WORKSHOP IN SYDNEY

This weekend I came up to Sydney as the guest of the New South Wales Branch of the Sogetsu Teachers Association to give a workshop and a presentation about the time I spent in Japan last year as the recipient of the Norman and Mary Sparnon Endowment Scholarship. 
On Saturday afternoon we had afternoon tea with my sister-in-law on the terrace of the Museum of Contemporary Art with the opera house in the background. In this picture are Laurie, me and Julie, Laurie's youngest sister.

Australia's most famous building.

The theme of the workshop was 'Having in Mind Water'. I asked the attendees to think about how they might make ikebana with this theme. Such ikebana can show the surface of the water, show its translucence in a glass vase, imply water by using water associated plants or try to indicate the movement of water. Therefore some of these works may not actually show the water. 

Here are two of my examples. First, ripples on a pond.

Second, splashing rain.

Below are nine ikebana works created by some of the attendees. I was not able to photograph all of the works, here is a selection of them. I hope you can see and feel the intention of the ikebanists. They are by:

 Jorgen Rasmussen.

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Ann Smith

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Masae Ako

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Evelyn Lines

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Joan Perkins

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Margaret Hall

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Sandra Cottee

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Kevin Walpole

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Shirley Ma

Greetings from Christopher, in Sydney,

11th November 2012.