By Sandra Milton
Elaine Sigler, a skilled practitioner of Ikebana, has again taken the art of Japanese floral arranging to a new level. For many years Elaine’s love of Ikebana has benefited family and friends in Lowertown and throughout Ottawa. This winter, one of Elaine’s creations received the “Best Use of Texture” award at Florida’s Vero Beach Museum of Art’s annual Art in Bloom exhibition.
Her piece was inspired by a watercolour painting by American artist, Charles Burchfield and her task was to create an arrangement that reflected the landscape of the Burchfield vision of a midsummer afternoon. She described the arrangement as one with “lots of materials and textures”, primarily local material enhanced by imported oncidium orchids. The supporting base was adapted from a large sculpture she had seen when travelling in Salisbury England. The branches were collected from local tree cuttings.
Elaine’s ability to interpret the artwork, to select and shape the materials, and to create this unique award-winning arrangement demonstrate not only her connection with nature and her physical surroundings but also years of study of this ancient art form.
As a member of the local Sogetsu Ikebana chapter, she hopes to be exhibiting at the Japanese Embassy on Sussex Street on June 4-5. If you want to see some close-up construction of works that demonstrate the shape, balance, minimalism and other principles that govern the art form, then do visit.
And next time that you think it is easier just to throw some flowers in a jug, maybe you will be inspired to think about a more spare and deliberate arrangement.