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Ikebana Demonstrations

22 & 23 May 2015

On Friday, 22 May, Karen Kirk demonstrated five Sogetsu style arrangements to a packed house.  The Sogetsu school was founded in 1927 in recognition of ikebana as a creative art with the motto that "Anyone can enjoy Sogetsu Ikebana anytime, anywhere, using any material."  Karen used a variety of materials to include found leaves, getting lost in the process of finding them!  Her free style arrangement also incorporated a vase made by a student, plastic tubing, LED lights, and a quirky bamboo that is naturally bent near the base. 


Saturday, 23 May Patricia Kimoto did three demonstration arrangements in the Ichiyo style.  The Ichiyo School was founded in 1937 by a brother and sister seeking to create original ikebana suitable for modern times.  The current emphasis is on balancing materials without the use of a kenzan or pinfrog, often using a standing hana tsuitate, a flower supporting frame.  Pat used both round and rectangular hana tsuitate, as well as a pair of Hawaiian placemats made of loosely woven lauhala (leaves of the Pandanus tectorius tree) in which the stems were poked through the holes in the mats.  Ichiyo instructor Iwalani Barbazon of Georgia was able to assist and act as spokesperson for Pat.


The crowd gathers

Karen demonstrating in a hand-made vase

Ready for display

The first arrangement

Professional working aid...

Various leaves

The second arrangement (with LED lights in base)

A delicate balance

Colorful tension

Third arrangement

Various branches

Adjusting a stem

Fourth arrangement

Starting the fifth arrangement

Crowds to the left

Crowds to the right

How to bend flax

Inserting flax

Nearly finished

E voila!

Fifth arrangement

Waiting for the second demonstration

Iwalani introduces Pat

Beginning the first arrangement

Adding popcorn orchids

The first arrangement - Ichiyo style in a standing Hana Tsuitate bamboo frame

Starting the second arrangement

Using crystal vaes from Japan

Adding another orchid

Adjsuting things

The second arrangement - round Hana Tsuitate bamboo frame

Whimsical detail - washi paper on leaf

Starting the third arrangement

Using lauhala mats

Third arrangement - Lauhala place mats in place of Hana Ajiro woven bamboo frame

All three arrangements

Part of the crowd

Admiring the finished arrangements

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