Working with baskets - November workshop

 Saturday 21st November 2020

The Chennai Sogetsu Study Group continued with our online monthly meetings.  We used Google Meet as always, to get together at 11 am on the 21st, for an online demonstration by our sensei Divya, who chose to work with baskets - natural woven ones.

24 members tuned in including our new members Suneela, Susan, Sumi,  Niloufer and Rupa, who were introduced by their respective teachers.

 The Study Group is delighted to have new additions and we all hope to meet in person soon!

 

Sensei Divya connected from her home and brought us three lovely, elegant arrangements.  In her trademark quiet, smiling and confident manner, sensei Divya explained about the materials and the baskets.

For her first composition she used a deep basket and placed another container within to hold water and help keep the materials in place.  Emphasizing and incorporating the basket weave into the arrangement, the materials were used low and along the rim, with the anthuriums nestled in the variegated ficus branches.

 

Freestyle composition in a "Kottan" basket from TN -  bamboo sticks, ficus stalks and anthurium.

Her second freestyle composition was in a palmyrah tray basket.  She began by placing the dry coconut front across the tray, and then worked with a Guava branch with a fruit, alamanda stalks and those lovely yellow chrysanthemums.  Small sprays of baby's breath completed this cheerful piece.

Freestyle composition in a palmyrah trya, with dry coconut frond, alamada leaves, chrysanthemums, Guava stem and Baby's Breath.

For her final piece, sensei Divya combined the colour of the Oriental Lilies with pandanus leaves, one of which she split, and this created movement and space in the circular form, complementing the circular basket used.

It was a beautiful calming interlude for all the members, and everyone got to work on their baskets.  There was a wonderful variety of baskets and displays, as also materials in the compositions.  Some chose to emphasise line, while others displayed mass or colour in their baskets.

Please click here to see the album with the entire set of basket arrangements for our November workshop.

Coming up soon is our December workshop which is colour focus, and will include a demonstration by Sensei Dalley.  We look forward to rounding up the year with a colourful session!