Thank you to all who visited us at Hal-Con! Thank you to all Hal-Con organizers and volunteers for another great convention!
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See You At Hal-Con 2016!
Hal-Con, Atlantic Canada's largest sci-fi, comic, gaming fantasy convention, will be on Nov 4-6, 2016. We will be there to bring you tons of Japanese anime and kawaii stuff!
It's going to be at the World Trade & Convention Centre, 1800 Argyle St., Halifax NS B3J 2V9. FInd us at booths 807~808.
Show us your best cosplays! See you there!
Ikebana Demo At CWS Library
Thank you to everyone who braved the rain yesterday (Oct 2, 2016) to join us for an ikebana demonstration at the Captain William Spry Library.
We had a great time! Thank you Ella L. for organizing everything!
Afterglow 2016: The Beauty of Imperfection
Afterglow Art Festival was held on Sept 24th, 2016 in Bridgewater, NS. We were again fortunate for the opportunity to participate, this time in collaboration with talented textile artists Susan Lilley (shibori dyeing) and Phyllis Price (sashiko stitching). The ikebana team is Miyako Ballesteros and Susan Robertson.
The four of them have joined forces in an exploration of Japanese culture through its application to contemporary textile art and flower arranging.
Suan Lilley (shibori dyeing)
Phyllis Price (sashiko stitching)
Susan Robertson (ikebana)
Miyako Ballesteros (ikebana)
Pulling ideas together and seeing them all come to fruition were a lot of fun!
The exhibit sought to expose viewers to two deeply held Japanese values: mottainai (disdain for waste) and wabi-sabi (appreciation for old and imperfect items). In North American throw-away, these lesson have important application for achieving sustainability in the 21st century.
“Truth be told, I just love dyeing cloth, cutting it up and sewing it back together again to create exciting, original artwork.
I’ve been doing this for near on 10 years, sometimes inspired by a place or a feeling, but more often inspired by the marks and the light I’ve created on white, (often old) fabric, using various techniques, including the ancient Japanese art of shibori.
I’m drawn to shibori for so many reasons. My brain is challenged by an exploration of cause and effect, as I repeatedly stitch, fold, clamp, and dye each piece of fabric to achieve a desired result. And yet the results are always unpredictable. Mysterious. Imperfect. Inspiring. Forcing me to release control of the outcome, leading me along new pathways, challenging me to create simple, abstract artwork that evokes an emotional response for me, and I hope, in the viewer. ”
“In some thirty-odd years of textile work, I’ve always been drawn to the random combination of seemingly disparate and often reclaimed fabrics, embellished through the Zen process of hand stitching. The use of recycled fabrics appealed to the frugality I inherited from my ancestors, as well as my environmentalism. The Depression-era mantra of “use it up, wear it out, make it over or do without” guides not only my textile work but my general approach to life.
This past year, through connection with friends more knowledgeable than I about Japan, I’ve discovered how these concepts have been important touchstones in that country’s culture as well. The reverence for much-loved, much-used and often imperfect everyday items, the collage-like approach to layering old fabrics joined together through the meditative process of sashiko stitching, and the Japanese interpretation of frugality (mottanai) have both deepened and broadened my textile work. I expect that these “lessons from Japan” will continue to influence both my stitching and my life in days ahead.”
“It seemed like time stood still the first time I saw an ikebana arrangement. That unexpected response drew me to this art of arranging plant material. Initially I was a passionate admirer. Over a period of years I took a few classes, played around with it a little and enjoyed other people’s work. In 2009 I became a serious student.
Ikebana has taught me a new way of seeing detail, simplicity, imperfection, balance and space. I love the way each composition reveals and highlights the unnoticed or hidden beauty of not only the plant material but water, a container, or the empty space that surrounds it. I can delight in the most minute detail, an intriguing line, or a color that’s been made apparent or more prominent through trimming, placement, and use of the space.
In the process of creating some new arrangement I am totally absorbed and literally lost never knowing where it will end up. When I am finally satisfied that it’s complete I enjoy a quiet state of overwhelming ecstasy.”
“Ikebana is an art form that constantly reminds us of our connection to nature. Using plant materials taken from the backyard (even the weeds!) and maybe a few flower stems, we are able to create an arrangement. In the spring/summer, we have fresh and vibrant foliage, full of green; in the fall, a change of colour; in the winter, simply bare branches, revealing their beautiful lines. The eternal changing of seasons never seem to bore us. No two seasons are ever identical. So it is with ikebana. There is always something the same yet there is always something different. After more than 20 years of practice, every arrangement is still refreshingly new.
In Nova Scotia, I am surrounded by nature. Trees and shrubs growing in their native habitat show me the beauty of their natural forms and lines. Even worm-eaten leaves reminds me that life is happening everywhere. All this is an inspiration to me.”
Hanging Arrangement by Susan Robertson.
We are especially grateful to the people at Keller Williams Select Realty, Bridgewater office--Monica, Carol & Henry--for your help and generosity in letting us use your offices! Also a big thank-you to Ashton Rodenhiser and the rest of the Afterglow organizing committee for having us and making this magical night happen!
P.S. Thank you Phyllis for letting us use some of your photos!
