New Year (1)
When I saw the materials last Saturday at my ikebana class, I thought to make a New Year arrangement.
When I am looking forward to the coming New Year, I noticed that I had different perspective than before. I spent time looking back, reviewing the year past. In the recent few years, I changed the way of seeing my past. With deep gratitude and appreciation, I treasure my past life experience, I benefit from it on my way advance.
In this New Year arrangement. I used agapantus branches for the frame, their leafless branches reminded me the past. There were paracanta berries in the bottom, those were fruits of the life, my treasures. My favorite torch flowers were the focal point in the middle to show the bright future. It is not my best arrangement, but it was what in my mind at that time.
I asked my teacher to critique. “I do not like your arrangement, why didn’t you use all of the materials I gave you?” She questioned. I took a picture of the arrangement first before started to add materials to the arrangement here and there, I had to redo it twice to finally satisfy her.
When I stepped back and looked at the arrangement, I sensed festiveness, which was not in the first one.
To spend time reviewing the past when looking forward to the coming New Year and celebrate, I wish harmony and happiness with you in the new year.
Happy New Year! Happy Monday!
In Friendship through Flowers,
Yirou.
(12-31-2006)
For a traditional New Year arrangement, there are always three important elements – pine, bamboo, and plum (松、竹、梅 – 岁寒三友). There are important meanings of them in Chinese cultural, which were inherited by Japanese later and used in Ikebana.
Pine is evergreen, it is the symbol of longevity. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world (some type of bamboo increases 40cm in height per day), it also spreads very fast through its root. In winter, when the big storm comes, it would bend, but later they bounce back. Bamboo is the symbol of strong life. Plum (also called Japanese Ume since it was first introduced to western world from Japan although it was original in China) is the flower of winter. It’s cold resistant, not like most of other flowers, it blooms more and better when it is cold. In Mao’s famous poem (毛泽东《卜算子咏梅》：俏也不争春，只把春来报), plum flower reports coming of Spring.
In this New Year arrangement, I used pine, bamboo, and plum. The bamboo is a very special one from my teacher’s garden. The edges of the leaves are in gold color. It gets more gold color on the edge when it is colder. I got the bamboo with root. I tried to preserve the root for planting, so the bamboo looked a little bit taller in proportion. Root is the support of the life. In the arrangement I emphasized roots. This was particularly to meet my own New Year’s perspective. At this year end, I am reviewing my past while looking forward to the future. Where I am and where I will go are related with my past, and how far and how fast I can go forward are related with my root. I added a torch flower to the center to bring in the mood of celebration, two beautiful calla lily leaves joined the cheers.
So far, I had made five New Year arrangements for this New Year and each was with different perspective. I will make more for my friends and co-workers tomorrow. This arrangement has been the best to tell what’s in my mind toward the coming new year.
Best wishes to all.
Happy New Year! Happy Monday!
In Friendship through Flowers,
Yirou.
(12-31-2006)
本文有中文版。
When I am looking forward to the coming New Year, I noticed that I had different perspective than before. I spent time looking back, reviewing the year past. In the recent few years, I changed the way of seeing my past. With deep gratitude and appreciation, I treasure my past life experience, I benefit from it on my way advance.
In this New Year arrangement. I used agapantus branches for the frame, their leafless branches reminded me the past. There were paracanta berries in the bottom, those were fruits of the life, my treasures. My favorite torch flowers were the focal point in the middle to show the bright future. It is not my best arrangement, but it was what in my mind at that time.
I asked my teacher to critique. “I do not like your arrangement, why didn’t you use all of the materials I gave you?” She questioned. I took a picture of the arrangement first before started to add materials to the arrangement here and there, I had to redo it twice to finally satisfy her.
When I stepped back and looked at the arrangement, I sensed festiveness, which was not in the first one.To spend time reviewing the past when looking forward to the coming New Year and celebrate, I wish harmony and happiness with you in the new year.
Happy New Year! Happy Monday!
In Friendship through Flowers,
Yirou.
(12-31-2006)
New Year (2)
For a traditional New Year arrangement, there are always three important elements – pine, bamboo, and plum (松、竹、梅 – 岁寒三友). There are important meanings of them in Chinese cultural, which were inherited by Japanese later and used in Ikebana.
Pine is evergreen, it is the symbol of longevity. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world (some type of bamboo increases 40cm in height per day), it also spreads very fast through its root. In winter, when the big storm comes, it would bend, but later they bounce back. Bamboo is the symbol of strong life. Plum (also called Japanese Ume since it was first introduced to western world from Japan although it was original in China) is the flower of winter. It’s cold resistant, not like most of other flowers, it blooms more and better when it is cold. In Mao’s famous poem (毛泽东《卜算子咏梅》：俏也不争春，只把春来报), plum flower reports coming of Spring.
In this New Year arrangement, I used pine, bamboo, and plum. The bamboo is a very special one from my teacher’s garden. The edges of the leaves are in gold color. It gets more gold color on the edge when it is colder. I got the bamboo with root. I tried to preserve the root for planting, so the bamboo looked a little bit taller in proportion. Root is the support of the life. In the arrangement I emphasized roots. This was particularly to meet my own New Year’s perspective. At this year end, I am reviewing my past while looking forward to the future. Where I am and where I will go are related with my past, and how far and how fast I can go forward are related with my root. I added a torch flower to the center to bring in the mood of celebration, two beautiful calla lily leaves joined the cheers.
So far, I had made five New Year arrangements for this New Year and each was with different perspective. I will make more for my friends and co-workers tomorrow. This arrangement has been the best to tell what’s in my mind toward the coming new year.
Best wishes to all.
Happy New Year! Happy Monday!
In Friendship through Flowers,
Yirou.
(12-31-2006)
本文有中文版。
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