Our last workshop for the year will be held at 2pm till 4pm in the Khandallah Presbyterian Church Hall on Sunday, December 1st. The workshop will be taken by Takako Oshima on Celebration Flowers. There are several textbook arrangements for celebrations as often we arrange ikebana when guests are coming. A Christmas or New Year arrangement is appropriate for this time of year, or maybe a wedding celebration or Christening this summer.

Takako has provided the following special notes about Ikebana for New Year:

In Japan, New Year's arrangement is the most popular arrangements for celebrations.  New Year’s arrangements typically include auspicious items such as pine, sacred berries like senryou (Christmas berry), and nanten (nandina), along with kiku (chrysanthemums), which are believed to have medicinal properties promoting longevity. As you select the materials and vase for your arrangement, I hope you will consider what occasion or celebration the flowers will represent, reflecting on the meaning and significance behind the choice.　

Book 5 tells us “Make an arrangement to express the wholehearted feeling of celebration”. And “Never forget that arrangements for celebrations are made primarily for showing your congratulatory feelings to the recipients”

Book 5, lesson 11 Arrangements for Celebrations
Book 4, lesson 19 Specific Scenes, Occasions or Spaces
Book 1, lesson 20 and Book 2, lesson 20 Special Materials and Arrangements for Festive Occasions

Our next workshop will be held on Sunday 10th November in the Hall at Khandallah Presbyterian Church. The hall will be open from 1:30 and our workshop will be from 2 to 4pm.

There are several textbook arrangements using 2 or more containers: Book 2, lessons 17, 18 and 19 and Book 3, lesson 4.

We usually look for containers that match in shape or size for this, but challenge yourself to use containers of different shapes and sizes, or perhaps to use one of the containers as a sculptural element rather than a vase for flowers. The material in each container can be used to co-ordinate or contrast the containers.

On Sunday September 8 in the Khandallah Presbyterian Church hall at 2pm - 4pm, a workshop will be held to practise arrangements for the display at the Japan Festival. Members will organise a roster for helpers on Saturday September 16.

On Sunday August 11, our workshop will be held from 2pm to 4pm in Khandallah Presbyterian Church hall, 33 Ganges Rd, our new venue. It will be lead by Setsuko Kennedy.

Setsuko has provided the following notes:
”I want to lead the 11/August workshop with the 49th principle of the 50 principles of Sogetsu:  “the four principles of ikebana are a fresh approach, movement, balance, and harmony; the three elements are line, colour and mass. In Sogetsu Ikebana, the line is particularly important among these three elements.  So, after considering the four principles mentioned above of Ikebana, please refer to the lessons of Book3 - lessons 5, 6, and 7, and you can choose one of those three lessons:

Book 3-5: composition of straight lines,
Book 3-6: composition of curved lines,
Or Book 3-7:  composition of straight and curved lines.

I look forward to enjoying ikebana with you on Sunday.”

A reminder:
Spring Festival Ikebana Wellington Exhibition
Wellington Botanic Gardens, Begonia House
Saturday 31st August - Sunday 1st September
10am to 4pm
Free admission

Our July meeting will be held on Sunday 14th at 2-4pm in the Khandallah Presbyterian Church Hall, 33 Ganges Road.

Adriana Nickless will lead this workshop and has provided the following notes:

Book 4 lesson 13 - Dried, Bleached, or Coloured Materials. For this lesson, you can use dried, bleached or coloured materials alone or combined with fresh plant material. The important thing to note is the dried, bleached, or coloured material must be plants. For example, you can use materials such as dried and painted leaves, bark, driftwood, seed pods, dried seaweed or mosses. However, the materials should not be heavily processed (e.g. painted bamboo skewers, cork, paper), which you would instead use in an unconventional material arrangement (refer lessons 4.11 and 5.7).

The plan for the workshop is for everyone to bring a selection of dried, bleached, or coloured materials that can be shared. You may recall the same approach for the unconventional materials workshop last year. While challenging, this encourages more spontaneous arrangements using materials you may not have tried before.

The teacher’s class at Elizabeth’s have been working with dried materials recently and the photos in the gallery are from that class.

Our June workshop will be held in the Khandallah Town Hall on Sunday 9 June from 2pm - 4pm. Masako will demonstrate how to arrange flowers and branches in a suiban container without kenzan, Book 4, lesson 18 and Book 5, lesson 8.

Masako suggests:
Devise a way to support your flowers and branches without kenzan.  Fixing tools to make the main structure steady can be anything for heavy branches and delicate flowers.  Bending techniques are useful, too.  Without kenzan you can show the beauty of the vase and water feature.
“Explore a new creative style of composition in which the plant materials are rising vigorously from the container.”  

