Wabi Sabi
Clematis flowering vine, Bell flower, Burl wood, Little Princess Spirea
Glass container
This arrangement is an example of Wabi Sabi, the Japanese concept of finding beauty in imperfection. When I first learned about the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi Sabi I felt I had found the concept that described my preference for artistic expression on so many levels. Unconventional and humble in approach, creating the feeling of Wabi Sabi brings a unique sense of fulfilment. You will see elements of Wabi Sabi in many of my arrangements.
For this arrangement burl wood was my starting point – a strange and wonderful deformity, a type of growth sometimes found on trees but often prized for its interesting patterns. To follow the natural curved line of the burl wood I worked with flowers that could express a light roundness. A good sense of unity was achieved with the little princess spirea I discovered wrapped around some rockery in my garden. The spirea branches formed the curved rounded shape I was looking for whilst the airy clusters of their tiny pink flowers brought a light contrast to the heavy burl wood. Defined curves were achieved by utilizing the soft stems of bell flowers – a light weight clematis flower simply sat between these stems for my final touch.
