Ikebana and us

Sorry for this late post, but then better late than never isn't it?!  Here are the pictures from the no-kenzan workshop we had at Trishala's place, a couple of weeks ago. The pictures were taken from a phone-cam, so they do not do any justice to all the lovely arrangements, But anyway something is better than nothing! The early birds were all done and ready when we late-comers arrived, and so we did not witness their "struggle" to balance the material and achieve beauty without the convenience of a kenzan!  So, Trishala, Prerana, Seetha and Chitra sat smugly while the rest of us toiled at achieving this balance, combining the laws of gravity with aesthetics! Trishala  Trishala's arrangement went vertical, while Prerana took the horizontal route, both achieving grace in their lines, with the flowers adding a lovely focus. Prerana Seetha and Chitra decided to keep it low, and created these nice table arrangements. Seethalakshmi Chitra Molly took the branch lines tal...

Here is an arrangement that I would create after I become an Ikebana Master. For now, it has been done by Iemoto Akane Teshigahara which she descries as "This is a colorful arrangement that emphasizes the soaring appearance of cosmos, a flower representative of autumn." Container: Glass vase Beautiful, isnt it ??

Here is an arrangement by Iemoto Akane. Perhaps the simplicity is the most complex thing about Ikebana ?? She describes this particular arrangement as "It sticks to lucid colors that emphasize the shape and originality of the gourd-shaped bamboo vase that was placed horizontally." Container: Bamboo vase

I am fascinated with arrangements with lotus flowers or leaves. Here is a lovely arrangement by Iemoto Akane. It is described as "A powerful lotus arrangement in a small jade vase, the pomegranate fruits give movement to the overall." The Container is a Jade vase.

Click on the pictures and enjoy a full-screen view.  Taken on my mobile phone.  The Flower is amazing, and it is no wonder that it holds a special place in Indian culture!

Iemoto Akane arranged flowers for the G8 Hokkaido Toyako summit. Read about her experiences, by clicking Akane Teshigahara's A bunch of thoughts Nice pictures as well. She also created an outdoor bamboo installation with members of the Hokkaido branch.

The September workshop was hosted by Seethalakshmi at a farmhouse near Muttukadu, and it was a enjoyable morning, for besides the Ikebana, we saw a stone art gallery on the farm, went to the beach, had refreshing yelaneer, and a sumptuous lunch!  Thank you Seetha! We were joined by the ladies from the Japanese Consulate, including Ms Minagawa, as well as her French guest Claire, who brought along 2month old Theodore, who was most adorable, and quickly developed a huge female fan following among us! Over to the Ikebana. The material in focus was casuarina, which grows on the farm, and there was also some lotus available. Ashok used both in this creative composition below.  For me, the amazing aspect was the stiffness of the lotus stem. It did not need to be wired or anything!  (I have used it at home now, and the lotus has stayed erect as a bud for the last two days! Seetha created this moribana arrangement, with red roses contrasting the yellow vase, and the brown berries providing a n...