Journal archive
November 20, 2012
Autumn days are growing shorter. The time has passed much too quickly and I have a few photos to share, starting with this one featuring bittersweet (one of my favorite materials). The inspiration for this arrangement came after reading Dutch floral artist Gerd Verschoor’s book “Beyond Flowers, Collecting and Arranging Natural Objects”. In this book […]
Read story →December 15, 2011
Winter berries are always plentiful this time of year so I thought I would do something with them. The combination of winter berries (ilex) and pepper berries seemed too close in color so I added some bitterswwet for contrast and to get some movement with the twisting vine. It’s simple and understated for a winter […]
Read story →October 5, 2011
My bittersweet vine theme continues for one more day, I was inspired by this bowl I received from my partner last month for my birthday. I turned it upside down and used the holes in it to build the ikebana. Kiwi vines as the base and a mass of bittersweet vines on the other side. […]
Read story →October 4, 2011
My physical and mental feeling is heavy tonight, very tired and I need to catch up on some rest. So for my arrangement I wanted to convey a feeling of being light and lifted on air. Some bittersweet from last night’s class and a bit a balloon vine combines to create such a feeling.
Read story →October 3, 2011
Tonight was my Monday night Sogetsu Ikebana class, we have it twice a month in a DC at a private home. On the table are the materials we were given to use by our sensei, bittersweet vine and chrysanthemums. The bittersweet had lots of leaves and needed to be removed before arranging. I tried to […]
Read story →September 29, 2011
The mere mention of dried flowers brings visions to some of old fashioned 60s or 70’s arrangements that your mother or grandmother had at home. Filled with various dried fillers and often in colors that just were not natural (nor pleasing) in any way. Often designed in some almost Colonial American stiff formal style, no […]
Read story →August 31, 2011
Something simple for today, a very long day for me. The most challenging thing was doing my photo late in the day without natural light. I think that the lighting worked, and perhaps for the fall/winter arrangements it will add to the overall effect of the seasons. Learning to do an arrangement any time of […]
Read story →August 23, 2011
For some reason today I chose not to place the sphere I had been working on in the installation spot and instead was drawn to late summer materials to make a smaller piece. I chose some grasses, some bittersweet (still in the green stage), driftwood, hydrangea, a fading hosta leaf and some bright orange/red nandina. […]
Read story →August 18, 2011
This week I have scouted out a few places along the stretch of beach here on the bay outside our artist’s “retreat” to use to make my daily arrangements. It’s a chance to get outside the studio and use things not normally available to me, and with each day I am finding more and more […]
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