If you have other ways to support materials in a container rather than suiban, you are welcome to show to the group. However, this does not include nageire styles. 

The next workshop will be on Sunday 12th May 2 to 4pm at our usual meeting place, Khandallah Town Hall.

Elizabeth McMillan will lead this workshop on the lesson “Leaves only” Book 4, lesson 2.
To quote from the textbook:
“Make an arrangement only with leaves of two or more kinds,… Leaves can show different characteristics by rolling up, tearing or overlapping them. The same leaves can give an entirely different impression by presenting their reverse side…Try to discover new characteristics of the leaves”.

Elizabeth suggests we may like to use autumn leaves if available.

Our Sogetsu Wellington AGM and Workshop will be held on Sunday 14th April  2-4pm at Khandallah Town Hall.

This year is an election year for our club's committee.  After two years in the role Kate has decided to step down as Chairperson; as has Setsuko as the Deputy Chairperson. They have both enjoyed their time over this period and look forward to contributing to and supporting the club.  

This will allow for some new members to take over the roles as it is always valuable to share in the running and knowledge of the club. As we are a Branch our Chairperson must be a teacher and member of STA Japan and the deputy must also be a member of STA Japan.

Please see Kate’s latest email for the AGM and nomination form.

Our March workshop will be held in the Khandallah Town Hall at 2pm till 4pm. Helen Wareham will demonstrated how to create an arrangement using a variety of materials.

Book 4, lesson 5 - A Variety of Materials. Prepare an ikebana arrangement using at least 5 materials. The textbook suggests mainly flowers but Helen suggests using grasses, maybe from the roadside, to celebrate the end of summer.

When I first studied this arrangement it was called  ‘Maze-zashi’, the Seven Grasses of Autumn’.  A basket or a rustic container would be suitable.

Our first workshop for 2024 was held as usual in the Khandallah Town Hall at 2 - 4pm. Kathy Kerry demonstrated how to create an arrangement using only agapanthus.

Useful information can be found in:
Book 4, lesson 4 - One kind of material
Book 4, lesson 9 - Disassembling and rearranging the materials
Book 4, lesson 12 - Focusing on the uses of water.

We said farewell to Misako Ito who is leaving New Zealand to begin a new posting with her husband in Greece. Misako will be missed.

Our December 3rd workshop will be held in the Khandallah Town Hall from 2 until 4pm. Setsuko will demonstrate arrangements for celebrations from Book 5, lesson 11, and Book 4, lesson 19.

The theme for the workshop is Celebrations. "The idea is to show that the arranger joins in the celebration mood by means of ikebana."

 ‘Celebration’ includes any seasonal festivals, Christmas, Easter etc.  Consider the colours of your material and the shape of your arrangement. A spreading wide open fan shaped arrangement is supposed to symbolise a prosperous future and increasing good luck.

Pine branches represent longevity, good fortune and steadfastness. Pine is commonly linked with virtue and long life.

The use of Mizuhiki (paper strings) is effective for arrangements as they add to the special atmosphere.

"Whenever you get a chance, make an arrangement from your heart for those celebrating the occasion."

Our November 12th workshop will be held in the Khandallah Town Hall from 2pm to 4pm. Masako will demonstrate how to arrange seasonal plant materials for ‘Welcome’ ikebana. This work is from Book 5, lesson 1.
Masako has sent the following information for us:

“My presentation is based on the welcome ikebana for the Karori Cemetery Office I have been doing for 5 years. I will show what I do and share what I have learned. I look forward to everyone’s welcome ikebana, big or small.”

Ikebana has ‘power and impact..on people’s minds.’ from Book 5- lesson 30.

Our October 8th workshop will be held in the Khandallah Town Hall from 2pm until 4pm. Misako will demonstrate simplified arrangements/special flower arrangements for Japanese Tea Ceremonies. She will also explain the difference between the tea ceremony’s flower arrangement and the Ikebana arrangements. Please bring materials and containers based on Book 4, lesson 8.

This Sogetsu Wellington workshop will be held as usual in the Khandallah Town Hall on Sunday June 11, at 2pm - 4pm.

Adriana will focus on Book 4: lesson 11 - Using both fresh and unconventional materials and Book 5: lesson 7 - Composition using unconventional materials.  Adriana suggests the following:

Please can everyone bring along at least one unconventional material. This can include paper, fabric, plastic, metal, glass, etc. and can include items that can be used as containers (have a look at lesson 5:7 and photos below for examples). However you will not be using your material for your own arrangement. Instead, to enable more spontaneous arrangements, we will be sharing these materials with each other.

Please also bring along fresh material and extra containers for this so you can have a go at incorporating this into your arrangement. To assist with working with unconventional materials, also bring along cutting implements, fixings (e.g. tape), and gloves.

