Flower Arrangement: With a Japanese Touch

INTRODUCTION Since ancient times, flowers have held a special place in people's hearts, and have been used to provide fitting decoration to various occasions. In this book, I have tried to stay true to this essence, while emphasizing the simplicity, universality, and flexibility of both western- and Japanese-style flower arrangement. Typically, flower arrangement focuses on attaining both harmony in color and luxuriance in shape. To these characteristics, I would like to add respect for both the natural beauty of flora such as that found in the wild, and the maximum expression of space by minimal use of materials. In other words, my goal is to adopt the principles of ikebana that succinctly convey the desired mood. Diverging from convention, I enjoyed expressing myself by combining easy-to-find containers and other modern materials to maintain shape, keeping the contemporary living space in mind. I have included step-by-step instructions, accompanied by detailed pictures and illustrations, as well as helpful ideas to make arranging easy-to-understand for anyone from beginner to expert. I will introduce the fundamental shapes, and show you example arrangements in which these shapes are used. I hope that by enjoying your time arranging, you can add a degree of richness to your well-being, and use the seasonal events in your life as an opportunity to express yourself in flowers.