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Guests for Easter
Japanese Fantail Willow, mini Gerbera, Blue Thuja.Ukibana, floating arrangement.Easter is a big holiday here in Scandinavia. It marks the beginning of spring after the long winter and is a very happy...
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Happy Easter
Linden branches, Daffodil, Hellebore, Thuja.Variation no.3 (fan style) slanting moribana.Easter gives hope for tomorrow, as after the winter comes spring.
View ArticleHoliday Cinema - Revealing the Full Potential of Flowers
I found a really nice ikebana video that I want to share with you. If you can spare 30 minutes of your time, it well spent in my holiday cinema.This video takes us to Kyoto, the old capital of Japan...
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The 49th Spring
Birch, Hydrangea, bamboo vases.first spring morningmy 49th yearof blossomsHaiku by Issa, 1811
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Lines of Springtime
Curved lines.Linden branches, Muscari grass, Hellebore.In the Spring season it is still so much easier to see the lines of tree branches, than when the leaves have sprung and the tree crowns turns...
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Curved Lines in Basic Styles
Alder branches, Tulips, pine.Variation no. 2, slanting moribana.It's fun to play with curved lines in freestyle arrangements, but the energetic curves of springtime can also be expressed in basic...
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Girl Power
Forsythia and Calla lily 'Flamingo'.Without kenzan.The typical flowers for Girl's day, or Hinamatsuri on March 3rd., are pink Peach blossoms and yellow Rape flowers (Brassica napus). Pretty and humble,...
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Two Groups in Two Ways
Goat Willow (Salix caprea), Eustoma, Spirea.Kabuwake freestyle.Did you ever notice that branches of Goat Willow can have a quite strong colour? I was so surprised by the shiny yellow and red branches...
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Crossing the Water
Forsythia, Cymbidium orchid and stones.Focus on water, 'bridge arrangement'.Water is essential for life and is also a very important element in ikebana. Water is life giving, refreshing and cooling,...
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The Last Sweet Cherry
Sweet cherry and Carnations.Variation no. 4, slanting moribana.There are many kinds of cherry trees. The Japanese count well over 300 different kinds of Sakura including wild ones and cultivars.The...
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Hanakubari Workshop
The last weekend Ikebana International Oslo Chapter organized a two days workshop on Hanakubari techniques. We were lucky to have Yasuko Oki to teach us, and the workshop was quickly filled up with 21...
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Sakura Poetry
Sweet cherry, Statice, Pine.Variation no. 1, upright nageire.click-clackgo the wooden clogs...cherry blossoms!.からからと下駄をならして桜哉kara-kara to geta wo narashite sakura kanaHaiku by Issa 1811(Translation by...
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Masses - Naturalistic and Abstract
Mass, moribana, abstract freestyle.Roses, Carnations, Pine.Grouping materials together to form masses is one of the most commonly used design elements in contemporary ikebana. Masses can work as a...
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Veggie Revolt
Freestyle with vegetables.Rhubarb, dudhi gourd, turnip, potatoes.Freestyle arrangements with fruit and vegetables is a popular style of Sogetsu ikebana. The idea is to make use of the shape, colour and...
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Four Faces
Linden tree, Hyacinth and Statice.To be viewed from all angles.Every flower has a face. One of the surprising things I discovered when starting doing ikebana is how much differens it makes if you make...
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Curved Lines, Dried Materials
Nageire, curved lines, dried and fresh materials.Midollino sticks, jute fibre textile, Carnations.I'm following up my last blog post, about arrangements to be viewed from all angels, with a somewhat...
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Back From the Tea Room
Todays chabanaSpirea, grass, Meadow buttercup (Ranunculus across), Oxeye (Leucanthemum vulgar)Bamboo basketIt's been a year long break from blogging. Amongst other things I've been concentrating on tea...
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Stockholm: Bonsai & Ikebana - Living art of Japan
If you're in Stockholm this summer, don't miss out on the exhibition Bonsai and Ikebana - Living art of Japan, at Östasiatiska museet in Stockholm.Get inspired by the growing power and aesthetics of...
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Demo in Oslo Botanical Garden
Demonstrating naturally curved lines of Flowering onions, Allium.Oslo botanical garden is one of the most beautiful parks of Oslo. I know the park quite well from guiding groups as a volunteer a few...
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The Energy of Spring - Hanami series 1
European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Flowering cherry (Prunus ’Accolade’)Bamboo shaped porcelain vaseFreestyle Nageire Sakura themeEach season has its own energy. When buds on trees and flowers open a...
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Peaceful Joy - Hanami series 2
Sour cherry (Prunus cerasus), bamboo vaseNaturalistic freestyleTraditional ikebana often combines one "tree material" and one "grass material". Tree materials are mostly branches, while grass materials...
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Mother and Child
Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spiraea arguta)Vintage ikebana vaseThe vase or container is always an important and integrated part of an ikebana arrangement. Almost anything can be used as a container, but some...
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Fragrant Colour Study
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) and double tulip. Glass vase by Kjell Engman for Kosta BodaEarly summer brings an abundance of flowering plants to enjoy. The joy and enthusiasm results in more luscious...
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Hanakubari Versus Sogetsu Ikebana
Dooryard dock (Rumex longifolius), Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica) and Geranium (Pelargonium). Porcelain vase by Brigitte Schneider, Atelier Tokibana.Any material can be used in contemporary...
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Playful Potato Sprouts
When coming back from my summer vacation I was surprised to find that the almond potatoes left in the refrigerator had grown beautiful purple sprouts while I was away - an opportunity that can't be...
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