Japanesque 2016
Did you make it to Japanesque this year? We were blessed with another charming day (Sep 18th, Sunday) at St. Mary's University, The Oaks. It was a great afternoon to learn and experience Japanese culture.
Chanoyu (tea ceremony) and bugaku court dance.
Iaido and kendo.
Of course, our very own ikebana! :-)
Wadaiko, Japanese drums. Everyone learned to dance bon-odori! It was a great crowd!
People also tried calligraphy and Japanese paper crafts...and also enjoyed some matcha tea!
We are already looking forward to next year's Japanesque!
Demonstration At The Chester Garden Club
Thank you to the members of the Chester Garden Club for your warm welcome last night. We are very happy to have the opportunity to introduce ikebana to you!
We hope you enjoyed the presentation.
...and we hope we'll see you in one of our ikebana lessons one day!
Halifax Tea Festival 2016
Here's a collection of images from the Halifax Tea Festival held on April 9th, 2016 at the Halifax Forum. Thank you to all who visited our booth!
The matcha cookies and cupcakes were a big hit! We made 3 matcha intensity levels for the cupcakes:
- Level 1 = a hint of matcha (for those who love subtleties)
- Level 2 = medium (for those who love balance)
- Level 3 = intense and strong (for the die-hard matcha lover!)
We also brought Japanese teaware....and free hand-made coasters with every purchase!
And of course, tea tasting!
Here's our little matcha tasting corner. We served matcha with imo-kempi (a Japanese snack made from sweet potato.)
...and some nice images from the Twitterverse.
@theikebanashop pic.twitter.com/Ux38xahZ3Z
— Halifax Tea Festival (@HalifaxTeaFest) April 9, 2016
See you next year!
March Break Tulip Origami Workshop
Let's welcome spring with tulips!
We are offering an origami workshop, making tulips and a small bunny too! We will put them in a flower pot. The flower pots will be decorated (using acrylic paints) by the participants too!
Date: Mar 16th (Wednesday)
Time: 2:00 - 3:15 p.m.
Place: the ikebana shop
Cost: $8 + HST. All materials included
Max 10 persons.
Advance registration required. First come, first served!
Please call or email to book your spot!
Hope to see you there.
March Break Cupcake Workshops
We are offering 2 workshops on March 14th, Monday. We will be decorating cupcakes!
The venue will be at our studio above the shop.
1. Cute Animal Cupcake Decorating Workshop
Recommended for ages 8 and up.
Date: Mar 14th, 2016 (Monday)
TIme: 10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Cost: $10 + HST per person. All materials included.
2. Totoro Cupcake Decorating Workshop
Recommended for ages 12 and up.
Date: Mar 14th, 2016 (Monday)
Time: 1:00 - 2:30 p.m.
Cost: $10 + HST per person. All materials included.
Max 10 persons per workshop.
Advanced registration is required. First come, first served!
Please call or email us to register.
Let's enjoy decorating cupcakes together!
Please note that the workshops are not nut-free. Please alert us to any allergies.
Japanese Home Cooking Workshop: Ganmodoki
This is our pilot (trial?) Japanese home-cooking workshop!
We thought: Why not introduce Japanese food? ...the ones that are not well-known outside of Japan. Of course, you can always search up the recipe online but wouldn't it be more fun to have someone show you how it's done? :-) Besides, you might not be able to find all the authentic Japanese ingredients in Halifax. Our big advantage: we know how it should taste like! So we will suggest appropriate substitutes and still remain true to the spirit of the cuisine.
We will introduce "Ganmodoki" (がんもどき) in our first workshop.
"Ganmodoki" can be loosely translated as "that which resembles goose". Not a very appetizing name eh? But it is quite yummy. Ganmodoki is one kind of "shoujin-ryori" (精進料理), the food that Zen monks eat. They do not eat meat and so they have this kind of food made from tofu and other non-meat ingredients.
Portuguese filhós. (Click to see source.)
In the Kansai region, this dish is also called "Hiryouzu" (飛龍頭)...literally translated as "flying dragon head"...but really, it is just the Japanese phonetic equivalent for the Portuguese snack called "filhós" -- a kind of fritter made from flour, eggs and, oftentimes, pumpkin. In Portugal, they are a traditional Christmas dessert.
They do look similar!
Our version of this dish brings together simple yet savoury ingredients including shrimp, bacon, green onions and mushroom, all in a tofu base. The tofu's neutral flavour helps tone down the intensities of each filling, while allowing their distinct flavours to come out and be appreciated. These patties are also highly versatile; you can customize your ganmodoki with the ingredients of your choice. Once you master the base, make it your own and experiment with different ingredients. The possibilities are endless!
Workshop Details
Let's make ganmodoki* with ingredients available in Halifax!
Date: Feb 21st, 2016 (Sunday)
Time: 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
Venue: the ikebana shop
6417 Quinpool Road, Halifax NS B3L 1A7
Cost: 12.50 + HST
Up to 4 participants only. Pre-registration is required.
Participants are asked to bring with them a whisk, a spatula and an apron (optional).
We will prepare all the ingredients and other utensils.
Then, we taste our cooking together. (We'll show you how to make the sauce that would go with it too!)
Register by phone 902-407-0487 or email. Hope to see you there!
*Note: Not strictly vegetarian.
Itadakimasu!