Jennie Sterling will hold a workshop at the University of Massachusetts Waltham Center, 240 Beaver Street in Waltham, on Wednesday, December 2, beginning at 9:30 am. Reservations are necessary, and for more information, including details on joining Ikebana International Boston Chapter, log on to www.ikebanaboston.org, or contact President Kaye Vosburgh, vosburghk@aol.com.
Ikebana International, Boston Chapter, will sponsor a Sogetsu Ikebana Demonstration on Tuesday, December 1, beginning at 9:30 am, at the University of Massachusetts Waltham Center, 240 Beaver Street in Waltham. Jennie Sterling will display her art, and guests are welcome.
“Of all Japan’s traditional arts, perhaps the most famed and actively practiced today is IKEBANA, the art of flower arrangement. While tracing its origins back for hundreds of years, it still exists as a vital element in the contemporary world of art. It has emerged from its historical setting within the “tokonoma” alcove of the Japanese house and entered the modern everyday world: the office window or conference room, the hotel lobby or public square. In the same way, Ikebana is no longer the exclusive province of arrangers or artists in Japan, but counts among its devotees professional and amateur designers in all nations and walks of life. This added dimension to the use and meaning of Ikebana has in no way altered those fundamentals of structure, space and naturalism, which have been developed over the centuries.
In basic form, an Ikebana arrangement follows a fixed pattern: a triangle of three points. Emphasis is placed on linear perfection, color harmony, space and form. If commonplace branch material is arranged in a beautifully flowing line, it takes preference over a mass of blooms or blossoms, regardless of their beauty. Of equal importance is the sense of naturalism: an arrangement encompasses nature in all its aspects – from the tall stately pine to the lowliest blade of grass. Further, an Ikebana usually contains the foliage and flowers of the season at hand, used in their natural state expect for the deft “cut” of the arranger’s clippers, which perfects the line of a branch or the shape of a bud.
There are numerous schools of Ikebana, each following a particular set of rules and arranging techniques, but without losing sight of the fundamentals of the art. And in keeping with the broader emphasis being given to Ikebana in its role in contemporary living, many of these schools seek expression in forms that reach beyond traditional styles.” From: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
For information about the program and about Ikebana International, log on to www.ikebanaboston.org.
Join the Appalachian Mountain Club for a hike in the rural woods in Groton, Massachusetts on Sunday, October 18, beginning at 11:00 am. Come see New England autumn splendor in a quiet rural setting. The hike will be 2-3 hours at a moderate pace and will feature eskers, scenic ponds, beaver dams, and of course lots of colorful leaves. From I-495 in Littleton take 119 west towards Groton. In 6.5 miles turn right onto Route 40. In 4.0 miles turn left onto Cow Pond Brook Road. Take this road about 1.6 miles until it ends and park. 42.6250N, 71.5027W. Sponsored by the Boston Chapter of the AMC, registration is not required for this trip, but contact Leader Olin Lathrop at olin@embedinc.com with any questions. For more information about upcoming activities of the Boston Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club, log on to www.outdoors.org.
