It was almost a month ago when I saw some painted Ruscus leaves at our local flower shop. They were in silver and royal blue colors. It is quite early for some winter colors but I could not resist on buying some stems. Artificially-colored fresh materials are not detested in Ikebana. However, most practitioners still prefer to showcase the natural colors of the plants. On one hand, I also understand.. Read More
Small arrangements in Ikebana is as challenging as making huge ones. At least it is for me. When using small vases or containers, there is not much space to position the fresh materials. Plus the flowers or leaves one can put can be very limited. For this week’s lesson with my sensei, I challenged myself to do a composition using a number of small Ikebana arrangements. I had the idea.. Read More
Garden cuttings are good materials for your Ikebana. Fresh materials without paying a cent. For this week’s Tuesday Ikebana, I used some garden cuttings from my balcony. As temperature get higher, the scarcity and prices of flowers in our area also get higher. This is why I keep some plants in our balcony for my Ikebana needs. Garden Cuttings for Ikebana After our morning lessons at Seishincho Community Center, I.. Read More
Quince may not be celebrated similar to ume (plum blossoms) or sakura (cherry blossoms). But this thorny vibrant-red flower is as popular in Asian poetry and paintings. In Japanese arts and literature, this flower symbolises love and sincerity. It welcomes the spring season with vibrant red; dainty pink; or elegant white. The Japanese Quince is on my list of materials that I want to have in my Ikebana this year… Read More
For most of us, it is innate to find life lessons from what we do – a hobby an adventure, or our daily routine. The desire to find what we can learn from doing something is always there. Since I started learning and practicing Ikebana, I try to connect the Ikebana techniques I learned to everyday life. However, it is not until recently that I become conscious of connecting the.. Read More