ikebana and life in japan

a blog about ikebana and life in japan

10/27/13

Online Ikebana Course Student's Work The Journey Begins

Several students have begun to take the online course that I started with my new website, stephencoler.com. I am so excited for these wonderful students to begin and continue their ikebana journey. I would like to share a couple of pictures with all of you and show you the beautiful art they created.

The first picture is from a student who had studied ikebana in the past, although it had been a while since she had practiced her art. She made a beautiful arrangement with materials that she got from her own garden -- how wonderful is that!



Yucca and hydrangea, Rising Form


Is that not a beautiful arrangement? I love the pink color of the hydrangeas and the green of the yucca leaves. The open space she created with the low yucca leaf extending out to the right gives the arrangement a sense of movement and elegance. And the container she used for the arrangement also looks very nice. I think she did a wonderful job!


The next picture is from a beginner. She has just started her ikebana journey and is very excited to learn about ikebana. She had to work with her local florist to find the materials, no using materials from her own garden. At least not for now!


Red New Zealand Flax and Rose, Rising Form

This was the first picture that she sent me. For her first time doing an ikebana arrangement, I thought she did an exceptional job! I gave her a little advice about the placement of the roses and the short leaf of New Zealand flax. She revised her arrangement and sent me another picture.




Absolutely beautiful! Her placement of the roses is very elegant, and she has created a nice balance in the arrangement. I hope that she is proud of herself, because I certainly am!


I am so happy for both of these students. They have created a beautiful ikebana arrangement that is sure to bring pleasure to anyone who sees it. It has brought joy to me!

Please feel free to leave comments below.

And if your interested in learning more about ikebana or starting your own journey, please visit my website, stephencoler.com, or click on the link at the top of the page.

10/18/13

Fall Ikebana in a Vase

Fall is in the air here -- my favorite time of the year. I always look forward to the fall foliage and the color explosion that goes on everywhere you look. Iwate has some of the most beautiful fall foliage that I have ever experienced.

This week, I did an arrangement to help bring the fall feeling indoors. I used some Rosa multiflora (Japanese rose hip) and some yellow chrysanthemums. It is a very simple arrangement and invokes a cool fall breeze on a beautiful fall day. I hope you enjoy the arrangement!


Heika with Rosa multiflora and chrysanthemum


As always, feel free to leave a comment below and share this post with others!