Event Details

All floral materials provided. Please bring a pair of flower cutting scissors, small clippers for cutting branch material, a bucket for taking home plant material, phone for photographing final arrangement, pad for note taking.

GES: FD, 2, elective*

*This class offers 2 hours of elective credit toward the Garden Education Series: Floral Design Certificate. Non-certificate students are welcome. All levels welcome.

About the Instructor

Initially attracted to the art of Ikebana through her interest in Japanese culture, Judy Sheldon has practiced Ikebana for almost 20 years. She explored different schools before being drawn to the Ohara School, a naturalistic approach that began in the late 19th century and is distinguished by its moribana landscape arrangements. She has been a member of Ikebana of Richmond (IOR) since 2004 and maintains memberships in Ikebana International, Ohara School of Washington DC, and the Southeast US Ohara Chapter. She regularly attends workshops and seminars sponsored by these organizations. As a certified instructor in the Ohara School, she is a member of the North American Ohara Teachers Association holding the rank of Fourth Term Master. Judy has held many positions in IOR including serving as president in 2019-2021. Currently she, serves as outreach chair and coordinator of Ikebana pop-up. She enjoys connecting people with Ikebana by placing arrangements in public spaces, such as banks, libraries, offices, and the LGBG Garden Shop. Through the years Judy has demonstrated and exhibited at Maymont, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, the National Arboretum in Washington DC, and has participated in Fine Arts and Flowers at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. She especially enjoys introducing young students to the art of Ikebana and recently has led classes at public elementary schools in Richmond and Chesterfield County.