My friend Heather Wernimont spent 3 years in Japan where she studied Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. On Thursday she came to Roca to teach the practice during the young mothers group. She hopes to someday create a small business teaching Ikebana. We are excited that she is teaching us how to create wonderful flower arrangements for the upcoming exhibits (Mother’s Day and the August show.)
During the class Heather talked about composition as well as taking time for yourself. Throughout the year we have discussed these two topics and it was nice to hear a new perspective on these same ideas. In talking about composition, Heather explained how in Western flower arranging we fill space where as Ikebana creates space by specific flower placement. (One of the girls commented on how I like photos that are filled with house clutter, “That’s all you need for Amanda to love your photos.”) She then talked about how much Ikebana has meant to her personally- how the placement of flowers can be a meditative and healing process.
I realized very quickly that Ikebana is not a practice that I could ever truly appreciate. I have the personality type that likes oil paint because you can paint over things, always drinks a glass of wine when starting painting (to calm my nerves,) still sweats from nervousness during photo shoots, loves cluttered photographs, and certainly fills my vases to the brim. It was nice to have another perspective (perhaps the opposite) on a new form or art.
