Ikebana and us

November 25th 2015 Our Study Group monthly meeting took place at ABK Hall as scheduled.  With Chennai seeing unpredcedented rain, attendance was thin.  Eight members were present to listen to the recap of our study Group members who went to Taipei, Taiwan, to attend the Regional Ikebana convention. With II President and Conference Chairperson There were 400 registrants, besides Asians there were members from African Region, Australia- New Zealand region, European and North American Regions too. India and SriLanka were represented in good numbers.  Our members who attended were Senseis Malathi and Meenakshi, and student Divya.  Divya's daughter Pratibha accompanied her as a guest, and we hope this will bring her in to the Ikebana fold!  Many of the pictures in this post are courtesy Pratibha. This was Sensei Malathi's first Asia Regional Conference. Shre recounts her experience - "I particularly, appreciated the Taiwanese Cultural shows. The Pre...

October 9th 2015 The October workshop was held in the beginning of the month, as the festive season of Navaratri starts next week, and all the ladies will be busy with dolls, dancing and desserts! It was a Freestyle workshop, and our two "new" senseis , Prerana and Trishala, demonstrated their freestyle work, before all those present participated.  Their demonstration was highly appreciated by the members present, and we wish them all success and fulfilment with Ikebana teaching! Prerana sensei  remarked, " my copper vases depict age, the bamboo strength, the dry branch is age and weakness and flowers add colour to life. Strength and weakness are two sides of a coin." Trishala sensei used angles to complement her vase, and bring delicacy via the flowers and their colour. Seethalakshmi experimented with space between her fresh flowers and the dry lines. Dalley sensei created a moribana with a tropical look and feel...

September 26th 2015 The Study Group met at ABK AOT Dosokai for their monthly meeting. The theme for the workshop and meeting was "Ikebana and wabi sabi philisophy".  There were introductory remarks by sensei Malathi and a slideshow by Ambika.  As we were running short of time, she did her planned demonstration pieces as part of the workshop. Eight members were present. Ambika began with the caveat that most Japanese do not discuss the concept of wabi sabi, they just recognise it when they see it, so deeply ingrained is it in their consciousness.  Leonard Koren.   American artist and aesthetics expert says  “….it is the most conspicuous and characteristic feature of what we think of as traditional Japanese beauty…” “Wabi-sabi is an intuitive appreciation of a transient beauty in the physical world that reflects the irreversible flow of life in the spiritual world. It is an understated beauty that exists in the modest, ru...

August 22nd, 2015 It is Madras Day here in Chennai as our city celebrates its founding. Our Chairperson, Malathi Sensei   requested members to honour this meeting as part of the celebrations. She reminisced how Madras was during 1968 to '73 and how it was between 1976 till today. Young girls were in ' half sarees' and salwar kameez was not in fashion! Madras  and  a single  5 Star hotel called Connemara, and there were no florist shops other than garland sellers. In such a situation she started ikebana lessons,where cut flowers were available only at 'Rosedale' situated in Connemara and an outlet in Dhun Buildings. Only few  varieties of flowers were available then -  Gladiolus, Arum lily, Rose, Asters and Tube rose in season.  To keep the interest alive among the students was the greatest challenge, with these same materials on and on, and handling ' Lines ' as per the curriculum. Today the city boasts of florist shops in every neighb...