Ikebana International

Monterey Bay Chapter 231

Founded 1988

April 2010

Newsletter

Ron Brown began his studies of Sogetsu Ikebana in 1979 with Burleigh Fedanzo.  These studies started as an outgrowth of his interest in ceramics and the utilitarian use of ceramic vessels for esthetic purposes.  Through the years, Ikebana developed into a dominant force in his life.  Mrs. Fedanzo guided this development and instilled in him the discipline needed to master the basics of Ikebana.
                In 1986, Ron began studies with Mr. Shuko Kobayashi.  Mr. Kobayashi emphasized that Ikebana is not just the arranging of flowers in a container, but the development of the arrangement into a completed work of art.  Through the influence of Mr. Kobayashi, Ron gained a deeper understanding of the nature of Ikebana and the unlimited creative possibilities it has.  
                Mr. Kobayashi awarded Ron his teacher’s diploma in 1988 and the flower name Kodo, which literally means wide or open road.  On a more philosophical level, Kodo means there are no obstructions or obstacles in one’s path, unlimited potential in the creative sense.  That sums up Ron’s approach to Ikebana.  Once a student has grasped the basics of arranging, there is no limit to the creative possibilities that exist with plant materials. 
In 2007, Ron became a student of Kika Shibata.  Ms. Shibata encourages her students to constantly expand their vision of flower arranging, to go beyond the usual, the expected.  Currently, Ron holds the rank of Somu the Sogetsu School.
                Ron is a member of Ikebana International, the worldwide organization of Japanese Flower Arranging.  An active member of the San Francisco Bay Area chapter of I.I., Ron has served as the Staging Chairman for the organization’s biannual flower shows from 1988 to 2000.  He also served as Co-Chair for the 2000 show, “Ikebana Solutes 2000”.  He was Chair of the 2003 and 2005 flower shows.  Ron is a member of the San Francisco Bay Area Branch of the Sogetsu School, serving as the group’s Membership Chair.  He was the Co-Chairman and Staging Chairman of “Sogetsu Launch 2000”, the branch’s 1999 spring flower show.  He served in the same capacities for the 2001 show, “Ikebana in the Park”, which was the branch’s first outdoor show.  The show, held in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, commerated the 100th anniversary of the birth of the Sogetsu School founder, Mr. Sofu Teshigahara.  He was chair for the 2008 Sogetsu Branch flower show, ArtScape 2008.  Ron is a member of the Sogetsu Teacher’s Study Group in San Francisco and the Sogetsu Teacher’s Association of Tokyo.  In May of 2008, Ron was the Chair of the Outdoor Workshop at the 16th North American Ikebana International Regional Conference in Monterey, California.
                This past February, Ron traveled to the Republic of Panama to give a demonstration and conduct workshops for the Panamanian Chapter of Ikebana International in honour of the first anniversary of their charter as a chapter.  These programs were very well received by an enthusiastic of Ikebana arrangers.  After Panama, Ron traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil, to participate in the Hatsuike Exhibition of the Sao Paulo Branch of the Sogetsu School.  The exhibition was held at the Marriot Hotel in Sao Paulo and was followed by a luncheon for Branch members.    
Future projects include demonstrations for various groups including I.I. Chapters in Sacramento, Monterey and other flower arranging organizations, Chairing the Sogetsu Bay Area Branch flower show, ArtScape 2010, Chairing the 2011 flower show for the San Francisco I.I. Branch, and Chairing the Outdoor Workshop for the 17th North American Regional Conference in Ashville, North Carolina. 
                Ron is noted for his Ikebana creations that incorporate found or discarded objects and rusted metal pieces from old farm machinery.  “I collect rusted metal from the Russian River, along roadways and in the fields.  I also scour construction sites and scrap yards for metal culverts and other interesting metal objects.  I like the contrast of the rusted, pitted mental surfaces and the fresh plant material.”  This interest in metal has lead Ron to explore the creation of metal assemblages.  “These are stand-alone pieces the do not need plant material.  There is a whole new dimension of space and size to explore with the assemblages.”
                Professionally, Ron Brown is a retired winemaker having worked for 35 years in Sonoma and Napa Counties. 
                In addition to his artistic pursuits in Ikebana and metal, Ron creates works of black ink on paper.  While enjoying the freedom and spontaneity of abstract expressionism, he also does natural renditions of bamboo and pond scenes.  Ron also creates oil monotypes in non-representational subjects.

Ron with assistant, Carol Marchette, June Matsuoka, president of Monterey Bay chapter.