I've been studying the art of ikebana for several months but hadn't done any arrangements yet.
"Ikebana (生け花?, "arranging flowers") is the Japanese art of
flower arrangement, also known as kadō (華道?, the "way of flowers"). Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower
arrangement. It is more than simply putting flowers in a container. It is a
disciplined art form
As is true of all other arts, ikebana is creative
expression within certain rules of construction. Its materials are living
branches, leaves, grasses, and blossoms.
What distinguishes ikebana from other approaches such as
"flower arrangement" is its asymmetrical form and the use of empty
space as an essential feature of the composition. A sense of harmony among the
materials, the container, and the setting is also crucial. These are
characteristics of aesthetics that ikebana shares with traditional Japanese
paintings, gardens, architecture, and design.
Another common but not exclusive aspect present in
ikebana is its employment of minimalism. Some arrangements may consist of only
a minimal number of blooms interspersed among stalks and leaves. The structure
of some Japanese flower arrangements is based on a scalene triangle delineated
by three main points, usually twigs, considered in some schools to symbolize
heaven, earth, and man, or sun, moon, and earth. Use of these terms is limited
to certain schools and is not customary in more traditional schools." Wikipedia
My first arrangement is about 14 inches high. I especially selected the left stem as it reminds me of the bushiness of a natural forsythia bush.
The second arrangement is much smaller at about 8 inches high.
My pots were made by a local Tennessee potter.