Hanakanade with Headmaster Hiroki Ohara

This past weekend on Sunday, July 8, I attended a workshop presented by the Ohara School of Ikebana Headmaster, Hiroki Ohara. He has created a new style, called Hanakanade, and is travelling around Japan to the different area chapters to talk about and teach how to create the new style.

For the past year, photographs of the headmaster's Hanakanade arrangements have been published in magazines, and he also showed several arrangements at his first solo exhibition held earlier in the year in Tokyo. Looking at pictures and seeing arrangements has been informative, but learning from the headmaster, himself, is something that does not happen often. Needless to say, I was very excited for the opportunity.

The main point of Hanakanade is to showcase the limited vertical space above the container. Three principal stems rise up, crossing and forming interesting lines and shapes in the space above the container. The three points from which the stems soar into the air are then covered with a base of green material, and the lower space of the container is then utilized to add a grounding to the arrangement. The three principle stems have set rules, and all the other materials, where they are placed, how they are placed, the lengths of the stems, are all free. Because of the freedom of the arrangement, something interesting and unique can be created, but it also makes it difficult to use the space wisely, creating something that enhances, not detracts from, the principal stems in the area above the container.

After the Headmaster gave a short talk an the basics of the new style, I made a Hanakanade arrangement using the materials provided. He came around and checked each person's work giving feedback and advice on how to make a better arrangement. I was happy because the only thing he changed in my arrangement was the angle of one of the principle stems, and he also took out a few of the small flowers I had placed at the foot of one of the principle stems and added a tall leaf to give a little height to the base of the arrangement.

It was a very informative workshop, and I was thrilled that I could learn directly from the headmaster; but it is still a new style that I will have to practice many times to fully understand the beauty and delicate balance of the style.

Hanakanade -- the three principal stems rising into the limited vertical space above the container.

A close up of the base. Notice the sunflower looking to the rear of the arrangement?
This helps to fill in the space of the base of the container. It is also an arrangement
that can be viewed from any angle, so having something looking to the
rear of the work ensures that the back is also pleasing.

I tried to take a picture from above, but my arms weren't quite long enough.
Here you can see how the principal stems cross and fill the space.

Tropical Ikebana, ushering in the summer

This past weekend, the annual spring ikebana exhibition was held with over 250 people participating over the four day event. Fourteen different schools of ikebana participated in the exhibition, including Ikenobo, Sogetsu, and my school, Ohara. It is always interesting to see what materials other schools of ikebana use and how they use them in arrangements. I enjoy looking at other arrangements and the beauty that is created with different flowers, leaves, and branches. It never fails to inspire me in my own study and pursuit of ikebana and makes me want to share the joy of ikebana with others.

A couple of weeks ago while I was buying some flowers for a class that I was teaching, I spotted an interesting plant in the window of the flower shop -- Aeonium artropurpureum. Usually, this material is rather small, but these plants had been growing for a while and had matured into very nice, long, and unusual stalks. I knew that I wanted to use them for the spring exhibition, so I snapped them up before someone else had the same idea!

Looking at the lines of the material, I decided that I wanted to do a one-row form arrangement to show off the interesting lines and shape of the Aeonium. But, the Aeonium was quite large, so I would have to think about what type of container or containers I would use. Next, I had to decide what other materials I could use to show off this beauty. The Aeonium looked a little tropical and other-worldly to me, so I decided that I needed to find other tropical plants and flowers to make a cohesive, yet interesting, arrangement.

And the result:




One-row form
materials: Aeonium artropurpureum, Pincushion (2 varieties), Guzumania (2 varieties),
Dracaena "Song of India", Dracaena "Song of Jamaica"



 I had the perfect spot in the corner with a large base-box.
The view from the right side.

The view from the left side.

Tropical Ikebana to usher in the summer.

Several friends said that the materials looked like they came from a Ghibli movie. I think the Aeonium definitely look like they belong in a Ghibli movie.

The exhibition was only four days long. I always feel so bad for the flowers that they can only be appreciated for such a short time. If the arrangement is small, I can enjoy it at home after the exhibition ends, but this one was too big to do that. The box the arrangement sits on is about a meter across, so that can give you a small idea of how large the arrangement was.

