My motivation

A few days ago, I went taking an ikebana lesson and made my best work that I have ever done, but at the same time, I made a mistake - I forgot bringing my degital camera!!! Shoot!

I have never taken in-focus photos with my mobile phone's camera, but I had no choice at the time - I put all of my hope into my mobile phone's camera.

And...

Photos taken by my mobile phone were all out-of-focus in spite of my expectation. I think resolution of my mobile phone's camera is not so bad, but I always fail to take photos successfully. Maybe I am too unfamiliar with cameras. I want technique for taking good photos by any camera!

Instead of the photos, I upload my favorite works in some exhibitions.


I like various reds in the above photo, and a litte white and blue is a good color balance.
This above photo is gorgeous, isn't it? Many colors are used, but white is used for the biggest flowers, so the work is gorgeous but, I get the impression of coolness. Also, I like the blue vase - it's a good combination with flowers.

In the third photo, I like the upward forms like fans and the simmetry of main and sub works. I like the transparent, good color and good shape vases.
Fovorite works which someone else made always improve my motivation.

A spice of Japan blue

Blue flowers on the left side in the photo leave an impression on me. Is this indigo blue?

Yes, I think I can say so but this blue is not exactly indigo blue. The indigo blue must be much stronger like black. As I didn't know the exact name, I checked the color name by Japanese color sample book.

This blue is said to be "hanada-iro (sapphire blue)" and it is a pure blue created with a single indigo dye. I didn't know this name, but I often see this color in Japanese textiles, so I think the color is a representative color in Japanese textiles as well as indigo blue. When this color is used in ikebana, an ikebana work can be more Japanized.

The other flowers of the photo, pale pink spray carnations and pink roses, are western origins, so the blue is a little spice for Japan image. Also, color tones of these three flowers are similar and light, so this work has uniformity and gives an impression of cleanliness.

Upright work

This work is one of my favorite works, but is it too tall?

It might be... I like a large-scaled work.

This is very simple, but I think another color vase is good for this work like deep blue or silver, and it can make a different image of this work.

Like me, like him?

This form is called a "radial from." You can see it as a front view from both sides, from the frond side and the back side. The container in the photo is simple and shallow, but the radial form can be arranged in a tall vase. So I think this form has various arrangements and it can make various images.

In the photo, this looks beautiful, but at the same time, straightforward, and it gives me the impression of coolness.

Someone who looked at this work said "this is like you." Me? I don't know that is true, but it is said that personalities are reflected into works. In that means, you might know about me in this blog...???




This is my master's work, but unfortunately he is not like this, or just I don't know about real him very well? In fact, he might have this aspect in his deep subconscious, or he might be a romantic person.

Kawaii

Kawaii is a suitable adjective to this work.



The color, form and size are kawaii compared with other ikebana forms. The front of this work is at any angles in 360 degrees. This work is not so high, so it is said to be suitable to a table coordination. Some people might think this form is too westernized, but actually, each flower has its role and has never same appearance. This is a condition for being an ikebana work. To look a work circulated, this form needs culculated angles and difference in height of flowers. For that, this form is theorized in ikebana. This style looks western, but indeed, there is a shadow of ikebana.

By the way, kawaii (means cute in English) is used to anything in Japan. It is used to a thing as well as a person. Use of this word in any situation was a sort of trend among young people for a long time, and older people worried that Japanese vocabulary was getting poor. In the now, the worry is the legacy of the past. Every Japanese takes the use for granted regardless of their ages.

So kawaii is used to this work, but it is not only kawaii but also fresh and crisp and gives us the impression of coolness, peacefulness and pureness.

Ephemeral

This work is a relatively old work which was made when I was a beginner. I like white flowers, meadowseets. I think the tips of the flowers bowed down like the inclined one on the right in the photo are the most beautiful apearance of the flowers. I don't know why, but I feel ephemeral scenery is there.

The color of tiny light purple flowers strewed around the center of the work is matched to white color. I think this color combination helps to feel ephemeral.

