New year arrangement

We use special materials and arrangements for Festive Occasions. It often happens that placing just one Ikebana can totally change the environment which you are familiar with.

The traditional Ikebana materials for New Year arrangement are pine,bamboo and Japanese plum,flowers such as chrysanthemum, camellia,lily,narcissus etc... My friend Lynn gave me handsome bamboo from her backyard. It made this composition look different. I also got beautiful red-Berry from shopping mall and sprayed silver paint on pine branches and decorated with silver and gold paper strings on top of the bamboo. The Mizuhiki (paper strings)is a typical decorative material for Japanese New Year, which my teacher gave me a year before. BTW:the secret way to keep freshness of bamboo leaves is to put water inside the bamboo shaft (Ms. Lin said). 12-15-09

Free style - sketching and Arrangeing

This subject means, prior to actually making an arrangement with the materials, to sketch your ideas of the composition which you want to make with a pencil on a piece of paper. I would like to emphasize two pieces of bleached roots, which my friend gave me and I bleached it by myself a while ago. Top picture arranged in the class(turn 45 degree), and the bottom one was arranged a night before at home, with bright red Gerbera daisy, holly branch and spruce. I think I can use it for Holiday arrangement. (12-01-09)

Variation No.2 Upright Style Nageire

The key point of this style shows the beautiful line of Soe which extends toward the front-right. Choose a branch which looks beautiful when slanted or bent. In Winter, since there is no more flower in my backyard, so I got Gerbera daisy from market and with Bittersweet branches to complete this composition. (12-01-09)

Ikebana exhibition at Longwood Gardens

I went to Longwood gardens yesterday.There were some displays from many different Ikebana schools. Such as Ikenobo school, Ohara school,Sogetsu school and Ichiyo school. Every arrangements were so beautiful. Japanese flower arrangements are for pure delight and enjoyment and never judged.

Ikebana exhibition at Longwood Gardens

Spreading Arrangement

Spreading arrangement is the one which is laid out directly on table or on the cloth on it without using any fixing utensils or containers. Use long-lasting materials which can keep in good shape without water. This is my second try, I did it today again. Ms. Lin suggested I used "Hanadome structure" to bring height of the arrangement. The most common style is to arrange the base part with the leaves or branches or combination with both and arrange different shapes and colors freely. I used Bittersweet branches ,Junipers and yellow Mums to complete this assignment. (11-03-09)

Variation No.2 Slanting Style Moribana

This style is Shin and Soe which are placed in the front but widely apart. Shin reaches out, and Soe completes the extended line. And the flower of Hikae is to view behind the two branches of Shin and Soe, and it gives the arrangement more depth. It is amazing that my Black-eyed Susans still blossom in November. I purchased three Ikebana containers three weeks ago from the flea market , which is very beautiful. This is one of them. " Somebody's trash might be somebody's treasure" right?(11-03-09)

Massed Expression

At last, I find this picture. We had this class last May. "Mass" is a term used in the field of art meaning a lump or an aggregate. In Ikebana, a mass is one way of composing arrangements by assembling the materials together into a certain shape. An entire arrangement can be composed of a single mass, or can be made by combining two or more masses.(5-12-09)

Variation No.4 Slanting Style Moribana

This is the one in which Soe is missing from basic slanting style. It is a beautiful style, which I love the most. In this style, it is important to emphasize the beauty created by omission. As this arrangement does not have Soe, it shows distinct strength and lightness also. It is quite a surprise to have Black-eyed Susans still blossom in mid - October in my back yard. I got this beautiful Japanese Ikebana container at a flea market last week. I was so excited to find it. (10-20-09)

Basic Upright Style Nageire

We repeated this basic upright style today. This is to train us to arrange correctly. After class we watched the DVD which showed "The International Ikebana Seminar" held in Yokohama, Japan in March, 2001. Wide eye opened after number of masters of different schools exhibited their works at the stage.(10-06-09)

Free style

Wood is a powerful material for Ikebana. I spent three afternoons to dig dead walking stick from my backyard. I planted this walking stick thirteen years ago, because curly branches were so interesting and beautiful. But I don't know what happened she faded away this year. This is a big arrangement 36"x76". I got susuki (pampas grass) which grew by the country road and hydrangeas to complete this assignment. (10-06-09)

Free style arranging in horizontal

Free style means you do not have to follow any rules on lengths and angles of stems. Choose your favorite container, materials and shapes available. Horizontal style has been exercised in this lesson. At the beginning I used Dogwood branches. Ms.Lin wanted me to change the branches with smaller leaves . I could see the difference before and after the arrangements. (9-15-09)

Repeating Similar Forms or Shapes

In this class, we have to make a composition with rhythm by presenting the repeated form or shape in the arrangement. Any form or shape of any varied sizes can be used as long as the same form or shape is repeated. Bending willow branches and heavenly blues to make the same shape as the container and repeated through all the arrangement.
(9-15-09)

Harvest Exhibition 4

Flower Arrangement part 2.
With a lot of thanks to all the people who participated this event.
Especially thanks to Mrs.Judy Chiang and Mrs.Julia Chou, who worked very hard from Friday until Sunday.

Harvest Exhibition 3

Flower arrangements by Mrs. Betty Tsai, Mrs. Lynn Lee , and I (Chih Huang). Thank you very much for your kindness to created so beautiful arrangements.

Harvest Exhibition 2

These are our vegetable tables. Produced by our church members and friends, who had been working very hard to cultivate healthy and beautiful vegetables. Thanks all.

Harvest Exhibition 1

This is Harvest Exhibition at church Sept.5th 2009