in the summer.
It is wonderful to see the purples and pinks amid the refreshing green. We try to bring this freshness into our ikebana arrangement, using the lupins from our yard. This arrangement is a floor position arrangement, i.e. it is meant to be viewed from above.
I hope you like it. —Miyako
In the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Propeller Beer opened its Quinpool location. Another great addition to our vibrant community!
Image is a screenshot from @propellerbeer Instagram post.
Here is our little welcome ikebana for Propeller Beer! A crystal container with light blue hydrangeas to evoke the pleasure of that first gulp of ice cold beer after a long day!
Apologies for the belated welcome. We are happy to have you in the Quinpool neighbourhood!
