I.I. Melbourne

I.I. Melbourne

Sunday 15 November 2015

HAIKU


At the November meeting our guest speaker was Dr Hironobu Kitaoji, Director of Japan Seminar House. 

He spoke about various aspects of the haiku poetry form and its evolution from the 12th to the 19th century. This included the observation that as art forms both haiku and ikebana were indicating something beyond what was immediately present in the work itself. He also pointed out that the reader of haiku was able to discover something new, by the poet shifting the point of view in the second part of the poem.

By illustration he proposed such subtle interpretations as the idea that a storm wind was chasing flying blossoms rather than causing the blossoms to scatter.

"chiru hana o   iokaketeyuku   arashi kana"

"Oh, the storm! Chasing the scattering blossoms"
Fujiwara no Sadaie, 1162 - 1241

In addition Dr Kitaoji spoke warmly about the late Norman Sparnon. He said that in the aftermath of WWII Norman's eyes were opened with wonder when the people of Tokyo came in huge numbers to look at the beauty of an ikebana exhibition even though they were surrounded by the devastation of the city.

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Following the guest speaker, a demonstration was given by Keiko Mii, of the Ohara School. 


Keiko said:    My haiku is Matuo Basho's (1644-1694)

あじさいや かたびらどきの うすあさぎ
紫陽花や 帷子時の 薄浅黄

Ajisai ya    Katabira doki no    Usu asagi 

Hydrangeaー 
        light blue in 
                   hemp kimono

Katabira (帷子) in this haiku is a hemp kimono for summer wear, whose colour is pale blue, like that of Hydrangea.


  Below are some ikebana made by members at the meeting.





Chieko Yazaki


Oh what a glorious sunlight, shining over the young green leaves in the Nikko mountain.                   
                                                          Matsuo Basho





Eiko Roskam 

Sitting on open veranda
facing new bamboos
how much I miss my late mother.
                                                             Hakyou  Ishida



Sally Wilkinson

Lighting one candle
With another candle
Spring evening                                        
  Yosa Buson

Additional photos of ikebana created at the meeting.



I would also like to draw your attention to the launch of I.I. Melbourne Chapter's new website. The address is: www.ikebanainternationalmelbourne.com 

Please check it out and save the address to your 'favourites'                                       

Christopher James
webmanager
                

Friday 16 October 2015

NATIVE FLORA

The theme of the meeting on Tuesday was 'Let's Go Native', focussing on the wealth of Australian indigenous plants. Our guest speaker was Mr Barrie Gallacher, a 'Garden Ambassador' and volunteer guide at the Royal Botanic Garden, Cranbourne in Melbourne's outer east. Mr Gallacher gave an excellent virtual tour of the garden using a slideshow. In the opinion of a number of I.I. members at the meeting, this garden is well worth a visit for its presentation of flora from the great range of the diverse botanical environments in Australia.

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Emily Karanikolopoulos, Sogetsu, gave a demonstration of a freestyle ikebana using: Gymea lily leaves, 'spear' grass and red callistemon. 


Above is her completed arrangement. Below are photos of a number arrangements
 setup by members using Australian native materials.



Christopher James: Luecophyta brownii and Lepidosperma gladiatum.



Robyn Unglik: Callistemon and red Eucalyptus flowers.



Thea Sartori: Eucalyptus macrocarpa.




Marcia Lamrock: Banksia spinulosa.




Rosemary Horden: Leptospermum continentale, Actinotus helianthi and a helichrysum. 




Elizabeth Angell: Casurina stricta, red Calistemon and Eucalyptus caesia seed pods.



Leonora Duffield: an I.I. member from Ottawa, Eucalyptus lehmannii.




Eleanor Heath: also from Ottawa, used Leptospermun continental and Waratah.




Nicole McDonald: Eucalyptus bark and Callistemon.




Marjorie Campkin-Smith: Waratah and the fruiting branch of a palm.


Saturday 19 September 2015

ANNUAL EXHIBITION

The annual exhibition of Ikebana International Melbourne was held over two weeks in the ground floor gallery of the Melbourne Town Hall, on Swanston St. in the city centre. Thirty nine members participated creating individual and four collaborative works. 


A private preview of the exhibition was held on the first morning and attended by the Consul General of Japan, heads of Melbourne's Ikebana Schools and other invited guests.


Ms Keiko Hanada, Consul General of Japan and Ms Chieko President of Ikebana International Melbourne. Below are photos of the ikebana works.



General view first room


Philip Keon, Sogetsu


Chieko Yazaki and Lisa Yazaki, Shogetsudokoryu


Naomi Cullen, Ichiyo


Sally Wilkinson, Ohara


Yohie Arai, Shogetsudokoryu

Below, four general views of the second room.

     
   
     
   

Lorraine Langley, Ikenobo  


Minghua Li, Shogetsudokoryu  



Pascal Tremblay, Shogetsudokoryu




Marjorie Campkin-Smith, Sogetsu



Yukako Braun, Ikenobo





 Nobuko Kobayashi, Ichiyo





Eiko Roskam, Ohara





Joan Norbury, Sogestsu





 Keiko Mii, Ohara


Kaye Wong, Kim Louey and Stella Gan, Ichiyo



Lee Johnstone, Sogetsu





Emily Karanikolopoulos, Sogetsu


Aiko Nakada and Kerrie Davis, Ohara



Qui Nguyen, Ikenobo




Lara Telford, Trish Ward and Beverley Webster, Sogetsu

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Week two, first room.


Thea Sartori, Sogetsu


Sandra Gawthorpe, Sogetsu


 Christina Marshman, Ichiyo


Julie Ayers, Ikenobo


Lyn Wong, Ohara


Elisha Zhang, Ichiyo


Marcia Lamrock, Sogetsu


 Helen Novic, Sogetsu


 TomokoYamada, Ohara


Margaret Wilson, Sogetsu


Felicia Huang, Ohara


Christopher James, Sogetsu


Eugenia Chudacek, Sogetsu