November 15th 2018
Twelve members me for the November workshop, under the threat of cyclone Gaja, which turned out to be a non-starter over Chennai. Our theme was "Balancing Lines", and this was to be followed by a presentation of the visit of our members to Delhi to attend the workshop conducted by Christopher Lim.
Here are the creations:
 | Sensei Divya - Bamboo branches and garden leaves with pink chrysanthemums, in a black ceramic
container emphasising lines in various forms. |
 | Ambika - Continuing experimenting with car air filters as
base. The horizontal lines contrasted with the vertical
lines of painted branches, and balanced by the green mass at the
base. |
 | Chitra Thiagarajan - Bamboo sticks tied together and placed on a ceramic brown vase,
along with the delicate creeper, ornamental balls, and a small bunch of bougainvillea pink flowers |
 | Jyotsna - Dried coffee branches balanced on the walls of red container
with a branch of orchid to add some colour. |
 | | Bhuvana - Eranthemum branches balanced against each other in a moribana |
 | | Sensei Malathi balanced dracena and heliconia lines in a rectangular red Sogetsu vase. |
 | | Roopa - Abstract arrangement in a triangular container with slanting lines and a gerbera for colour. |
 | Sensei Molly - 3 dried Buddha belly Bamboo branches,
interlocked around a ceramic bowl for balance.
Single tall heliconium standing upright and
few orchid leaves at the base are arranged to give depth. |
 | Sensei Prerana - Soft floral container enhancing the dry sticks, yellow chrysanthemums
and one large dark red anthurium. And I have used one green fern. |
 | Chitra Rajan - Clumps of tall grass thinning upwards, balanced by horizontal translucent
plastic straws matching the container. A branch slanting diagonally
forward gives relief to the arrangement. Pink carnations in their midst. |
 | Sensei Meenu - Two dried heliconia branches interlocked with
dried cannonball vine in a yellow fibreglass container with
red Anthriums for colour |
This was followed by some tasty refreshments, and after some technical hurdles, we managed to take a look at the pictures of the Delhi demonstration of sensei Christopher Lim, where he focussed on balancing lines, and the creation of large structures. Or members who attended the demo and workshop - Prerana, Meenu, Trishala and Jyotsna - explained with the help of a slideshow some of the highlights of what they experienced.
We missed those who did not attend, and look forward to our December meeting.
The Chennai Sogetsu Study Group took part in the Japan Cultural & Sports Festival on 27th & 28th October 2018, organised by the Consulate-General of Japan in Chennai and the ABK AOTS Dosokai Tamil Nadu centre. The festival included a mini marathon, demonstrations of Judo, karate and Kobudo, film screenings, Origami, bonsai and our Sogetsu Ikebana as well. There were 14 exhibits done by members. Arrangement pictures are up on our Facebook page, which can be accessed here. September 22nd 2018 ABK AOTS Dosokai hall
Banana leaves are an integral part of Indian culture and flora and diet as well. We Indians use all parts of the banana plant, from using the leaves as plates, to eating the bananas as fruits, cooking the raw ones as vegetable, and using the flower and stem in our cooking! Banana stem fibre used to be used to tie flower garlands too.
As a Study Group we have not used this material in Ikebana, and so Ambika decided to experiment with that in her demonstration. Thirteen members were present. She used the surface in various ways.
 | "Invocation" - this was her first composition. The fresh, young banana
leaf was the calm that she hoped for, as she focused
her mind, symbolised by the white lotus pith, to help her creativity
that would bear fruit, symbolised by the vibrant anthurium. |
 | "Indian wedding" Using bottles painted beautifully by her niece, Ambika used the colours of
auspiciousness - red, yellow and green to recreate an Indian wedding,
with the fairy lights adding the glow of happiness that a wedding symbolises.
The wide strong green surface of the banana leaf was offset by the cheerful yellow
chrysanthemums, and the gypsofilia brought innocence and romance to the composition. |
 | "Prayer flags" - A visit to any Himalayan state is not complete if one does not come across the prayer flags
of the Buddhists gaily flapping in the breeze. The banana leaves with the shredded edges
reminded one of those flags, and this was the aim with which Ambika chose the
vase with which to work as well. |
  | The last composition was titled "Tropical Salute", emphasising bold vibrant lines, large colourful
flowers Strelitzia and torch ginger, and maybe some birds as well, symbolised by the white
orchids. |
It was then the turn of the members to work with banana leaves.
