My online zoom Sogetsu Ikebana class resumed in January for our next 10 lessons. The past four weeks of lessons have focused on what is called “Variation #1”. Our teacher, Ilse Beunen, has given this style its own name to help us remember it better…the “lover’s”…because the main branches of Shin and Soe are suppose to be pointing towards each other…looking at each other. Here are my designs for the various Variation #1 lessons…
- Variation #1 – Upright Style Moribana (shallow vase with kenzan) – I made three arrangements for this lesson. I went to Horrock’s on the west side of Lansing to buy flowers. I hadn’t been to Horrock’s since the COVID lockdown started last March. I was like a kid in a candy shop! So many pretty flowers to choose from…I couldn’t make up my mind…hence three arrangements! Look at the taller branches arching towards each other…”lover’s” looking at each other. 🙂
Yellow snapdragons as Shin and Soe lines, yellow-orange tulips as Hikae (right line) and subordinates
Bird of Paradise as Shin and Soe lines, Pinflowers as Hikae line and subordinates.
This arrangement was very well received by the class and on social media!
Bells of Ireland as Shine and Soe lines, purple tulips as Hikae and subordinates,
along with green dianthus to fill in
2. Variation #1 – Upright Style Nageire (tall vase) – This requires a different kind of support structure to hold the branch and flower materials within the vase instead of a kenzan. “Vertical fixation” is created by taking a branch piece the length of the vase, splitting it down about 3-4 inches. This is meant to hold the Shin (taller) branch which is also split and crosses the vertical fixation branch inside the vase. The Soe branch is also suppose to be split and cross the Shin branch but my Soe branch was not thick enough to split so I just laid it across. As a result my arrangement did not have the necessary support system to correctly hold everything in place when completed. Shin should not be touching the rim of the vase as it is here.
Crabapple tree branches as Shin and Soe lines, yellow lily as Hikae, subordinate materials of
yellow snapdragons, hydrangea and lily blossoms
The following week I re-did the Variation #1- Upright Style Nageire with new floral materials and correctly created the “vertical fixation”. As a result the Shin branch is not touching the rim of the vase which is exactly what is suppose to happen when the “vertical fixation” is correctly done.
Re-used the crabapple branches for Shin and Soe, added new florals…pink snapdragons to mirror the
Shin and Soe lines, pink lily bud for Hikae, and more pink lily blossoms to fill in.
Shin branch as you see it on the left is not touching the rim of the vase…this is correctly done now.
3. Variation #1 – Slanted Style Moribana (shallow vase) – In the “slanted” style the Shin line comes to the front and Soe moves to the back. See how the tips of the delphinium are pointing towards each other which is what is suppose to happen in this variation.
Blue delphinium as Shin and Soe lines, purple iris as Hikae (right line) with more iris in the center,
along with Blue Sea Holly (Eryngium)
My two completed designs for the week
4. Variation #1 – Slanting Style Nageire (tall vase) – Lesson here was about a different way to create structure within a tall vase called “cross fixation” by taking two branch pieces and crossing them one over one another. The branch and floral materials are placed within certain quadrants. No branch and floral materials are ever to touch the bottom of the vase…that is a BIG NO-NO in Ikebana…only the sides of the vase. So the necessary structure of either “vertical or cross” fixation needs to be created to hold the plant materials in their proper positions.
“Cross Fixation”
Dogwood branches arcing as Shin and Soe, pink alstroemeria for Hikae to the right
and as filler over the tall vase, along with purple ginestra.
Nageire and Moribana designs in the Variation #1 Slanted Style
Just beautiful, Cristy!
Thank You Phyllis!