Diane Armstrong, IKEBANA (SEASCAPE 2026)

After hiking across rocks, tidal inlets, and through coastal rainforest to reach New Chums Beach, I was met with an unexpected vision—delicate pink seaweed strewn across the sand like scattered blossoms. It instantly lit up my imagination. This moment reminded me of the quiet beauty of Japanese scrolls and the meditative balance of ikebana from my experiences in Japan 40 years before. What began as a rugged journey was quickly transformed by stillness and grace into an unplanned moment of quiet excitement…Nature had composed something quietly extraordinary. Like the art form it is named after, Ikebana invites balance, harmony, and a sense of quiet connection to the natural world.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.