My First Ikebana - by Louise Worner (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

My First Ikebana is the perfect introduction to Ikebana, fostering creativity, skill development, and a connection with nature through engaging, age-appropriate designs by educator and ikebanist Louise Worner.

How do you ignite a passion in children and young people? By giving them the freedom to explore and discover, by allowing them to make their own choices, by embracing mistakes, and by keeping things fun and practical. And that is exactly the approach of Louise Worner in My First Ikebana.

My First Ikebana is a creative, engaging and fun step-by-step Ikebana book for the young and the young at heart. Even though Ikebana has many rules, requires quite a lot of skills and uses sharp tools like kenzans and pliers, Louise Worner has found that formula that makes learning Ikebana not feel like a chore or task. By keeping things light and fun, and by using unusual and child friendly materials, this book wants to foster a lasting interest in ikebana from childhood through the teenage years, and beyond.

From simple to complex arrangements, My First Ikebana caters to different skill levels and attention spans. Whether you're a beginner or advanced, there's something for everyone. Complex and more advanced arrangements have been included to inspire older children and adults with creative ideas for their own arrangements.

This is the ideal start-to-Ikebana book for young adults, and for (grand)parents wanting to share the love for Ikebana.

About the Author

Louise Worner is a British/Australian ikebana artist who commenced studying Sogetsu ikebana in 1998 while living in Japan. Although she currently lives in the USA, her 25-year ikebana journey has spanned across Belgium, Japan, Australia, and Spain. Louise's passion for teaching ikebana to children stems from her longstanding career in education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Post-Graduate Certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language, Post-Graduate Diploma in Education, and a Master of Arts in International Relations (honours). Louise draws on her extensive experience as a teacher and as an Education Program Evaluator for the Australian Department of Defence to develop fun and engaging ikebana lessons for children. As a result of her dedication to teaching ikebana to children, in 2021 she was awarded a bursary by the Ikebana Iwaya Fund to create a video on teaching ikebana to children. While living in Spain, Louise was the founding chairperson of the Sogetsu Madrid Study Group. In her endeavour to forge global ikebana ties, she has presented ikebana workshops in New York City, Philadelphia, Canberra (Australia), Madrid, Paris, Belgium, and the Netherlands.