25th September 2021
It was once again time for our online monthly meeting via Google Meet. This month, our recently qualified sensei Chitra Thiagarajan was going to give a demonstration on the challenging theme of exhibiting surface, line and mass in a single composition. Members were excited and challenged by the theme, and we all looked forward to Chitra's interpretation.
After ensuring that the camera positions and the video and audio were fine, we were ready to go. About 15 members had logged in, and Chitra was her smiling confident self. She began her demonstration with a moribana on a small ceramic plate, with a banana leaf, propped up from behind, to show surface.
Explaining what she was doing, and working quickly and deftly, she added the lines of the umbrella plant, to bring movement and drama to the composition and finished off with Alamanda flowers as a mass.
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By Sensei Chitra T - Banana leaf, umbrella plant and allamanda flowers -
in a ceramic plate. Surface, Line and Mass composition |
For her next arrangement, sensei Chitra chose a Nagiere glass vase. She explained that she had filled it with sand to provide stability and also to allow her to use the palm leaf in a vertical style. The beautiful surface and texture of the palm leaf was evident to all. This was contrasted with a bunch of carnations that provided a mass, and then she used a painted wire to provide a line that broke the monotony of the surface and added movement.
Interestingly, Malathi sensei asked her if she would like to try a horizontal angle in the nagiere vase, and this too sensei Chitra created with the same material.
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By sensei Chitra T - Palm, carnations and wire in a vertical composition
using surface, mass and line in a glass Nagiere vase |
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The same materials used and interpreted in a horizontal fashion, where the vase is less
in focus. |
All the members congratulated sensei Chitra on her demonstration and the theme being so clearly brought out. We are sure this is the start of many more such demonstrations !
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| Sensei Chitra exhibited a free style composition highlighting linear mass. The composition of lines was in a simple plastic container, and with no kenzan - the material was all balancing one another. |
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| She also displayed a composition in a traditional Indian "jaadi" - a pickle jar. the surface of the jar, the mass of the palm fruits and the line of the Heliconia were well balanced. |
For her next arrangement, sensei Chitra chose a Nagiere glass vase. She explained that she had filled it with sand to provide stability and also to allow her to use the palm leaf in a vertical style. The beautiful surface and texture of the palm leaf was evident to all. This was contrasted with a bunch of carnations that provided a mass, and then she used a painted wire to provide a line that broke the monotony of the surface and added movement. 
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