February 2012 - Illinois Prairie Chapter

Illinois Prairie Chapter
Ikenobo Ikebana Society of America
February 2012
Illinois Prairie Chapter of the Ikenobo Ikebana Society of America
The Arranger
2303 Seaton Court, Champaign, Illinois 61821-6623
On the cover – top: the logo for this year's celebration of
550 years of recorded history of Ikenobo Ikebana,
below: hand painted fan , dragon character, by Mochitsuki
Sensei, a master of kokotsu-bun or ancient Chinese
characters that are the precurser to modern kanji.
Enjoying Ikenobo Ikebana
550 years
This is the year of the dragon, and it is this time of
February 2012, issue
For this reason people began to call the priests by the
name “Ikenobo”. Ikebana began with and was spread
by Ikenobo, and from Ikenobo have come many
famous ikebana masters.
It was 1462 when Senkei Ikenobo was described as
“master of flower arranging” in “Hekizan
Nichiroku,” the diary of a zen monk. The year 2012
will thus mark the 550th year since the name Ikenobo
first appeared in historic records.
This historical information copied from Ikenobo Ikebana
Society of America
year that we look back contemplating the past, and
look forward prioritizing goals.
This is the 550th anniversary of recorded
history of Ikenobo Ikebana, a very long way to look
back. We are also looking forward to 550 years and
beyond and how we can be a vital link in that chain
of Ikenobo Ikebana. One concrete way to do that will
be to increase our membership by twenty percent. If
every chapter in the United States and Canada were
to add twenty percent to their membership we would
have an increase of about 550 new members in
Ikenobo America, an auspicious number for this
auspicious anniversary. Our Prairie membership was
thirty in 2011. Increasing our membership to thirtysix in 2012 is a modest goal. As part of this effort,
we are asking members to bring a guest with them to
any workshop. Sit with your guest, show them how to
arrange ikebana, and share your knowledge and
philosophy of Ikenobo Ikebana. We know that many
guests will want to join our chapter if they have this
opportunity to experience ikebana. We encourage all
of our membership and all our sister chapters to
promote Ikenobo Ikebana to everyone they know will
enjoy arranging flowers together.
about 550..
Ikenobo Ikebana 550th Year Celebration
池坊 550 年祭
The Rokkakudo Temple, located in the center of
Kyoto, is believed to have been founded by Shotoku
Taishi about 1400 years ago. Priests who made floral
offerings morning and evening to the Buddhist altar
of the Rokkakudo Temple lived near a pond (the
Japanese word “ike”), in a small hut (called “bo”).
New Years hanging arrangement - by Jeanne Holy.
Flower calligraphy by Muroga Yoko Sensei.
Materials: bamboo, pine, butterfly orchid, nandina
Check the Spring Summer calendar of workshops
and other activites listed in this newsletter. Save the
dates on your own beautiful Ikenobo 2012 calendars.
Our first workshop of 2012 is scheduled for
February 11. Many of you have requested
2012 Spring/Summer Calendar
this basic rikka shofutai, so that you would
have the opportunity to learn to arrange rikka Feb 11
Rikka Shofutai, Japan House
in a relaxed and supportive atmosphere. This
Mar 3
Shoka isshu-ike Annual Meeting and Helen
workshop is for those who have wanted to try
Ritter Dedication, Japan House
rikka, those who want to practice rikka, and
Mar 31
Shoka nishu-ike, Japan House
those who want to review rikka. In other
April 20
Petals and Paintings exhibition Krannert
words this workshop is for everyone who has
Art Museum
an interest in rikka. You will learn to arrange May 12
Shoka sanshu-ike, Japan House
rikka step by step and gain experience with
June 3 – 15 Ikenobo Ikebana Study Tour to Japan (see
wiring techniques on various types of
website for more information
materials.
June 9
Freestyle, Japan House
We will hold our our annual meeting
July 14
Rikka Shimputai, Japan House
before the March 3rd shoka isshu-ike
workshop. After the workshop there will be
coming up in the fall....
dedication ceremony in honor of our Ikenobo Sept 8 and 9 Special Visiting Professor Workshops,
sister Helen Ritter, who passed away last
Japan House
summer. Her family donated funds to our
group for further
education of Ikenobo
Basic Ikebana Tool Box
Ikebana. We used
some of those funds to
purchase and plant a
( 1 – 4 can be used for all ikebana styles, 5-7 are necessary for rikka and useful for freestyle)
tree near Japan House,
1. hasami - flower arranging cutters
in honor of Helen.
