All posts tagged: ikebana

Ikebana: The Contemplative Art of Flowers

Published by dmcblog

By Alexandra Shenpen, Sensei and Travis Newbill Shenpen, Sensei will be guiding Ikebana/Kado: The Contemplative Art and Way of Flowers, April 18-20, 2014 Ikebana is more than just flower arranging. Rather, it is a practice through which we explore nature & life,  the relationship between heaven, earth, humanity and personal artistic process — whether we feel we are artistic or not!  We begin by learning traditional, harmonic forms. Engaging with Ikebana as a contemplative practice awakens the unconditional beauty of  our world,  inspiring a way of living. Below are some words from our wonderful teacher, Alexandra Shenpen, Sensei and some images of arrangements created by introductory students. On structure and improvisation: “Forms tame us, helping us to wear-out our artistic ego, so that what comes through is fresh and awake, an expression of  what’s already there — both in ourselves and in nature.  This is a wonderful ground for later improvisation.   In other words, structure provides a language of flowers — and from that language, not only can the poetry of botanical materials communicate more …

Ikebana: Conversations with a branch

Published by dmcblog

By Cynthia Drake on Ikebana with Alexandra Shenpen, Sensei Do not consider taking an ikebana class if you want to keep your view of flowers simple and safe, if you do not want to be called into a conversation with a branch, a vase, or the moon peering at you through the window. If you come to this program, be ready to play, to look at the lines and curves of stems, to sit in silence, and to encounter a universe of creative expression speaking through traditional forms. I study with Alexandra Shenpen, Sensei because she brings together decades of experience in meditation practice, the study of Japanese forms, and artistic expression. She shares her joy of color, form, and communication and gently encourages her students to step out into our own modes of creation. And then, as is true with all ikebana masters, she oh so subtly moves one branch one millimeter and brings our arrangements to life. Every person who feels that yearning to connect heaven and earth with flowers will fall in …