After 32 years I retired from Jones New York Company as pattern maker. Working at the garden and seeing beautiful flowers is the best way to lessen my frustrations. Since 2008 I joined Sogetsu School Ikebana class under Ms.Meei-Huey Lin,well known Ikebana Instructor in this area. I would like to share with you some of my Ikebana arrangements done at the classes. Welcome for your kind criticism.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Disassembing and Rearranging the Materials
In this lesson, disassembling or taking apart the plant materials into their elemental pieces, we make a new composition using these pieces. It is difficult at the beginning to understand. But arranging a composition, the materials are trimmed, disassembled, and combined with other materials and made into an arrangement. This process is part of every Ikebana without our knowing it. The bare Oriental Pear branch is placed at the base(Deer clean out all the leaves and fruit). The other branch with Pear is fixed. Two Oriental Lilies add to the overall mood. Then new composition is created. All the materials came from my own yard.(7-20-2010)
Variation No.8 Combined Styles (Nageire and Nageire)
To combine Nageire and Nageire, it would be a good idea to arrange the same materials partially between the two or use similar containers. In this arrangement, I use different heights of vases and arrange same materials to make two different units connected together. My teacher said branches of Burning bushes were trimmed nicely. The beautiful Zinnia flower seeds were given by Cindy (Ikebana classmate) last year. I sowed those seeds early in spring. This genus is an excellent source of cut flowers.(7-20-2010)
Thursday, July 8, 2010
2010 Taiwanese American/East Coast Summer Conference
The 41st Taiwanese American /East Coast Summer Conference held at University of Delaware on July 2nd to July 5th. We had about 600 people attended this conference, and was a big event for East Coast Taiwanese American which included Washington DC area, great Philadelphia area, New Jersey, New York and Boston area. New Jersey chapter was in charge and organized all the programs for the Conference this year. Our Ikebana teacher Ms. Lin had flower arrangement workshop in the afternoon on July 3rd. There were about 20 students attended. Ms. Lin demonstrated so many pieces for the students, and told the stories of how she started to learn Ikebana. Many of the attendants were moved by her life story. This is the center piece at the meeting hall taken from different angles. It is very beautiful, indeed. To create such big elegant center piece, need a lot of mind and technique engineering work. Ms. Lin want us to learn and watch how it was processed. I saw two big branches joined to become one tree, with big azaleas branches surrounding it. Engineer Mr. Chen with drill and screw and with magic touch, completed and secured the art pieces. Lititia and Ms.Lin continued arranging and finished this grand piece in the lobby. It was amazing! I got a conclusion "Behind a successful show and display there always is a strong supporting group".(7-2-2010)