Joan Perkins

Outside, the landscape was covered in snow, inside, a flower arrangement with no flowers, just bare branches. As a small child I loved the creativity, design, balance and movement of that arrangement. My mother explained “this is the way the Japanese arrange flowers and branches.” It was my introduction to Ikebana. I thought then, “Yes, and that is what I am going to do when I grow up!”. I did grow up. To this day, I am fulfilling that wish. As luck would have it, I immigrated to Australia and settled in Sydney. I wanted to learn Ikebana and here I found a thriving group of Sogetsu Ikebana enthusiasts and very special teachers.

Ikebana is my bliss and combines my love of art, science andculture. I have been studying, teaching and exhibiting ever since. “The Way of the Flower” is my journey.