Peonys had not blossomed yet, so this work can't be said the best work, but this is one of my favorite works.

A summer day

The tall green is reedmace. This green can't be said that it is beautiful. Even if I pick up flower materials in the fields, I would never pick up... But in ikebana, this green is often used. Why?

I didn't know the reason even while I was putting the green in a vase in an ikebana lesson, so I didn't know how to arrange it. But after finishing the work, when I looked at my work from the front at a distance, I felt I could understand why the green is used in Ikebana.

Appearance of the standing is impressive and I could say it's beautiful. I don't think there are any other leaves with the long length like this. The leaves draw soft lines naturally because of its length, and it gives the work an expression.

In ikebana I often know the hidden intrinsic aspects of flowers which I can not know on first glance. This green is not gorgeous like a dahlia, but there is its essence, and when I can reflect the essence into my ikebana work, I can make the best work.

Insight is one of the keys in ikebana.

New challenge - Rimpa Arrangement -

I challenged one of advanced styles of ikebana - Rimpa arrangement - for the first time.

Rimpa arrangement comes from Rimpa school of Japanese painting which flourished during the Edo Period (1603 - 1867). Ogata Korin and Tawaraya Sotatsu are the representative artists. Rimpa is said to influence European impressionist school and Japanese modern arts and designs, and it is seen in various formats, notably screens, fans and hanging scrolls, woodblock printed books, lacquerware, ceramics, and kimono textiles. Many Rimpa paintings were used on the sliding doors and walls (fusuma) of noble homes.

Rimpa arrangement in ikebana must feature picturesque beaty, like the beaty which you can see in kimono textiles. In most ikebana forms I must be conscious of space to make space forward and backward, but this form doesn't need it. Rimpa works spread in the flat would rather be good - like paintings. To make a work picturesque, the unique characteristics of flowers and plants are exaggerated or refined.



This is my Rimpa work by two flowers (cockscombs and dahlias) and a green (variegated solomon's seal).

This is my master's work.

This is gorgeous like a kimono design, isn't it?

In Rimpa arrangement, Japanese seasonal flowers are used as a general rule, but I think western flowers are suitable for this form. By using many kinds of flowers mixed with western and eastern and a stylish vase, Rimpa arrangement must be more gorgeous and cool.

Ikebana fascinates you!

This is my recent work just for fun, but I think this captures Ikebana's essence.



This is a relatively small work with only three flowers. Not because I didn't have flowers, but because this is the ikebana style.

In ikebana, you must seek the best balance of exsistance (flowers) and nonexsistance (spacing around them). Nonexsistance makes the exsistance stronger, and the existance makes us aware that nonexsistance is there.

This is ikebana's principle. I think this links to the world view of the Oriental philosophy. In that sense ikebana is one of means which embody the Oriental philosophy. Since I knew about ikebana - its external side and inwardness, I've been facinated with ikebana.



This work is bigger than the first one not only by adding a tall flower but also by expanding space around the flower.

I liked the soft-carved stem of the flower, so I used the tall flower as it was. Here is another esssence of ikebana. In ikebana, we think that each flower, even if same species, has individuality - none of flowers are quite same. We neither treat flowers as mass nor see only their faces(top parts )/colors. We see flower's stem, top face and leaves carefully to bring out its beauty, and existance of flowers must not kill each other.

This principle somtimes bothers me when I use much more flowers, because I must put each flower very carefully not to be the same in height, not to be at the same angle, and not to be the same appearance. Perfect irregularity in a vase makes a good work. It's like a pazzle - I sometimes feel so, but I like the challenge.



This work is used with three tall flowers. These three emphasize the beauty of uprightness of the flowers themselves, and at the same time, The one of them which inclines backward provides the work with depth. The first and second works are two-dimensional, but this is three-demensional. Mostly ikebana is three-demensional, so ikebana is a sort of three-demensional pazzle, and just not a beautiful thing. Behind the beauty there is a complete calculation.
This is just a small part of ikebana essense. So are you fascinated with ikebana?
No? Okay, keep reading this blog, and my English will be much better!