A friend of mine has a small hanko shop, so I asked him if he would like for me to do a small arrangement for his window. I had done one for the new year in 2012 and 2011 for him. He was more than happy for me to do something for him again.

One-row form
materials: Guzumania, Dracaena "Song of Jamaica", Orchid "Calipso Pink"

A punch of color in the shop window.
I had bought the orchids for the arrangement for the exhibition, but decided against using them.
I'm glad they had a chance to show off their beauty to the public.

I'm glad I was able to use the materials again. And hopefully, they will last for a while and give the people walking by the shop something beautiful to look at.

Feel free to leave a comment on what you think of the arrangement. Do you think it looks like the materials could be found in a Ghibli movie?

Short Ikebana Picture Video How-To

I've been messing around with trying to make an ikebana video lately.

Here are my first two attempts. I took a series of photos and made a little mini-movie on how to make two different kinds of arrangements. They don't go into a lot of detail, because I wasn't sure I could even do it -- I am not the most tech savvy! I'm going to actually try and take a video of me doing and explaining an arrangement next, so be on the lookout for that. Until then, enjoy these two short videos.

Cherry Blossoms 2012

The cherry blossoms finally came into bloom last week. On Saturday, the sky was a brilliant blue and it seemed the pink trees had blossomed over night. I was busy that day and couldn't get out to take some pictures. So on Sunday morning, I woke up bright and early and headed out to take enjoy the beauty of the day and the beauty of the trees. It was a little hazy, but I did manage to get a few shots. And I'm lucky I did. Why? Because the rain and cool weather came putting a stop to all of the cherry blossom fun. By the end of the week, most of the blossoms had been beaten off the trees by the rain. It seems like that happens every year. I guess that is the spring weather for you. The frailty of the flowers make you appreciate them so much more. I look forward to their fleeting beauty each year, and it never disappoints. So until next year, I'll just enjoy the pictures I have.



cherry trees along the bank of the Kitakami river



it looks like cotton candy

yes, that is snow on the mountains in the background

 

a walking path under the trees

i love the gray bark of the cherry tree



pink and blue



The Big and Small of Ikebana

I was planning on getting this post up earlier in the day, but it was a beautiful day here -- the first real day of spring this year. It had been cold and rainy all last week. But this morning when I woke up, the sky was a brilliant blue without a cloud in the sky. I had to go out in the morning, and I was surprised to see the cherry blossom trees in full bloom! I guess they thought it was time for spring to show herself, too. I had the windows and door open all day, and it was wonderful! I hope that I can get out tomorrow and get some pictures to share with you later.

On to the ikebana . . .

This time, I wanted to share some pictures of Moribana.

Moribana was originated by the First Headmaster, Unshin Ohara. It's an ikebana where the materials are arranged as if they are piled up in a low, flat container with a large surface of the water showing. Many other schools of ikebana also have a Moribana style, but it was originated in the Ohara School of Ikebana.

The most basic style in Moribana is the Upright Style. It expresses the beauty of materials that stand upright. The three principal stems are arranged to form a scalene triangle with all other materials acting as filler stems.

Five stems of Calla lily are used as the subject and secondary material. The tallest stem in the back is the main stem of the arrangement, the subject, with the stem angled out to the left being the secondary stem. These two form the first two points of the scalene triangle. The other three stems of Calla lily are arranged to give the group a sense of movement and interest.

Because the lilies have no green leaves, three stems of Solidaster are used to fill in the base of the group and to help cover the kenzan.

Next, three Tulips are added as the mid-filler. One is short in the front, one is tall in the middle, and one more is short in the back. The three stems form a mountain shape when viewed from the side.

Last, five stems of Sweet Pea are used as the object group with a few fronds of Leather Leaf mixed into the group. The Sweet Pea angled out to the right is the third stem that forms the last point of the scalene triangle.

This picture taken vertically helps to show off the beautiful lines of the Calla lily and the beauty of the Upright Style.

After doing this arrangement, I did one in a much smaller container, also using five materials.

Three leaves of New Zealand Flax, three stems of Anemone, three blooms of Alstroemeria, three stems of Stock, and Asparagus myriocladus is used throughout to connect all the materials.

A close-up of the flowers.

And how small is this arrangement? It's hard to tell without a point of reference.

This small. Yes, that is a regular pen in front of the container -- small.

And there you have it.

The big and small of ikebana.