Ikebana

I had my first Ikebana class yesterday! Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging. I learned that Japanese flower arranging is very different from European or Western flower arranging. Ikebana emphasizes the stems and leaves of plants to make up a shape or line. There are many different Ikebana styles, ranging from simple to very complex, but each style has specific rules for creating the form based on a triangle of three points. Another important difference of Ikebana is minimalism - Japanese flower arranging consists of a minimal number of blooms, interspersed among stems and leaves. Therefore, very few materials are used to create the arrangement. The shape, angles, and space between stems is important. I had a lot of fun and learned quite a bit! I am going to continue to take the class weekly with a friend. And the best part is that I get to take the flower arrangement home with me each week - so I will always have a pretty center piece for the table. :)

My first arrangement! It's the simplest style of Ikebana, called Moribana.

Mio's flower arrangement. She has been taking the class for a while and is now at the free-style stage. So she has the opportunity to create anything she wants.