We wrapped up another semester of classes last night. I decided on a freestyle arrangement and was so excited that my sensei only snipped one leaf from what I presented for critique. Materials used are curly willow, stocks, pom poms and lemon leaves.
Truly a difficult arrangement to put together, as it is not as restrained as typical ikebana. Thanks to u/jaredzimmerman for inspiring me to circle back to finish this lesson in Book 4. :)
"Mazezashi (まぜざし) is a Sogetsu School specific style that uses five or more different types of materials to create a mixed, natural, and often rustic arrangement. It emphasizes blending diverse textures, colors, and types of flowers, weeds, or branches for a full yet airy look."
My mazezashi features white Queen Anne's lace, purple Veronica, lisianthus buds, white mini daisies, purple mini and regular mums, and white snow willow branches.
Working with dried materials is more difficult than I expected, because of the fragility of each piece. It was all about gentle flow and respecting the limits of each piece. I brought several options to class with me and ended up creating with dried white birch branches, a dried magnolia branch, several dried yellow billy balls (craspedia) and fresh purple mums.