April 2023 Workshop Titled Inspired by Nature

The April 2023 Sogetsu Chennai  Ikebana workshop titled Inspired by Nature

Venue/Date ABK Dosakai, Chennai on Sat, 20 April 2023 at 11 am

Around 18 members attended the last workshop of the year 2023 before we took the customary summer break from April till June every year.

The workshop began with a warm welcome from our Director Riji Mrs Malathi Pandurang. Our guest or the workshop Ms Mami Teraoka  distributed teachers certificates to Chitra Thyagarajan, Pushkala and Chitra Rajan and Level 1 and 2 certificates to Krishna.

Mala Dhanasekaran had travelled to Galapagos a month ago. She gave us a glimpse of the unique volcanic island archipelago with its amazing flora and fauna, one of its kind in the world through a slide show. We were shown various exotic creatures such as tortoise, seal, iguana, penguins birds  and their adaptation to the surrounding environment.

Inspired by the biodiversity the Ambika Chandrasekhar showcased two arrangements one natural and another abstract depicting the fauna and flora of Galapagos.

The first was inspired by Pinacle Rock in Bartolome  island jutting into the blue seas and the vibrant flora of the place. 

 

A beautiful piece of drift wood  depicted the Pinnacle Rock, holes in the driftwood gave us a feeling of volcanic eruption, container represented earth. Ambika used blue statis to depict sea and green chrysanthemum for wildlife in water around the rock. Yellow chrysanthemum depicted the glowing sun and lichen on the rock was  represented by money plant, gypsophilia was used to show sea foam on the rock. Flowers of various  colours showcased the various exotic creatures inhabiting the island and the spectator Mala herself was depicted by a red gerbera! 

The realistic arrangement transported us to the exotic locale of Galapagos island.

The second arrangement was inspired by the Frigate bird.  Ambika depicted its brilliant plumage with red plumeria as its head and throat , black vase was used to depict the body and Moses in the cradle plant showed the rich purple hues of the birds wings. It was truly remarkable.

 

Following Ambika’s demo the members created their own beautiful compositions inspired by their interaction with Nature

1. Dalley Verghese created a beautiful pond scene showing still life using pandanus stem, cordyline fructicose, water lily, colocasia, calistemon citrines.

2. Pushkala’s innovative theme was young and old in Nature. A Taberneamontana branch representing an aged tree gave way to young saplings. The look of a meadow was achieved with sprouting dormant seeds of various lentils in an open land of sunshine and water. Adjacent to it was a small forest canopy with broccoli florets. This was a natural scene that Pushkala captured in her memory during her travels.

3. Prerana captured a vibrant roadside scene of nature with an abstract arrangement of dry banana leaves, dry lotus pods , dried and painted heliconia leaves in a ceramic vase extending linearly upward using a sleek metal rod

4.Chitra Thiagarajan’s arrangement appears to shows a very pleasant garden screen in a ceramic shallow container with a ficus stem , half dried bougainvillea palong with leaves of monstera, Dracena and money plant.

5. Luna Bose took her inspiration from her Jordan travels and her creative arrangement depicted the Serpentine Cross on Mount Nero in Jordan which is symbolic of the brazen serpent taken by Moses in the desert and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified. She used Bamboo branch, prirandai/Veldt grape stem in a ceramic container. 

6. Mala took her inspiration from a visit to Palo Quemao a market in Bagota Columbia to showcase an innovative ethnic arrangement  made from a hollowed out pumpkin base filled with anthurium spathe, miniature pineapple and heliconia stalks

7. Chitra Rajan’s arrangement was intended to depict the calm meadows of a Himalayan valley scattered with fallen  cedar branches, pine cones, rhododendron and other spring flowers.

8. Interesting arrangement by Susan Sudhir with dried root

9. Mohan's arrangement inspired by Nature 

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The workshop concluded with bonding over light refreshments sponsored by Prerana and Molly