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Happy New Year of the Dragon! Sogetsu Portland branch celebrated the new year with a festive luncheon at the Riverside Golf and Country Club on January 28, 2012. Branch Director Don Davidson introduced honorary members Maggie Drake and Don Hearing, and conducted a short general meeting. Then it was on to an Asian-flavors inspired lunch that featured appetizers, Kobe beef and sushi, and creme brulee with a praline cookie confection. Totemo oishii! After lunch, six branch members-Hideko Hearn, Gordon Jackman, Carol Corn, Rebecca Teasdale, Megan Rothstein and Amy Stahl-- participated in the Iron Ikebana exhibition. Each were assigned containers to use and given 30 minutes to select from buckets of wonderful plant material-flowering branches, tropical flowers, gnarled vines, and a stunning variety of leafing branches and stemmed flowers--to complete their creations. Each participant was also required to incorporate a fine mesh netting material (in a dizzying array of colors) into their design. Oh, what fun! Branch member Chieko Takezawa paced the artists with various piano solos: starting slow with Moonlight Sonata, picking up the pace with Clair de Lune, introducing meditative intervals with Sakura, and ending with a romping Minute Waltz! Following the individual exhibition, Don led his team--Leslie Dolin and Nana Bellerud--in demonstrating renka: connecting the individual creations to form a grand, super-sized ikebana! Don, Leslie and Nana cleverly tied the six arrangements together using dried wisteria vines and more of the netting material. Subarashii! To recognize the great efforts of the Iron Ikebana participants, Director Emeritus Keiko Kodachi and Director Don thanked and awarded them with gifts of art, books and calendars. Many thanks, also, to Hideko Hearn and her students--Shelley Ingram, Diantha Knott, and Megan Rothstein-who created the lovely table centerpieces. Board members, arigato gozaimashita, for planning an inspiring, fun and memorable way to celebrate the new year! |
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