Nathan Algren (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
shiroi_tiger) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2017-06-09 06:44 am
shiroi_tiger) wrote in fandomhigh2017-06-09 06:44 am
Entry tags:
Japanese Art, Friday, Period Two
This week, students (and possibly the usual contingent of curious teachers) would step into Nathan's classroom to find a large assortment of flowers, decorative grasses, leaves, and twigs, all spread out on the low table with a variety of containers set to the side.
"This week," Nathan said, already seated and with a sparse-looking arrangement of flowers and twigs set out in front of him, "we're going to explore ikebana. Flower arranging."
So this was going to be another one of those things that you could really only appreciate while it lasted, folks.
"Ikebana is another one of those arts that looks deceptively simple at a glance, but can take years to master. Because I've only started doing this one myself about a month ago... I am not that master. But since the saying is 'those who cannot do, teach,' that isn't going to stop me from telling you a bit about it and setting you loose on a pile of flowers regardless."
You're welcome, class.
"There's a lot of symbolism in the Japanese art of flower arranging. Arrangements put less focus on color and more focus on shape, line, and form, with maybe a couple of blooms to help accent a structure that puts stronger focus on other parts of the plant. The intent of an artist is often to portray a particular mood, or a scene from nature. There are hundreds of schools and styles of the art form, incorporating different dishes, plant materials, and types of symbolism. Standing flowers or sloping twigs might be used to portray mountains, or a few small blooms interspersed among standing grasses or leaves might be intended to evoke fish swimming among the weeds in a pond. Some ikebana arrangements consist of only three parts; a tall part drawing the attention upwards in order to represent ten, or heaven, something that hangs low in the arrangement or even points downward in order to symbolize chi, the earth, and something in the middle, pointing outward or simply existing between, for humans, jin."
He gestured to the assortment of cuttings on the table.
"We won't focus on any one particular form today. An hour is hardly enough time to get too far into it, really. But while you're working on your arrangements, try to keep in mind a mood or an image that you want to represent, rather than simply heaping more flowers in for show."
"This week," Nathan said, already seated and with a sparse-looking arrangement of flowers and twigs set out in front of him, "we're going to explore ikebana. Flower arranging."
So this was going to be another one of those things that you could really only appreciate while it lasted, folks.
"Ikebana is another one of those arts that looks deceptively simple at a glance, but can take years to master. Because I've only started doing this one myself about a month ago... I am not that master. But since the saying is 'those who cannot do, teach,' that isn't going to stop me from telling you a bit about it and setting you loose on a pile of flowers regardless."
You're welcome, class.
"There's a lot of symbolism in the Japanese art of flower arranging. Arrangements put less focus on color and more focus on shape, line, and form, with maybe a couple of blooms to help accent a structure that puts stronger focus on other parts of the plant. The intent of an artist is often to portray a particular mood, or a scene from nature. There are hundreds of schools and styles of the art form, incorporating different dishes, plant materials, and types of symbolism. Standing flowers or sloping twigs might be used to portray mountains, or a few small blooms interspersed among standing grasses or leaves might be intended to evoke fish swimming among the weeds in a pond. Some ikebana arrangements consist of only three parts; a tall part drawing the attention upwards in order to represent ten, or heaven, something that hangs low in the arrangement or even points downward in order to symbolize chi, the earth, and something in the middle, pointing outward or simply existing between, for humans, jin."
He gestured to the assortment of cuttings on the table.
"We won't focus on any one particular form today. An hour is hardly enough time to get too far into it, really. But while you're working on your arrangements, try to keep in mind a mood or an image that you want to represent, rather than simply heaping more flowers in for show."
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Might even be good for you, Steve!
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"Knowing Tony? If he's anything like the Tony I knew, he'd probably act like he got the wrong impression, mostly just to make you blush," Nathan countered.
And yes, he was absolutely smirking at that blush.
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"Then you probably have nothing to worry about," Nathan noted. "And besides, it's not exactly a romantic bouquet."
Those didn't usually have twigs in them.
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"He probably deserves something after spending all that time in the hospital with me," Steve mused.
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"You were in the hospital?"
None of Nathan's business and he knew it, but it had grabbed his curiosity all the same, so help him.
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Completely un-shot!
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"Well... that's good," Nathan replied, a touch dubiously. "Though now I feel like I have to point out that it isn't usually the person recovering who brings the flowers. Which ruins my whole 'give it to Tony' suggestion in the first place. Forget I said anything."
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Nathan's look in reply was... slightly dubious, really, but he was willing to let the topic drop.
"Alright then," he settled on. "Flowers for Tony, then. Is there anything on the table that catches your eye?"
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Iron Man colors.
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Nathan really shouldn't have been terribly surprised, considering. He reached for both, sliding them down the table toward Steve, and then gave him a faint but encouraging smile.
"There you are," he said. "And if you need to use any of the tools for this, go right ahead. The containers are fair game, as well. Take what you need, Steve."
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"It looked mostly like I tucked some pink blossoms in among some willow twigs and tried to hide how unbalanced it was with a leaf or three," Nathan admitted, smirking back. "My own ability to do this one is something of a work in progress."
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