Ikebana - Variation n° 2, style vertical

For the ones I just found back via Facebook, I have started with ikebana - the Japanese floral art - two years ago.  Over those two years, I have started from knowing nothing to being able to do reasonable personal arrangements.  I have passed four exams and have now started a course to become a grade 4 teacher - this is the first diploma from the Sogetsu school.

I was something like reluctant to start with those additional courses : I had to start back at the beginning, with the basis, meaning arrangements with stems and flowers arranged according to specific angles.  I was just despaired the first two books, I could not wait to start book 3 and it's more creative arrangements and now again at the beginning for 30 lessons...  Moreover, I don't have a garden at home and am plundering one Brussel park at dawn - meaning 10am on a Saturday - or cutting branches between the trucks alongside the motorway parking.  I really went there with heavy feet.

The first arrangement is the one you will discover now.  OMG, it's not exactly what I like to do.  Stems were a disaster, the flowers were not fresh enough - this I saw when I unpacked them -, the picture was not taken with a real camera, moreover my teacher was right, we see the basis of one of the stems, but the arrangement as such is ok and the angles are correct.

The second arrangement will not be published.  Stems were really in a bad state and finished in the bin once I got back at home.

The good news, because there was a good news, is that I will only have 10 lessons of basic arrangements and then 10 lessons of the two last textbooks (aahh) and then 10 lessons of personal arrangements (ooohhh !).  I went out so happy.  I'll be able to publish nicer arrangements in the not too far future.

And for my FB friends : every now and then, I'll publish a nice arrangement from the past, which has already been published on this blog.