Neuigkeiten aus meiner Ikebana Welt. An welchen Blumen und Materialien ich gerade Freude habe, womit ich und meine Schüler gerade arbeite, was mich beschäftigt und was ich tolles für meinen Ikebana Unterricht entdecke.
Immer frisch und immer mit Herz.
We focused on the theme of transition in time — specifically the shift from autumn to winter in Germany — and we also worked on a horizontal Nageire-composition. My students did an excellent job with both. Creating the transition from autumn to winter here in Australia was a bit challenging, since the seasons are different, but I still managed to find suitable materials that allowed us to express this theme beautifully.
We focust on colors in contrast and vertical compositions last week. We worked with beautitul and different materials, and the results were truly impressive. Our update was delayed because of the heavy sturm with the result of an 30 hour power outage and no connection to the internet. Hope you enjoy the images.
This was our last course week in autumn here in Australia, and once again we worked on various arrangements. A few arrangements were created using only one type of branches. One student brought camelia- branches in yellow and white, and another brought plain green branches, in which we worked out the artistic lines. Someone brought a vine with the wonderful name “Honey Sweet,” and we also created Nagaire arrangements in a hanging style. One of our beginner students created a wonderful arrangement using smokebush and peonies. As always, we enjoyed our work very much and achieved good results.
This week we created a wide variety of Ikebana arrangements. With my German students, we worked on arrangements in the same color scheme, while my Australian students made arrangements using vines. One of my new students created her first Nageire arrangement and did an excellent job. There was also a beautiful variation nr. 4 made only with flowers, which turned out very well.
This week, we continued working on Springtime-Ikebana without using a kenzan, which is always a challenge, but it worked out beautifully with our lovely spring branches and flowers. The German students, on the other hand, worked with bare branches or berry branches and many loose leaves for the Atumn-Arrangements We tied some or a lot of the leaves together with wire to create little or big nests, which we tucked into the arrangements. The results were beautiful ikebanas that will last until our next course begins in four weeks.
“We were very creative this week, both in the online course and in person. Some people created arrangements using only branches, with beautiful results. Others combined a vase and a container in their designs. Some made spring arrangements, while the German participants worked on autumn arrangements with loose leaves. It was all very lovely and a lot of fun.
This week, I worked online with my German students on autumn-themed arrangements, and some of them even used baking paper in their creations. With my Australian students in person, we explored a wide range of designs — some using only leaves, while even the beginners created beautiful arrangements with Tibouchina branches. The diversity of ideas and expressions is always truly enchanting.
At today’s meeting of our creative group, we worked with KUUKAN and MA the emptiness in and arround an arrangement. We used tropical materials such as jacaranda, pussy willow, dyed palm leaves, and a pompon flower with the beautiful name Wilsonii. We also included homegrown pineapples and orchids. It was a very creative morning.
We used different types of material to create Lesson 5, book 3 “straight lines. For one of my students, it was the very first time to create a abstract free-style arrangement and the result turned out almost perfect.
After a long break during Summer vacation in Germany, we started our Zoom-Classes again this week. We focused on Sofu Teshigaharas Prinzip Nr. 46 contrasts between open spaces, density, lines, masses and created “Ma” in our arrangements. In addition we worked on Variation Nr. 8, Moribana in two containers.
The theme as the floral-Art-Club was “Bushland Wonders.” The ladies presented unique arrangements using all kinds of materials that one might discover on a walk through the Sunshine Coast bushland. I truly enjoyed this playful morning and found it fascinating to see the different results between my Ikebana and the floristic arrangements.
Some of my students worked on wall arrangements last week. The greatest challenge here is to find material that reaches up while also falling downwards, with the focal point placed above the rim of the vase. My other students are still working on basic-Arrangements, Moribana as well as Nageire, with beautiful diverse materials.
This week we played with the tiniest containers - little bottles, lipstick caps, perfume flacons, tiny vases, all under 10 cm and placed theme on cardbords, mirrors ore trays. We used lavender, basil, azalea, tiny pear branches and a lot more. It is not just about cutting them small - each piece must look naturally miniature and of course every arrangment still needs to look like a proper Ikebana work of art.
We held four Ikebana-demonstraions during the exhibition. Each time, three to four teachers shared their skills with a large and attentive audience. The demonstrations were varied - some modern, some traditional. We showed simple ways to approach Ikebana and how to use different materials. The photos give a glimps of the beautiful results.
This past weekend we held our annuale Sogetsu Ikebana Exhibition in the beautitul Brisbane Botanic Garden. The theme was “Space”, and more then 40 stunning arrangements were on display. Our members interpreted the theme with great creativity, each bringing their own vision and style to life.
At the crack of dawn on Thursday morning, I had the chance to visit the Brisbane flower market and selectet some wonderful materials for my students. We worked with very abstract shapes of quince, which was quite a challenge, but the results turned out beautifully and were truly worth the effort.
This week, I had the pleasure of leading a workshop with the ladies of the Floral Art Society in Coloundra. We worked with Puzzle-Sticks, Flexigrass and wintery flowers. The ladies approached the unfamiliar art of Ikebana with enthusiasm and openness. The results were interesting, abstract and each arrangement had its own unique expression.
Last Friday, we held our Winter-Special-Seminar with plants and flowers only availibale at this time of the year here on the Sunshine Coast. We used wattletrees, some looks a bit like Mimosas, as well as Banksias in all stages - from babies to mature ones and to grandmas - showcasing their full beauty and characters, tulips, poppies and poinsettias where also used.
In part two of the event, I like to show you disigns of: Bent but not Broken, Vision of Tranquility and Sunset-Serenade. I crated an arrangement of Tranquility, using Pear-branches and Poppies, which the Australian judge didn´t particulary appreciate, as the other participants presented more elaborate designs. Still I´m happy and grateful to be part of this wonderful event.
This is my first winter here on the Sunshine Coast, and I´m very happy to be part of the Nambour Garden Show, where I have the opportunity to exhibit with the Nambour Floral Art Group. I´m of course the only one presenting Ikebana - all the other participants are florist - but the welcomed me warmly, which brings me a lot of joy. We´re working with sechs differnt themes, today I like to introduce: Table for two, Wintery Moon and Creatures from the Deep. All of them are very intersting, very artistic and far away from our Ikebana, but a lot of fun.
Photos Eyes Wide Open Images