 | Sensei Prerana created this gorgeous composition in brown, using banana leaves that she patiently waited to dry
and take some beautiful shapes. |
 | | Sensei Malathi used board pins to recreate a starry sky from her childhood. |
 | Sensei Divya softened the surface with gypsofilia that
complemented the vase as well. |
 | Sensei Molly used the banana leaf inside a glass vase,
creating a completely different effect. |
 | | Sensei Trishala used green and brown leaves to create this dynamic composition. |
 | | Mohan tried using the banana leaves in a modification of the Open style. |
 | | Jyotsna's experiment with cutting the leaves created a sailboat-like effect, beautifully. |
 | | Sensei Meenu used strips of the leaf to carry forth her design. |
 | | Shylaja complemented the vase colour with the flowers |
 | And this dramatic composition was done by Chelvi, for whom the driftwood and dry banana leaves created
a stunning colour composition. |
 | | Bhuvana was able to create a line out of the banana leaf, quite unusual interpretation from the rest. |
It was indeed a wide variety of interpretations and it was a satisfying workshop indeed. 18th August 2018 Fifteen members gathered for our August monthly meeting. The agenda this time was a demonstration by sensei Meenakshi Sarin on the theme go Hope in Adversity, and a workshop to follow in the same theme. The Study Group was delighted to welcome back Meenu after her convalescence and absence from the meetings, and it was an apt title for her personal experiences of the last year. She was assisted by her student Shylaja, and her heartfelt narration that accompanied her compositions inspired all of us who were present.  | | Sensei Meenu's first composition was this freestyle Nagiere. The adversity was represented by the black vase which seemed to envelop her life. However, through every nook and cranny, there was an outpouring of hope, symbolised by the white branches moving strongly upwards. The contribution of friends, family, doctors and Ikebana were represented by the flowers, each unique and different and special. The Asia Lily is like the lights on the operation table that are imprinted in her mind. |
She started on her second composition which was a moribana arrangement, with the placement of a large driftwood, which for sensei Meenu, symbolised the state of mind and body, twisted and moving in all directions.  | | As she went on to complete this composition, she spoke about the therapeutic role of Ikebana in her recover, and while her mound was clouded (represented by the Gypsophilia), her flower friends energised and brought focus and hope to her, which she represented with the red, vibrant anthuriums |
As she started on her third composition, sensei Meenu narrated the Greek myth of Pandora and the box of evils, which she opens and thus releases miseries on humanity. In the poem by Hesiod, Works and Days, he narrates that one item did not escape the jar: Only Hope was left within her unbreakable house,
she remained under the lip of the jar, and did not
fly away. Before [she could], Pandora replaced the
lid of the jar. This was the will of aegis-bearing
Zeus the Cloudgatherer. (Read more here.)  | | Sensei Meenakshi interprets the box of Pandora, with Hope still within, as sufferings and misery are inflicted on us. |
 | | With her three arrangements, each different in character and narrative. |
It was then time for the workshop.  | | Chitra Rajan's composition with the blue flowers showing the fragility of hope as it clings on, despite adversity, symbolised by the driftwood and the leaf that is in decay. |
 | | Sensei Malathi wished to convey that the glass vase is the hope she clings on to as it seems that life is ebbing out of her favourite plant in her garden. |
 | | Chitra Thiagarajan used the dried stalk of nungu (Palmyra palm) to represent adversity in her table arrangement without a vase. The bright red head of ixora emerging as hope. |
 | | For Jyotsna, the jerberas stood out as rays of sunshine/hope despite the adversity in which it is grounded. |
 | | For Sensei Padma, sensei Meenu's narrations were close to home. She used the vase with a narrow mouth to represent how adversity surrounds our hearts, bodies and mind, and seems to take us down, until the flowers of hope emerge out, and we begin to believe and be optimistic once again. |
 | | Sensei Ambika worked with the adversities that face Nature itself. The carton boxes symbolise the garbage we are generating, as also the willow lines - like metal and concrete everywhere. In this bleak scenario, Hope blooms as a single aedinium flower. |
 | | Sensei Molly relived the adversity of the floods that wrecked her home and garden. As life struggled to return to normal, Hope in the form of the single flower gave her courage to move on and rebuild. |
 | | Natural adversity affecting us was also the theme of sensei Prerana's composition that narrated the situation of the floods in Kerala, with the blue inner surface of the moribana vase representing the rising flood encircling human life, and causing damage, as can be seen y the crack in the inner brown vase. Hope and rescue came from the air, and the large white chrysanthemum is giving hope and succour to all those in adversity. |
 | | Sensei Janaki experimented with creating the adversity of the desert where hope is in the form of an oasis. |
 | | Bhuvana used a single spray of white flowers to symbolise Hope. |
 | | Sensei Trishala also interpreted hope in the adversity of the Kerala floods. |
 | | For Shylaja, hope rises strong and vibrant winning over adversity. |
We were all delighted to meet our outstation member Venkatesh, for whom time seems to stand still!. We hope he will be able to make it for a few more of our workshops, and also participate! More Recent Articles | |
