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Helen arranged spring flowers and branches in a tall, blue container
Helen led our September workshop on the theme “Seasonal arrangements for Spring”. We used anything that was flowering at present including some new leaves showing on bare branches. We could choose of moribana or nageire, freestyle or following a lesson. It was a lovely opportunity to celebrate getting back together after 3 weeks in lockdown.
Elizabeth used taupata with shiny leaves and korokia in mass in a double container
Elizabeth gave us guidance for her workshop using New Zealand materials. We were encouraged to choose leaves, grasses, berries and dried materials. We created arrangements using a great variety of New Zealand materials.
Kate sharing her haiku interpretation in an arrangement of yellow chrysanthemums and a large radish lying across the container. ‘After the chrysanthemums Besides the long turnip There is nothing’ Basho
Kate’s workshop was from Book 5 lesson 20 Complementing an Artwork - What is felt or inspired by it is important, as that can be a source of new creative ideas.
Members chose or wrote a haiku and created a freestyle arrangement to complement their haiku. The haiku was written on a card.
A Haiku is a form of Japanese poetry. Jonathon Clements book "Zen Haiku" has this to say “Haiku can transform the most mundane of moments into something special.
Kate encouraged us to consider:
What feelings/emotions do you experience when reading the haiku?
Can you imagine the scene and what the poet wanted to convey?
How might you convey these into an arrangement?
The choice of materials will help to express the sentiment, Haiku often refer to a particular season (and its colour and features), is it a wintry or summery feel, what colours of flowers, leaves or branches best convey this. Is there a sense of softness/hardness, happiness/melancholy silence/noise isolation/fullness...
Irises bloom
Over my feet
Blue sandal laces [Basho]
Camellia petals drop
spilling
Yesterday’s rain. [Basho]
Tangling the willow
and untangling
the wind blows {Chiyojo]
Autumn evening
A crow perching
On a withered bough [Basho}
Experimenting
I hung the moon
On various branches
Of the pine
