June 23, 2014 - Greg Brenden and the Idea of Kusamono

Summary of June 23, 2014 meeting: 

Moss and violets, rusted tuna cans and railroad hardware. At PSBA's June general meeting, Greg Brenden shared his passion for kusamono, a companion art to the art of bonsai.

Kusamono simply defined are potted arrangements of wild grasses or flowers in unique pots or trays. Creating kusamono is a bit like painting, using a palette of colors and textures, then framing the composition with a compatible container. His demonstrations ranged from lava rock to a piece of blue-green glass from an electrical transformer.

Greg guided the audience through the challenges of collecting successful plants and using appropriate soils. He highlighted the importance of planning for the season of display and how to intimate a miniature habitat such as a wetland or woodland.

Kusamono should impart an Idea. Wabi-sabi comes to mind. There is no English translation for wabi-sabi, but most folks involved with Bonsai find their way to understanding it. Simple, understated, naturally beautiful without guile.

Greg Brenden holds an MFA in gold and silversmithing. Now based in Portland, Oregon, he has worked at the Smithsonian Museum, creating botanical models, insects, sculpted fish, and sharks. In Tucson, Arizona, Greg won a contract to make models of fifty species of desert wildflowers for the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Find out more at brendenstudio.wordpress.com