> Amelia's b-day arrangement 2012

去年に引き続き、アメリアちゃんのお誕生会を彩るお花をアレンジしました〜。
今年はクリーム、黄色、グリーン、ライトパープルの淡い色合いです。

I was asked to make arrangements for Amelia's b-day party. 
This year's color theme is cream, yellow, green, light purple.

horizontal arrangement on a fire mantle

柳の線がバックの壁の色に隠れてしまって目立たなかった事と、チューリップはやはり太陽の光で動いてしまう為イメージとずれが出てしまう事が反省点です。。。
でもアメリアちゃんのママは喜んでくれました！

Sad to see the curly willow's graceful lines weren't popping out against the dark back ground color. Tulips are hard to use because they move toward the sun shine and change the shape of the original  arrangement. But Amelia's mom loved it that's all I care!

i love this color combination.

届きたてのお花はフレッシュで良い香りがして気持ちが癒されます〜。
普段はお家のベースメントで作業します。自然光が入らないので悲しいですが。。。
この後子供が寝てから深夜過ぎまで作業です。

I love the moments when I treat just arrived flowers.
They smell so good melt my heart and sole.
I usually work in my basement.
I worked until past midnight after my kids were asleep.

> Happy New Year 2012!

spray roses, myrtle,
eucalyptus leaves, gold painted dried straw

明けまして、おめでとうございます。今年も皆さんにとって良い年になります様に。そして、東日本大震災で被災された方々が立ち直られ、町が一日も早く復興しますようにお祈りしています。

相変わらずお花を生ける時間はありませんが（涙）、スーパーで手に入る花で生けてみました。
ああ、NYの花マーケットが懐かしい！あそこでいろんな季節の枝ものや、花達を買って来て生けたいものです。

左と右を対照的にでも全体的にバランスよくなるよう仕上げました。
右のラインは写真ではちょっと見難いですが、勢い良く動いていて見ていて元気が出る感じにしました。

> Flax leaves

Flax leaves are very useful for establishing height, width, and dramatic effect on a design. As the leaves are sculptural foliage, you can make them into almost any shapes. Sometimes we use a wire on a back side of the leaves to fortify them and and create shapes.

Here i made them into a variety forms; straight sharp line, big curvy line, unexpected shapes by shredding them and bending them.

It is fun to find out the spontaneous expressions through them.

> ikebana 3

>ikebana 2

>ikebana 1

> snap dragon 2

how about this??
i paid attention to how the stems shows in the water.
making them look as neat as possible ;)

> banana leaf

this banana leave was naturally curled and creating a beautiful arch line, i immediately fell in love with it!!!!!!!!!
a bunch of banana leaf stems are arranged in the left container.
very Sogetsu style.

> love carnations

people tend to dislike carnations but i love them!
So many different kinds are available in the flower market.

revenge try!

I wanted to find out the successful use of this one green material that i don't know the name of.
I used the same one in "sogetsu new year exhibition" arrangement, but the result was pretty bad...
My sogetsu sensei's suggestion was to mix with fluffy thing like babies breath and use modern style container.
I see... much better.
but it's a tough one to work with.

line mix

This time, the challenge was by mixing mainly line materials (like pussy willow, agapanthus, iris, and quince)and somehow creating the balance in the arrangement.
I made one iris tilted down on purpose to create the drama, otherwise, it would've been ordinary look. Is it successful?