Teacher lessons — Sogetsu School Wellington

Our Sogetsu teachers meet weekly at Elizabeth’s studio to continue learning their ikebana skills.

Topics:
Arranging hydrangeas
Arrangements based on 50 principles

Elizabeth arranged hydrangeas with a bare branch in a pottery vase

Elizabeth arranged several hydrangeas and lilies with bare branches in a black vase

Helen arranged a single hydrangea and leaves with variegated flax leaves in a low container

Yoko arranged hydrangeas with twisted vine in a tall container

Yoko arranged a variety of hydrangeas with twisted vine in a low container

Elizabeth arranged hosta and twisted hazel in a ceramic vase

Helen arranged fatsia japonica and cockscomb in a low container

Kate arranged palm ferns and sunflowers in a tall vase

Matsako arranged dried seaweed with zinnia and virburnum in a ceramic vase

Sandi arranged hydrangea and grevillia in a low container

Yoko arranged virginias and gomphrena with bird of paradise leaves in an interesting white container

Setsuko arranged grape vine, agapanthus and hosta leaves in an interesting container

Our Sogetsu teachers meet at Elizabeth’s studio to continue learning their ikebana arranging skills.

Topics include:
Book 2 lesson 8 - Arrangement melds a Var. No 1 nageire upright and Var no 4 slanting moribana
Arranging with big leaves - Colocasia, elephant ear
Arranging with large flowers - sunflowers, hydrangeas
Arranging in a cane basket
Create an arrangement using lichen branches
Vertical arrangements
Exploring the use of flax
Book 5 lesson 18 - Expressing movement. This is one of the most challenging exercises in Book 5. The chosen 'movement' must be not just an active verb but physically demonstrated. For example, “I once choose 'unwrapping' as my topic at a visiting Masters workshop. My arrangement displayed flowers seeming to be bursting out of a parcel but was told that this did not meet the criteria. Likewise other Ikebana portraying emotions wasn't considered appropriate.”
Book 5 lesson 23 - 50 Principles No.4

Kate arranged colocasia leaves (elephant ears) with dark canna leaf and leucodendron

Helen arranged colocasia leaves (elephant ears) with agapanthas

Sandi arranged colocasia leaves (elephant ears) with dietes bicolour

Setsuko arranged hydrangea and foliage in a red glass container

Kate arranged hydrangea with a twisted vine in a ceramic vase

Sandi arranged a large sunflower with foliage and cut coloured branches

Sandi's arrangement melds a Var. No 1 nageire upright and Var no 4 slanting moribana using hydrangea and grevillia

Helen arranged NZ flax and roses in a basket

Elizabeth arranged lacebark-Hoheria and snapdragons in a bamboo basket

Setsuko arranged fatsia and dahlia in a bamboo basket

One of Elizabeth's students arranged leucadendrons and hydrangea in a basket

Elizabeth arranged lichen brances with camellia leaves and flowers

Elizabeth arranged lichen branches with hydrangeas and salvia

Setsuko arranged lichen brances with American dogwood and lillies

Sandi arranged lichen branches with chrysanthemums and camellia leaves

Yoko arranged lichen branches with chrysanthemums and ligularia

Kate used Lord Howe dietes (has white flowers), leucodendron and kowhai for her vertical arrangement

Helen used iris and green goddess lilies for her vertical arrangement

Yoko used daffodils and mahonia for her vertical arrangement

Sandi used tulips and bare maple branches for her vertical arrangement

Elizabeth used montbretia and nandina for her vertical arrangement

Nicole has recently qualified for her 2nd and 3rd certificates

Elizabeth created a lovely arrangement with flax which included bird of paradise

Helen incorporated a flax flower into her flax arrangement

'Leaping' by Masako. She arranged arum lilies and Dutch irises to show movement

'Juggling' - Sandi arranged clivia, muehlenbeckia and willow to show movement

'Spilling'. Elizabeth arranged primrose and woven flax to show movement

Elizabeth arranged irises and new growth on a branch to show movement

'Blowing wind' by Setsuko. She arranged alstromeria and forsythia to show movement

'Blowing breeze' by Yoko using two types of iris to show movement

'Reaching' by Helen using reeds to show movement

'Piling' 'Reaching' by Helen using aspidistra leaves to show movement

Book 5, Lesson 23

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