Ikebana

Ikebana is a traditional Japanese approach to floral design "... to capture the perfect imperfection of nature and human emotion ..."  I'm not quite sure what the means yet, because I've just started practicing it.  It has a centuries-long history, many schools of practice and approach, and some basic rules that can be violated.  I find it relaxing and contemplative, both to create and to look at.  There's also something captivating about the fleeting nature of the arrangements - at various rates, the cut plants wither and fade.  Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share photos of my attempts.