Ikebana and us

It was that time of the month - the 3rd Saturday when the Chennai Sogetsu branch would meet to demo and practice their Ikebana skills. The theme for this month of August was "Showing Surface with Leaves". 14 members of the group gathered at the ABK Hall. The original demonstrators Senseis Meenu and Chitra T had personal emergencies; Senseis Pushkala and Prerana stepped in to ensure that the demonstration was conducted with no hitch. Demos by Senseis Sensei Pushkala’s first composition was created purely with coconut fronds. She improvised a central structure with a banana stem and covered it with coconut fronds. Ingenious! Next she created circular structures, and fixed them all together with pins. She finished with artistic stars also created from coconut fronds - a joyous arrangement springing with life. To complement the arrangement, she chose a coconut leaf-based moribana container - dried and painted. Sensei Pushkala at work on her arrangement ...

  Our First meeting of the annual Sogetsu Calendar was held at the ABK centre on Saturday the 6th of July. Our Chairperson Mrs Malathi Pandurang had invited the new Consul General of the Embassy of Japan in Chennai Mr Muneo Takahashi and his wife Madam Mrs Mitsyo Takahashi.Thirteen members participated in this meeting.      Sensei Meenakshi Sarin welcomed the chief guests in her address Mr Takahashi also briefly addressed  the members. Sensei Pushkala had invited Dr.P.D Gupta for this demonstration of hers. Together Sensei Pushkala and Dr.P.D Gupta have brought out many publications on a wide range of subjects including the adverse effect of  certain  lighting on the human body and infertility .       Our Chairperson introduced the new Consul General and his wife and also our demonstrator Sensei  Dr Pushkala and thus began the meeting. The theme for her demonstration was " Significance of lines in Ikebana". For her first arrangement...