ikebana

It is the Japanese art of flower arrangement.

In contrast to the decorative form of flower arranging in western countries, the Japanese flower arrangement creates a harmony of linear construction, rhythm, and color.

The entire structure of a Japanese flower arrangement is based on three main points (in a triangle form) that symbolize heaven, earth and humankind.

I signed up for 3 sessions of ikebana class - the teacher has been learning ikebana on her own time for 7 years, and volunteered to teach on campus. The class size is kept small (7-8 students so that she can devote more attention to each student), and we only need to pay $10 for each session for the flowers.

This is my first flower arrangement using this flower called "spider mum" - a kind of chrysanthemum. The base that you see here is actually courtesy of the teacher - she also makes these ceramic plates as a hobby!

The classes are every fortnightly - so keep a lookout for my next ikebana arrangement on Feb 23rd! :)