Saturday 2 June 2012

Painted Sticks


Painted sticks, Aspidistra leaves.

The Sogetsu School is known for its sculptural approach to ikebana and for its use of unconventional materials. When Sofu Teshigahara launched the idea that you can use any kind of material in ikebana, it was a revolutionizing thought and it generated a great deal of opposition.

Nowadays many ikebana schools teaches both more traditional styles and modern freestyles. Plastic wire, dried and painted materials etc have become mainstream in ikebana. Still, I feel that unconventional materials are often treated as additional extras to attract attention rather than as materials in there own rights and with there own character. We still have a lot to learn from the grand old master Sofu.

In these two arrangements I have tried using painted sticks, creating an interesting shape without it getting too messy. It's actually quite difficult to get the sticks to stay in position - try for yourself!

Painted sticks, Aspidistra leaves and Gerbera.



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