Sogetsu Workshops with Takako Martin — Sogetsu School Wellington

Sogetsu Teachers association were delighted to hold three workshops with Takako Martin on Saturday 12 August. These were held in the Ngaio Brass Band hall which was an ideal venue especially regarding the natural light.

Ikka Sanbo “one kind of material in three distinct variations”
Ikka Sanbo arrangements have been featured in the Sogetsu Quarterly magazine since 2022. For our three workshops we all used tulips as a common material. We chose to use different coloured tulips or the same colour for all three and whatever supporting material we liked.

Workshop 1: Composition of Mass and Line (straight or curved) Book 3 lesson 13. Takako reminded us that both the mass and line had to be created by us, not by nature, and that the mass had to be very compact. Her arrangement involved two types of small leafed vegetation with pink tulips and two dried pieces of wisteria vine.

Takako showing how to use flax in different ways

Takako fixing her greenery and tulips to form a mass

Yoko helping Takako insert the mass into the container

Takako completed arrangement using line and mass

Alyson used kawakawa leaves and white tulips with a single branch for line

Masako used totara leaves and small chrysanthemums with tree bark for line

Julie used totara leaves and white freesias with narrow grasses for line

Elizabeth used tulips and rhododendron for mass with a single branch for line

Misako used pink tulips and leucadendron for mass with a single maple branch for line

Setsuko used tulips and camellia leaves for mass with a single hydrangea branch for line

Yoko used red tulips amongst taupata and geranium leaves for mass and curved vine for line

Takako explaining the use of mass and line

....... used pink tulips and kowhai leaves for mass and topped tulip stems for line

Bron used tulips and pittosporum leaves for mass with curved vine for line

Helen used white tulips, berries and greenery for mass and twisted willow stems for line

Adriana used red tulips with taupata leaves for mass and reeds for line

Lyn used yellow tulips and totara leaves for mass and a varigated flax leaf for line

Kate used tulips amongst greenery for mass and sawn cherry branches for line

Sandi used yellow tulips and erlicheer as mass with thick vine for line

Our materials placed below the piano amongst the brass band memorabillia

Workshop 2: Shape of the Container Book 3 lesson 11. Takako used yellow variegated flax to echo the triangular shape of the vase and added several different coloured tulips.

Takako used variegated flax and colourful tulips to reflect the triangular containero

Takako folding the variegated flax

Takako used variegated flax and colourful tulips to reflect the triangular container

Bron used vine and pink tulips to reflect the shape of the dish shaped container

Bron's completed arrangement

Yoko used reeds and pink tulips to reflect the shape of the three hexagonal shaped containers

Yoko's completed arrangement

Julie working on her arrangement with others alongside

Julie used bamboo and freesias to reflect the shape of the low rhombus shaped container

Kate used grey branches and pink tulips to reflect the shape of the grey ceramic container

Kate's completed arrangement

Sandi used puka leaves and colourful tulips to reflect the shape of the curved shaped container

Takao discussing Sandi's interesting arrangement

Takako critiquing Lyn's arrangement reflecting the rectangular shaped container

Adriana used camellia branches and pink tulips to reflect the shape of the round tulip shaped shaped container

Helen used twisted willow branches with red tulips to reflect the shape of the wide open round shaped container

Takako and Setsuko discussing how to use camellia branches and yellow tulips and leucodendrons to best reflect the shape of the double triangle shaped container

Setsuko's completed arrangement

Elizabeth used maple branches and pink tulips to reflect the shape of the tall, rectangular metallic container

Misako used cypress branches and white tulips to reflect the shape of the tall, patterned ceramic container

Masako used painted bracken fern and small, yellow chrysanthemums to reflect the shape of the circular, silver metal container

Alyson used twisted vine and white tulips to reflect the shape of the circular, silver metal container

Workshop 3: Focussing on the Uses of Water Book 4 lesson 12.
Takako opened up some of the tulip petals, floated them in the water, whilst using a kenzan to display some tulip leaves and adding eucalyptus branches for line. It was a very enjoyable day and we all learned a huge amount.

Takako's completed arrangement focussing on the use of water

Takako used eucalyptus branches with open and closed tulips in water in a low container

Looking down on Takako's arrangement

Takako explaining her arrangement to us

Alyson filled a kensan with fern leaflets and floated tulips in Muehlenbeckia in water in a glass container

Julie used the stems, leaves and freesia flowers in water in a curved glass container

Masako used native branches covered in lichen across a low container and balanced yellow tulips in the water

Elizabeth used several parts of pink and yellow tulips in water in a low rectangular container

Misako used open white tulips, closed yellow tulips and leaves in a shallow dish to focus on the water

Yoko arranged pink tulips and leaves in a large low ceramic container to highlight the water

Setsuko arranged pink tulips in a glass vase with clear cellophane to emphasis the water

Bron arranged closed tulips and leaves and floated an open tulip flower on the water.

In a tall, narrow glass container, Helen arranged lemons skewered together and yellow tulips in water

....... arranged pink tulips with leaves and a twisted branch in a half-circle container

Sandi used one glass container within another and arranged variegated tulips in and out of the water

In a low, black circular container Kate arranged pink tulips and sawn cherry branches

Takako happily receiving a gift from Kate

Sogetsu teachers and students with Takako at the end of the workshops

Masses of flowers

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