It is hard to believe it is the beginning of May, with this wonderful warm weather we are having. Our next workshop is on Mothers Day  14th May and Sandi will lead the workshop.

We will meet in our usual venue, Khandallah Town Hall 2-4pm.

Sandi has given the following information: ‘Highlight ' a single bloom with leaves or branch materials.  This could cover anything from a Simplified arrangement, Book 4 Lesson 8, to something much larger  Book 3 Lesson 13 Composition of Mass and Line for example. It can also cover a wide variety of containers. 

Let us hope members will have received a few special flowers for Mother's Day.

Sogetsu Teachers Association Wellington are pleased to be hosting Melbourne based Sogetsu teacher Christopher James (Riji Teacher) for two workshops on Sunday 26th March 2023. Christopher was the recipient of the Norman and Mary Sparnon Scholarship and studied
Sogetsu in Japan for 3 months in 2011. Have a look at his work on https://roadsideikebana.blogspot.com

Where and When
These 2 workshops will be held at the Seatoun Village Hall, 22 Forres Street, Seatoun at 10am and 1pm on Sunday 26th March. There is no parking in the hall grounds but ample street parking, but please carpool if convenient. Please come early; the hall will be open from 9am. Morning tea will be served from 9:30 am and we will not be breaking during sessions until lunch time.
Cost for STA members [any branch]
The charge for the workshops is $55 per session. This is discounted for non-members to $90 for both sessions. A paper bag lunch can be ordered for $15.
You can choose to become a member of Sogetsu Wellington on the day or at the time of submitting your enrolment. Your subscription will be $25 per annum (April 1-March 31). As this may affect your workshops fees please ask our Treasurer Lyn Hansen for assistance or email her ahead of time. lynhansen@xtra.co.nz
Workshop themes are as follows:
Session 1 Sunday 10am -12 midday – Technique Revision
Book 2, lesson 18. Variation no 8. Combined Arrangement of Nageire and Moribana
Use the drop stick technique for your nageire arrangement and remember that both the Nageire and Moribana arrangements will be basic or variation styles from Book 1 and 2. Please bring your own containers and equipment.
Session 2 Sunday 1 – 3pm - Experimentation
Book 4, lesson 9. Deconstructing and re-arranging, incorporating text.
Your choice of moribana or nageire container. You may use the containers and material from the morning workshop, or something else of your choice. To get the most out of the workshops, members should do minimal or no advanced preparation. The theme
“Incorporating text” is an add on to the textbook lesson. Christopher has some ideas on his Roadside Ikebana blog but would like to see our own interpretation of this idea.

Here is a link to the Victorian Sogetsu Branch website which has examples of Ikebana incorporating text. It has some great ideas. 
https://sogetsuikebanavic.weebly.com/archive-of-past-workshops.html

Please see Kate’s email for the registration form. The deadline for registration is the 19th March.

We will hold our Sogetsu Wellington AGM in the Khandallah Town Hall on Sunday 12th of March because the date for the April workshop is Sunday 9th, which is Easter Sunday. We will not have a Workshop on April 9th at the Khandallah Town Hall.

The AGM will start at 1pm followed by a workshop at 2pm - 4pm.
Technique revision, Book 2 lesson 18, Variation no 8. Combined arrangement of nageire and moribana.
This workshop will be a chance to revise this lesson in preparation for our workshop with Christopher James later in March.

Our first workshop for 2023 will be held in our usual meeting place, the Khandallah Town Hall from 2pm - 4pm. Helen will lead us using ideas from Book 4, lesson 19, Specific Scenes, Occasions or Spaces and from Book 3, lesson 4, two or more containers.

Valentine's Day is a celebration of romance. Helen suggests we use our imagination depending on available materials. Some of the most popular flowers for Valentine's Day are roses, lilies, orchids and sunflowers. The textbook suggests white flowers for purity and red for love.

Kia ora everyone,

It has been a busy year with both the Japan Festival and Spring Exhibition at the Botanical Gardens. Setsuko and I want to thank you for all the wonderful ikebana you have done at our monthly workshops. It is always inspiring to see the different ikebana that is created around a specific topic. Thank you also to all the teachers who had led the workshops and to the committee who kept everything ticking along.

A couple of dates to put in your calendar for 2023. 
Our first workshop is on the 12th February.
On March 26th we will have two workshops with Christopher James. We will send out some information for the workshops with Christopher James shortly, you may remember we had planned these for 2020 but had to cancel.

Our final workshop of the year is on Sunday 11th December from 2pm - 4pm. Elizabeth McMillan has kindly offered to host us at her home in Seatoun, as the Khandallah Town Hall is not available. See Kate’s latest email for Elizabeth's address.

We will not have a workshop as such but a social get together.
We will have some Japanese containers and kenzan for sale on behalf of an elderly lady who has done Ikebana for many years.

