Fresh sunflowers and dried hydrangeas...a contrast of old and new.
For this arrangement, I combined use of hanadome wire and flower container.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
Thank you Hal-Con 2015
We had a great time at Hal-Con 2015. We would like to thank everyone who visited our booth, including many fabulous cosplayers! You kept us busy. We couldn't even take a break...and we love you for it! :-)
Our special thank-you to the organizers and volunteers. You did one heck of a job. Everything was smooth. 100% successful event!
We hope to see you all again next year!
Sincerely,
the ikebana shop
My Ikebana: Light Pink & Dark Red
An arrangement using two containers. On one side, light pink anastasia...
On the other side, dark red Asiatic lily.
Apart from the contrast, I also wanted to show the purity of water...
...and the space created between the two containers. Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. -- Miyako
Workshop: Making Notebooks With Japanese Paper
We are pleased to announce a workshop in notebook-making with Japanese decorative paper.
The instructor is Jamie Pratt. She is the Halifax representative of the Japanese Paper Place (based in Toronto) and has extensive experience in papercraft.
You will learn to make 3 small notebook styles--the 3-hole pamphlet, the teabag notebook, and the meandering notebook. Many different patterns of beautiful Japanese decorative paper will be available for you to choose from.
The 3-Hole Pamphlet Notebook.
The Teabag Notebook
The Meandering Notebook. Not as simple as it looks!
Workshop Date & Time: Oct 17th (Sat), 2:00-3:30 p.m.
Place: Our studio above the shop
Cost: $20.00 plus HST (materials included)
Participants from 12 years old and above.
Maximum: 10 persons
Please register in advance. First come, first served.
Register by phone (902-407-0487) or email shop@theikebanashop.com
Hope to see you there!
Afterglow Ikebana
Miyako and Susan worked long and hard to design this installation for the Afterglow Art Festival, held in Bridgewater, NS last Sep. 25~26, 2015. The ever-evolving mock-up took over our garage for well over a month!
We thank Jim of Rofihe's Men's Wear (629 King St., Bridgewater, NS) for allowing use of the store's show window for the ikebana installation. The location was perfect!
Photo courtesy of Susan Robertson.
“Have We Met Before?
We are all witness to the wild beauty that grows quietly along our roadsides and gets washed up upon the shore. What if we took that material inside? Susan Roberston is an Ikebana Enthusiast, Admirer, and Student and Miyako Ballesteros is a qualified Instructor Sogetsu School of Ikebana and Co-Owner of the Ikebana Shop in Halifax. Ikebana is an art in which the force of life in living plants and the spirit of the person arranging unite to create new beauty and form.”
It looks like the ladies enjoyed themselves. Here is the ikebana at night.
Thank you to everyone who came to see the work. Thank you to Ashton Rodenhiser and the rest of the organizers of Afterglow Art Festival for letting us participate in this wonderful event.
Miyako & Susan, o-tsukaresamadeshita!
My Ikebana: Contrasting Cattails
Isshu-ike...using only one kind of material for an arrangement. I selected only cattails.
I meant this arrangement to portray the cusp where summer ends and autumn begins. On the left side, I placed very green cattails, strong and straight, still very much in their prime. On the right side, I placed already weakening leaves, stooped and curled, browning in some parts...a portent of fall.
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
A Little Squirrel Fun At Our Soba Shop
Summer time in Nova Scotia...it's the time when our little friends in the woods come out and gather food. So we thought to put up a little "soba shop".
Pretty soon, a customer came sniffing around.
Hope he liked the food...
Nope, we didn't serve any alcohol. He probably was just head-over-heels with our menu! :-)
Please come again!
My Ikebana: Little Green Apples
Little green apples are beautiful!
First, some of the apple branches were placed at a low position to show some low-hanging fruit. Some red elderberry provides effective contrast. Then, a tall branch is placed to depict an out-of-reach fruit.
The alstroemeria play only a support role. The apple branches are the stars for this arrangement!
Here is the whole arrangement.
I hope you like it. --Miyako
Ikebana At The Biscuit Eater
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.
Matcha and Suikinkutsu at Jomyo-ji, Kamakura
We went to Jomyo-ji (浄妙寺), a Zen Buddhist temple in Kamakura with the express intention of visiting the tea house Kisen-an (喜泉庵).
It is a spacious tatami tea room, with the engawa (縁側) porch looking out to a serene karesansui (枯山水) Zen rock garden.
It is a very peaceful place.
The temple serves matcha and wagashi (Japanese sweets). There is no better place to enjoy such a treat!
Tucked in the left corner of the garden is a suikinkutsu (水琴窟). You can't see it because it is underground. All you can see is the stone basin with a little water trickling on it.
Source: http://www.suikinkutsu.com/image/suidanmen.jpg
The suikinkutsu is a domed installation with a pool of water at the bottom and a tiny hole on top to allow water to fall in drops. The sound of the water drops echo inside creating a very pleasant (or shall we go as far as saying "mystical"?) sound.
The name suikinkutsu literally translates to sui = "water" , kin = "koto" (a string musical instrument), kutsu = "cave".
Next to the stone basin is a long bamboo pole that extends all the way to the engawa.
Put your ear close to the end of the pole and you can hear the melodious and soothing sounds of the water drops. Almost other-worldly!
We found a video of Jomyo-ji on YouTube. Enjoy the sound of suikinkutsu at around the 2:48 mark.