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
Late summer flowers are now in abundance. A good indicator that the summer heat starts to cool down. From the bright yellows, the color hues are now towards warm hues. After a month of hiatus from our regular Ikebana sessions, we had our lesson again last Tuesday. It was great to see my sensei and fellow students at Seishincho Community Center. For this week, we had a combination of dark.. Read More
I rarely use small vases when I make Ikebana. I find them challenging because it limits the number of fresh materials I can use. Which most of the time one or two stems of flowers or leaves max. On the other hand, I find it enjoyable placing flowers in small containers. It is like playing with Lego or Nanoblock. Creating Ikebana Using Small Vases My first attempt to create.. Read More
Tropical plants are rare gems. At least from where I am at the moment. Back then, I just see them growing from our garden. Sometimes I secretly cut them from our neighbor’s. Little did I know that I will be excited to see them in botanical gardens and in our Ikebana flower set. Last Tuesday, our flower set at Seishincho Ikebana class included light green Anthuriums and red orange.. Read More
Happy moments with a dash of haggardness and a sprinkle of workout. (Haggardness and workout because of the stairs at Hiroo Station as I am not friends with stairs in general..ahahaha) This best described how the first four months of my year was. Mostly because of the BLJ Ikebana Class. From January until April, I have collaborated with Best Living Japan for a series of Ikebana lessons. The lessons were.. Read More