Some recent events...

On 3 December there was a celebration at the Japanese Consulate to mark the birthday of the Emperor of Japan. Different schools from the Melbourne Chapter of Ikebana International. take turns to create a floral arrangement for this occasion each year.
This year Naomi Cullen, from the Ichiyo school, made the arrangement below. It was placed in the main room, where Mr and Mrs Sobashima welcomed four hundred guests.

On November 11 the Sogetsu chapter held its final workshop for 2013. Lara Telford set the challenge of making a free-style arrangement based on one of the five traditional oriental elements, namely, fire, water, earth, wood and metal. 
Examples of Lara's demonstration can be viewed on the Sogetsu web-site by clicking on the following link and scrolling down to 'RECENT WORKSHOPS'

 http://sogetsuikebanavic.weebly.com/newsworkshops.html


On 16 December there were ikebana demonstrations by five different schools as part of the Melbourne Now exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria - Ohara, Shogetsudokoryu, Ichiyo, Ikenobo and Sogetsu.



A festive Ohara arrangement with liliums and pointsettias

Getting ready for a Shogetsudokoryu arrangement.....

Two Ikenobo arrangements

And as can be seen there was considerable interest in the display of the arrangements at the end of the demonstration!

There are more photos of the Sogetsu arrangements presented at this event on Christopher James' blog
http://roadsideikebana.blogspot.com.au/




The program for the Melbourne Chapter of Ikebana International in 2014 has been finalised and looks very interesting.

Our first meeting will be on Tuesday February 11 2014 at the Toorak Uniting Church Hall, 603 Toorak Road, Toorak, starting at 10. 30 am. The workshop theme will be Red Hot Tuesday, as befits the season, and all arrangements should reflect this concept in some dimension - colour, feeling, or alternatively, some more abstract reference. .








 

Arrangements to celebrate the season

First of all, an important diary date :

Ikebana Masterclass at the Melbourne Now exhibition

On Monday 16 December five Melbourne Ikebana schools will demonstrate at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV International), 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, as part of the Melbourne Now exhibition.

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/melbournenow

There will be two sessions in the Community Hall, which is located in the foyer on the ground floor

11 am Ohara school

                             Shogetsudokoryu school

2 pm Ichiyo school

             Ikenobo school

             Sogetsu school

                                         *             *            *            *            *

At the last general meeting for 2013 of our I. I. Chapter we had a very festive array of celebratory arrangements...….

        .......an Ohara arrangement using vibrant peonies, finished with gold and silver mizuhiki

            .......an arrangement  using the traditional New Year colours, red, white and green

              .....pine, as a symbol of longevity, is often used in arrangements at this time of year

Ikenobo exhibition and the Japanese festival

The recent Ikenobo Chapter exhibition at the St Kilda Town Hall

provided a beautiful framework for the cultural activities which marked the twentieth anniversary of the association between the City of Port Phillip in Melbourne and the city of Obu in Japan. Despite Melbourne's rain there was a lively crowd trying out calligraphy, manga art, ikebana, origami and a traditional tea ceremony.

Learning about manga

More ikenobo arrangements by students and teachers

The centrepiece, a magnificent Rikka arrangement -

The Ikenobo Chapter, as a group, arranged a small landscape which featured bamboo and traditional fans, to symbolise the long friendship and goodwill between Obu and the City of Port Phillip.

For those participating in the tea ceremony, something sweet to complement the slight bitterness of the tea....