Ikebana and us

It was a tiring day under the spotlights - for the carnations, lilies and chrysanthemums!  Our star performers were the models for photography students training at Shashikant Photography For us, it was a fascinating day, to see what a backdrop and different lighting can do to an ikebana arrangement, as a work of art. For each of these arrangements, the students would take almost half an hour, to organise the lighting, change the backdrop, shoot from different angles.  So we saw lights that hang overhead, spotlights that go on the backdrop, side lights, bottom lights, etc etc! Unfortunately, I only had my camera phone with me, and these are all the pictures I could muster! Sorry about this...it just will not straighten! The agency has a six month photography programme, and flower photography is just one of the themes they cover.  They also have a lovely Flower series , stock photos that you can purchase from them.

It was my first experience with a Japanese tea ceremony here in Madras, and quite an event it was! Organised at the Japanese Consulate, it may have been sniffed at by the purists, but for us non-Japanese, it was a whiff of their culture, zen thought and philosophy. So much care, silence, the trickle of water, the appreciation of the tea cup, the deliberate cleaning of the serving cup and other implements.... All for a cup of tea you may ask?  Its not the end that matters but the process I guess! Take a look at all the implements that were involved. We were told that the whisk (that you see in the foreground) is ceremonially consigned to the temple fire, once a year in a special ceremony. Then there's a cloth to wipe the ladle, another to wipe out the guests' cup...all in all very complicated! One must make the time to relax, meditate, and calm the mind before having the energising tea! Above is the container holding the cool water.  This is poured deliberately into the boiler,

Hello Group Does any one one our group have Vase of these colours. If yes, would you please be kind enough to lend it to me during the Exhibition - If you do not plant to do an arrangement in it?? I dont need the exact shape, but the colour combination somewhat matching this will do. Thanks a lot.

Sensei Malathi has added the following comment on the "No Kezan Workshop" - "Every time I see the report I feel the photoes are more gorgeous than what I saw with my own eyes, they seem as done by master of the art. Keep it up ladies and gentlemen..". Thank you so much Ma'am for such a big complement. It inspires me to become a Master of the Art. And I am sure, it does the same to others of our group. While browsing Keith Stanley's beautiful Ikebana website, I saw a blog titled "Sensei and Sensibility" and that prompts me to write the sensibility of a Sensei. I brought a Vases - a square mouthed with the 4 sides having the following : A pathway and a door, a street light, some calla lillies growing on the hedge, just a brick wall and some calla lillies . I liked the vase very much, but I was a bit taken back when I heard comments like "This is too picturey-picturey.." "I dont like it.." "I like cylindrical shaped vases