Section 7 Flower Arrangement Class: Traditional Chinese Flower Arrangement

You will attract what you like. Knowing that a group of our friends like flower arranging, a friend introduced Sister Liping to us. We have worked on the same floor in the same company for more than ten years, and we only met now because of our mutual hobby of flower arranging. Sister Liping is willing to share with us the Chinese flower arrangement lessons she has learned.

Sister Liping, who likes tea, flower arranging and traditional Chinese culture, has an oriental classical temperament. The relaxing and comfortable charm of music, chess, poetry, calligraphy, painting, and tea is in your bones, spirit, every gesture, and every smile. Nothing artificial, natural, quiet and comfortable. Sometimes you don't feel her presence. She blends in with the elegant artistic conception around her. At that time, you feel that she should be a picture of a lady hanging on the wall.

I presented the bouquet I made yesterday, and everyone cut some branches in the yard. These are the flower materials for today’s class. Chinese flower arrangement pays attention to flower utensils, accessories, and stands. We brought utensils from home, and I bought Jianshan for everyone.

One leaf and one world, one flower and one universe. Western-style flower arrangements are complex and pursue effects, while Chinese-style flower arrangements are concise and pursue artistic conception. Chinese flower arrangements use seasonal flowers throughout the four seasons, and also choose bamboo, chrysanthemum, osmanthus, lotus and other meaningful flowers. Sister Liping told us that we must find the sunny side of the flowers and leaves, follow the trend, follow the natural growth of the flower branches, and show the posture and charm of the flower branches. This way the work will feel positive, optimistic and energetic.

To put it simply, the flower pattern of Chinese flower arrangement is generally based on three main branch skeletons (the first main branch, the first guest branch, and the second guest branch), and then auxiliary branches are inserted around each main branch. To fill the space, the final flower shape should be plump and layered.

The height of the first main branch is generally 1.5-2 times the flower unit (the flower unit refers to the sum of the height and diameter of the flower), 1.5 times in pots and 2 times in bottles, and the first guest branch Generally, it is 1/2-3/4 of the main branch, and the second guest branch is 1/2-3/4 of the first guest branch. In Chinese flower arrangements, the first host branch is usually made of woody branches, and the second guest branch can be traditional. For herbs, the three branches are the skeleton. Secondly, the supplementary branches are basically herbaceous branches, and generally do not exceed the length of the three main and guest branches. They mainly serve as foils.

The main flower types are upright, inclined, horizontal and pendant. Today we adopt an upright flower arrangement: the first main branch is 10-15° to the left of the center line of the flower vessel, the first guest branch is on the same side as the main branch, 45° to the left, and 75° to the right of the second guest branch.

Although Chinese flower arrangements are mostly viewed from the front, when constructing the skeleton of the three main branches, attention should be paid to angles, not skewed in one plane, plump three-dimensional layers are preferred, and the skeleton branches are mostly woody branches. Look for curves rather than straightness, and choose mainly elegant colors and materials. Generally, there are both branches and leaves, and few pure flowers are used for flower arrangements.

Next, I kept changing the positions of the branches and flowers, looking left and right, to see how to make them look more beautiful and comfortable. It tests your patience!

The last step is to add water, the water should cover Jianshan.

Everyone’s works are acceptable even for the first time.