Ikebana Flower arrangement is a Japanese art that has evolved over 500 years along with architecture, theatre, poem, pottery, calligraphy and painting. What's special about Ikebana is the unique style that is to abstract the beauty of nature. Ikebana artists elicit the hidden potential of flowers and branches and express the natural motions of meadows, forests, hilltops and valleys. In addition, Ikebana is a centerpiece of Japanese hospitality, welcoming guests on every occasion at public places as well as at home. With the rich history, a number of basic designs and special techniques have been developed for abstracting beauty of nature using seasonal flowers.
SYLLABUS: In the class you will systematically learn design theory and unique techniques in Ikebana using seasonal flowers and other materials. I use the Sogetsu curriculum, a popular branch of Ikebana art field, that studies lines, masses and colors of flower arrangements. Techniques you will learn can be applied to any materials and used in many ways such as home interior decoration, special gifts, and just for pleasure. Furthermore, the unique combinations of lines, masses and colors in the basic designs are fundamental to every aspect of Japanese art and will certainly stimulate your artistic sense.
No experience or tool is necessary for my class.
As a certified instructor in Sogetsu school in Japan, I opened the Ikebana class in 2007 in Center city. My brief bio and recent works at Philadelphia Flower Show, Wayne Art Center, Philadelphia Open Studio Tours, Narberth garden club, Friends in the City, The Cosmopolitan club and others are posted in INSTRUCTOR page. More importantly, please look at gorgeous works created by students at the class listed in FACEBOOK(link in CONTACT page).
Two classes, credit and non-credit courses, are available. Also, a gift certificate for classes is available upon request and has been popular for Valentine's day, Mother's day, anniversary, birthday and Christmas gift.
REGULAR CLASS: The credit course is for step-by-step instruction in the basic designs and techniques of Ikebana using the official textbooks of Sogetsu school in Japan(written in English). You can start on any class day and continue at your desired pace. When you complete each unit in the curriculum, the school will issue a certificate upon your request.
Street parking, within 10 min walk from Septa 30th station, University City station, Bus station of Rt 40, 12 7 9 42 and 21
SPECIAL CLASS : In the seasonal non-credit course, students will learn to create an Ikebana-style flower arrangement without textbook. Through creating an Ikebana flower arrangement with seasonal materials, you can learn basic concepts, elements in design, and special techniques. Designs and materials will depend on the concept of the arrangement.
Class opens occasionally (Contact me if you are interested). Fee may vary depending on the materials ($50-60)
OTHER POSSIBILITIES: I would be happy to discuss private lessons and demonstrations of Ikebana, as well as custom arrangements for various occasions.
"There are always flowers for those who want to see them" Henri Matisse " I must have flowers, always, and always" Claude Monet