The first 'Ikebana at Qdos' came out of a conversation in early 2004 between Graeme Wilkie and me about the complementarity of ceramics and Ikebana. Graeme is a ceramic artist and owner of Qdos Gallery which is situated in a sculpture garden among Australian Mountain Ash trees in a valley behind the costal township of Lorne.
Here are a couple of photos of the setting up process.
The ikebana participants were students of my class with Mrs Carlyne Patterson, my teacher at the time. This photo is the upper of the three levels of the gallery.
View from the lowest level of the gallery.
Freestyle ikebana in the entrance foyer of the gallery.
Moribana created by Mrs Patterson.
This was my first large sculptural work using dried branches of tortuous willow, strelitzia leaves and lilies.
The collaborators: Graeme Wilkie (ceramic artist), Philip Keon, Ana-Maria Hernandez-y-Jensen (ceramic artist), Sarah Forsythe, Christina Theodorou, Annette Macintosh, Christopher James and Carlyne Patterson.
Qdos 2005
The second Ikebana at Qdos was held in September 2005. On the first day workshops were given by Mr Yoshiro Umemura, an ikebana artist and teacher from Sydney, who holds the rank of Riji in the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Members from the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School attended. On the second day Mr Umemura gave a public demonstration. His ikebana works and those of the senior teachers were then assembled into an exhibition.
Below is a general view of the upper two levels of the gallery.
Here are some of the individual works by members.
These next three images are some of ikebana created by Mr Umemura.
The third Ikebana at Qdos was held in September 2006. As in 2005, on the first day workshops were given by Mr Yoshiro Umemura, Rigi ranked ikebana artist and teacher from Sydney. Members from the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School attended. On the second day Mr Umemura gave a public demonstration. His ikebana works and those of the senior teachers were then assembled into an exhibition.
This first image is of the anagama kiln during the firing for the exhibition.
These images are of the joint arrangements made by members.
A number of the members created works in the sculpture garden around the gallery
Below are works made by Mr Umemura.
Qdos 2007
Below is a limited selection of works of the 2007 exhibition that followed a workshop lead by Mr Yoshiro Umemura for members of the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School. The vessels were all created by Graeme Wilkie and his team at Qdos Gallery studio.
The work in the centre of this photo was by Brenda Thorpe.
Emily Karanikolopoulos
Christine Denmead and Ellie Welkamp
Lucy Papas
Glenys Bissel
'Shoso' Shimbo
Theresa Feile
(me) Christopher James
Qdos 2008
This year for the first time the exhibition was created my me and my students only. As before we were using ceramic vessels created by Graeme Wilkie and his team especially for this exhibition. The linking theme of this exhibition was to use red lines in each work. Below I am being assisted in the assembling of a bamboo sculpture.
The finished work in three 'pillows' by Graeme Wilkie.
Birch and wisteria vine by Christopher.
Grape vine and date seeds by Ellie Welkamp.
Palm spathes by Helen Quarrell.
Willow by Ellie Welkamp.
Agave leaf by Helen Quarrell.
Dried Fitonia leaves by Helen Quarrell.
Palm pod by Helen Quarrell and Ellie Welkamp.
Corky Elm by Christine Denmead.
General view of upper level of the gallery.
From the left: Ellie Welkamp, Christine Denmead, Christopher James, Helen Quarrell.
Qdos 2009
The theme for the exhibition was: 'Exercises from the New Curriculum' of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Each ikebanist created a large and a small work on the same theme.
Below: Taking into account the shape of the container. Ellie Welkamp
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A composition of Curved Lines. Christine Denmead.
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Disassembling and Rearranging the materials. Christopher James.
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An arrangement of Plants on a Wall. Christine Denmead.
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A Horizontal Arrangement. Ann Walsh
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An arrangement using Straight and Curved Lines. Nola Bird
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An arrangement using Vine. Christopher James.
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Massed Expression. Helen Quarrell
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General view of the gallery on the day of the official opening.
Nola Bird, Helen Quarrell, Christopher James, Ann Walsh, Christine Denmead, Ellie Welkamp.
Qdos 2010
Qdos 2011
The theme of the exhibition was 'Sculptural and Installation Ikebana'. No vases were used and all of the botanical material was dry.
Qdos 2012
In 2012 Graeme Wilkie created some small and radically different forms as well as larger works in the anagama kiln. My students and I created larger sculptural works and some smaller pieces. The latter mostly included some fresh material.
From the left: Nola Bird, Christine Denmead, Christopher James, Ellie Welkamp, Helen Quarrell.
September 2012
