Sculpture + Zen

Backlit Morimono Project (Book 2-16).
Material: eggplant, dragon fruit, radishes, mandarin leaves 

Ikebana

My first goal in retirement was to center myself before making major decisions and setting long-term goals.  Mastering the Sogetsu style of Ikebana, serves that purpose while exercising creativity. Now four months in and over 30 arrangements, I immediately get to a still frame of mind with every project. 

The easiest way to describe Ikebana is ‘Japanese flower arranging’, but that doesn't cover it.  Ikebana cultivates a connection between nature, art, and the soul.  Personally, the study of Ikebana fosters in me a calm yet forceful pull to practice continuously for its soothing effect. 

Tranquility overrides the chaos of daily living in the time that I focus on form, angles, shapes, color, and movement. It’s not unlike the cathartic inner peace I get from sculpting, but working with natural material is more intuitive and just ‘Zen’. Stay tuned for more compositions.