BRISBANE / GOLD COAST 50th ANNIVERSARY EXHIBITION

During the last week I came across these eye-catching poinsettias as we walked along the riverbank in Brisbane.

I was intrigued at how insignificant the flowers are, 'though they are dramatically set off by the red of the new leaves.

We also visited the Queensland Art Gallery where this sculpture by Sofu Teshigahara was on view in honour of the Sogetsu Branch's 50th anniversary celebration. According to the Galleries curatorial note "the Japanese Consul brought eternity to the Gallery from Japan coinciding with a visit of Teshigahara made to Brisbane in 1967". 

On Wednesday we travelled north of Brisbane to Ninderry where Nick, one of Laurie's cousins, and his partner, Sabrina, live. After lunch we all walked to the top of the hill to see this the view to the sea.

On our way back down the hill we came across a herd of kangaroos grazing by the roadside. This female had a 'joey' in her pouch.

This is Laurie and his cousin in the driveway of Nick and Sabrina's lush garden.

I raided the garden for the stunning heilconias and clivia berries in the arrangement below, which was my contribution to the exhibition. The larger seed pods are from the African 'tulip tree' (spathodea campanulata) that came from the garden of another of Laurie's friends. 

I tried to create a graduated transition of colour from the pink of the vase to the bright red of the heliconias. This first photo shows the space I have created at the left hand side of the vase. Unfortunately I did not have sufficient length to the principal stem, a point of correction that Mr Kawana noted. This second photo gives slightly more sense of the depth at the back of the arrangement. 

The photo below was taken on the first day of the workshops led by Mr Kawana at the beginning of last week.

Below are further photos of the exhibition. I am afraid some of them are rather grainy because of my camera settings. Not all of my photos were successful, so not all arrangements are included. The first photo shows the birthday cake being cut by Joy Lane, who attended the first class that Norman Sparnon held in Brisbane fifty years ago. On the right is Judith McCulloch the Director of the Brisbane/Gold Coast Branch.

This next photo is of Mr Kawana's demonstration on Saturday 3rd August.

The following photos are of many of the works in the exhibition that was held in the auditorium of the Brisbane Mt Coot-tha Botanical Gardens.

Greetings from Christopher
10th August 2013