Author: Akemi

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Ikebana to Welcome the New Year

December 25 may be the most quiet day in the year in the US, with most stores closed.

When I went to Seattle Art Museum downtown only a day after Christmas to display Ikebana, I was somehow expecting less people there.  Well, I was wrong!  Many people take days off between Christmas and the New Year, and both tourists and local people do visit museums, seems like.  While I was making the ikebana arrangement, quite a few people stopped to take a look at what I was doing.

For the last week of 2018, the theme of my arrangement is “to welcome the new year.”

The New Year is the largest holiday in Japan.  So I chose the color combinations that are mostly used for celebratory occasions: red and white, and gold and silver.

The cords I used for gold and silver is called Mizuhiki.  There are many different types of knotting for different occasions.  If you would like to learn about different kinds of knotting, this Japanese website might be helpful.

The arrangement will be in display through the New Year’s Eve.  If you happen to visit Seattle Art Museum, please stop by in front of the Asian Collection on the 3rd floor.

Thank you very much for reading this blog.  I wish you a happy 2019!

 

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How to Make a Memorable Holiday Ikebana

As soon as Thanksgiving is over, the show windows in town turn to the holiday colors: green and red.

As I mentioned in the previous article, high contrast of vivid green and red brighten up our long nights.

Poinsettia is no doubt the most popular plant for this holiday season.  But why not using other plants? What about anthurium?

This year I chose anthurium to be the main element of the holiday Ikebana.  In contrast, I placed holy leaves and yew branches. The white container should help emphasize the high contrast of red and green.

How does your holiday Ikebana look like?