For those who are interested in learning how to improve their ikebana photos we will also be watching a video on Photographing Ikebana. This video was made by Ben Huybrechts (whose wife Ilyse is a very well known Ikebana Teacher in Belgium). Ben has done photography for Sogetsu Headquarters and for several books on Ikebana. We think you will find it very useful. 

If you are able to attend please bring a small plate of food to share for afternoon tea. Please let Kate know if you are coming.

Thanks very much
Kate and Setsuko

This month our workshop is on using tall narrow containers. This type of container offers some interesting challenges.

Some things to consider are:
Placement, often these containers will be on the floor so consider the angle from which the arrangement will be viewed.  You may choose to place your arrangement off the floor or a table, to be viewed from below.
Proportions, whether it is height or width, finding some balance and space in your arrangement can be tricky with a narrow opening. Sometimes showing the rim of the container can help create space.
Fixing, how do you prevent everything falling into a tall container? Finding long branches that have some curves may help. Crossbar fixing can be one way to help with securing shorter stems and to get some forward movement.  

Sandi and Kate will demonstrate how to make an arrangement with plants on the wall. This theme is from Book 4 Lesson 17.

This is an exercise we do not tackle very often but with Christmas on the horizon you may like to include Christmas decorations and to give your arrangement a NZ twist by using local materials.

Do ensure you include some fresh materials and include a plastic tube for watering these.

Unfortunately due to the lack of numbers wanting to attend the cherry blossom viewing, this event is now CANCELLED.

In the last few years BLOSSOM VALLEY at the foot of the Rimatakas has become extremely popular and thousands of people visit. Google their website Blossom Valley for a birds-eye view of the Gardens which has 350 cherry blossom trees. There is approximately 1km of track to see the whole blossom garden. They recommend allowing 1 ½ to 2 hours for the full experience, however you can walk amongst the trees at your own pace and go as far as you please. Bring your camera too!

Can members please:

(1) We are booked to go on Friday 30th September. Let Sandi know if you plan to come as only 20 tickets have been reserved and we need to advise the Gardens if more people are coming in our group. Yes you may bring other family members or a close friend.

(2) You will need to pay our treasurer (Lyn) $10 per ticket. Once you reserve your place(s) with Sandi she will send you details regarding payment.

(3) Carpool! Carpool! Carpool! This is very important as car parks will be at a premium. I considered hiring a bus but it would be tricky given our members are scattered over the Wellington region. So get together with other members in your area.

(4) Preferably arrive at 9.45 am - the journey will take you approx 45 mins from the city. Drive up State Highway 2 and the Gardens will be on your left about 15 minutes beyond Upper Hutt just north of Kaitoke regional park. Address: Aston Norwood Gardens, 1747 State Highway 2, Kaitoke, Wellington 5018. Contact 04 526 6639

(5) Refreshments such as coffee, scones and other goodies will be available for you to buy from stalls.

(6) Do wear flat comfortable shoes as there are some areas of uneven terrain and also steps to navigate.

Setsuko will lead this month’s workshop with the theme of ‘Using two or more Containers’.

Our ikebana workshop on  Sunday 10th July will be led by Sandi Hurnard. Sandi has sent through the following information about the workshop.

THEME: Arranging with containers which you tend to avoid because you find them difficult.

What makes containers difficult to work with?

(A) The openings are very small.
(B) The openings are too large and standard fixings don’t stay in place
(C) The shape of the container is asymmetrical or unusual so it is difficult to secure the drop stick.
(D) The opening is long and thin so you can’t use a standard cross-bar
(E) The colour is unappealing
(F) The pattern on the container is too dominant.

Many of these problems can be solved by using the Direct Fixing technique. This technique is only mentioned briefly in book 1 but is then not dealt with until book 5. Not all of you have your own copy of book 5 as yet but we will discuss some of the more useful methods that are explored in Book 5 lessons 2, 5 and 10).
Problems with container colour or pattern may be addressed by choosing the appropriate materials.

I will bring a hammer and nails for those of you who wish to use a direct fixing technique which is secure. You should bring:
(1) Lots of suitable drop stick and cross-bar material.  Remember this should be about a pencil thickness and “Fresh”!  If it is dry it will splinter and break and be inflexible.
(2) A container which you tend to avoid using
(3) Branch material of reasonable length
(4) A bag or newspaper for your scraps
(5) Hasami and cloth for wiping your table.

On June 18th workshop several of our teachers and their students exhibited beautiful arrangements as part of the Japanese Festival upstairs in the TSB Arena.

The festival theme this year was "Tanabata," the story of two lovers represented by the stars Vega and Altair. Chrysanthemums were used to represent the two stars in the arrangements.