After our workshop we 2. good ashi kenzan - a heavy kenzan or frog with a stem that screws into the basethis type of kenzan will keep your arrangement standing, even with heavier material
will dedicate the tree
3. vase – for rikka and shoka, typically a V shape vase, approximately 8-10" tall, 6and have a tea
8"diameter at the top and straight and level mouth
ceremony in
4. gravel - aquarium gravel, sm/med size pebbles are best, to put into your vase to
remembrance and
raise the kenzan to the proper height, and to anchor the kenzan stem into
celebration of Helen's
5. wire cutters - small, heavy duty and if they have a flat nose it will be also be
life and her love of
convenient to use for gently softening stems
flowers. Please stay
6. wire – small, medium and large gage 18" steel floral wire, small 28/30,
after the workshop if
medium 22/24, and large 16/18
you can, or if you can
come just for the noon 7. tape - standard floral tape in lt green, dk green, and brown, vinyl tape or clear
bandage tape, stem tape (water absorbing tape)
celebration please do.
In order to
work with the Japan
House calendar our April workshop (or almost April
need for rikka.
workshop)is on March 31 on shoka nishu-ike.
If you do not have everything on the list or
Memberships are due in March. Membership
don't even know what some of those things are,
renewal forms are in this newsletter as well as the
please contact Jeanne right away. She will make
reservation forms for our workshops.
arrangements to have whatever you need for the
workshop available to you to buy or borrow. You can
We have all heard the phrase "you need the right
also order supplies directly from San Francisco
tools to succeed" and nowhere is that more true than
headquarters. You will find their order form and price
in arranging rikka. For some of you this may be your
list on our web-site. Gunji Sensei has purchased a
first experience with rikka, so it is important that you
number of The Joy of Ikenobo Ikebana, a new book
have the proper equipment with you. And as a
for 2012 from IkenoboHeadquarters. These will be
reminder for all of us here is a list of what tools you
available for purchase at the workshops.
September Nishu-ike
Above: Gunji Sensei with Aurora Villacorta
arrangements below left: Kimiko Gunji , right :Jeanne Holy
October Freestyle
top: Ann Chan uses
bittersweet and sunflower to
accentuate her fall colored
container
middle left Crab apple and
Pansy freestyle by Jeanne
Holy
Below: Holy serves up
pumpkin freestyle as part of
her lecture
Aurora Villacorta and Kathleen Zanotti
November
Shimputai
Rikka and
Shoka
Kimiko Gunji
demonstrated
shimputai rikka (right)
and shoka (left)
using similar
materials.
below clockwise from
left: rikka shimputai
arrangements by
Jane Kreckman,
Robin Dodson,
Anna Hulting,
Virgie Young,
Jeanne Holy
November
Shimputai
Rikka and
Shoka
http://prairieikebana.org/
If you would like to see all the
photos from the Fall workshops,
past newsletters, and more, please
visit our website
clockwise from left:
shoka shimputai
arrangements by
Catherine Lie,
Patricia Lloyd,
Jeanne Holy,
Maki Ostrander,
Karen Jassim
December
Holiday Freestyle
clockwise from upper left:
freestyle arrangements by
Kimiko Gunji,
Karen Jassim,
Joan Volkmann,
Jeanne Holy,
Rie Matsui
2012 Reservation forms and the Annual Membership application are on the next page:
Please note that we will be starting at 9:00 am February 11 and March 3. Your membership is
due by March 1. If you have a question about the proper amount for dues, or any question about
the workshops, tools, advice etc. do not hesitate to contact Jeanne:
Jeanne Holy
(217)637-5221
[email protected]
Illinois Prairie Chapter Spring 2012 Workshop Reservation Forms
February 11 2012 Rikka Shofutai 9:00 a.m. To 1:00 p.m.
rsvp by Feb 6
due to the lateness of this mailing please call Jeanne (217)637-5221 to make your reservation
Name:___________________________________________________
Members and guests: ( ) $25
Please bring a rikka style vase, hasami. ashi kenzan
wire cutters, wire and tape. Floral materials provided
March 3 2012 Shoka Isshu-ike, Annual Meeting 9:00 a.m. to noon rsvp by Feb 28
Dedication ceremony celebrating Helen Ritter will follow the workshop at noon.
Name:___________________________________________________
Members and guests: ( ) $15 Non-members: ( ) $25
Please bring a shoka style vase, hasami, and kenzan. Floral Materials provided.
March 31 2012 Shoka Nishu-ike 9:30 a.m. to noon
rsvp by Mar 28
Name:_______________________________________________________
Members and guests: ( ) $15 Non-members: ( ) $25
Please bring a shoka style vase, hasami, and kenzan. Floral Materials provided.
Illinois Prairie Chapter 2012 Annual Membership/Mailing List Form
Name: _______________________________________ Ikenobo Rank:____________
Street Address: _________________________________________________________
City State ZIP: _________________________________________________________
Phone Number with area code: ____________________________________________
Email (please print) : _____________________________________________________
Check all that apply
( ) 70+ Regular Member : $25 or ( ) 70+ Teacher Member: $30
( ) 69- Regular Member : $44 or ( ) 69- Regular Member : $44
( ) email newsletter : free and / or ( ) printed newsletter : $15
total enclosed:
Membership must be received by 3/1/2012 in order to receive the 2012 calendar.
$________
$________
$________
$________