Bonsai (Americanized)

[Heather]

I have been growing orchids as Kusamono for years. I have a wonderful Masd Orange Ice in a little drum pot that is just great. I have a Promanea in a Sarah Rayner mame pot that is equally cool. None of my trees are exhibit worthy - yet. But they are coming along. Someday. It is a worthy project to apply the principles of display to our orchid growing.

I would love to see some photos of these, Leo.

 

[NYEric]

(long story, I am just too old to learn HTML coding from scratch)

Mr. Schordje, Hi. What a lot of businesses here do is hire the local 14 Y.O. snot-nosed computer wizznerds to do the work on the cheap!

 

[Leo Schordje]

Hey, I was around back when the 'durned contraption' was invented. Even before Al Gore invented the internet. I like to think I can keep my own web page up. It is not THAT complicated, 14 year olds do do it after all.
Well today I finally got Frontpage 2003 going, I should be able to start posting pictures as soon as I get a bit more of my website updated. Give me a week or two, I'll start posting pictures.
Thanks -Leo

 

[ScottMcC]

PHRAG, the link to artofbonsai.org is indeed quite interesting, and the photos are truly gorgeous. however, I will confess to knowing very little about bonsai--have you got any suggestions for some more basic information?

 

[PHRAG]

Though messy, this site has a ton of good information about bonsai.
http://www.bonsaisite.com/


If you have $100 and want the ultimate reference books on bonsai styling, you can
pick up Bonsai Techniques 1 and 2 by John Naka. You can order them here.
http://www.bonsaimonk.com/estore.html


Besides the previously linked Art of Bonsai, you can check out these forums.
http://www.bonsaisite.com/forums/
http://forum.bonsaitalk.com/


And if you want to try your hand at a bonsai, but want a head start, you can try
shopping here. Be prepared for some sticker shock.
http://www.bonsaitrees.com/
http://www.hollowcreekbonsai.com/

 

[Leo Schordje]

Hey Phrag,
Yesterday I had an interesting conversation with Ted Mattson (California) and Jack Douthit (Wisconsin), both are great (fairly well known) bonsai artists. Ted was visiting Jack. We talked about traditional versus non-traditional style. Both had an excellent point. The great artisits, from Renoir, Monet, Picasso, Dali, O'Keaffe, Polack pretty much one and all were competent or even excellent to superb draftsmen. They all knew how to turn out a conventional drawing or painting. Once they mastered the conventions, only then were they free to break the rules. Consider this with bonsai. Walter Pall, Kimura, and the rest of the best can all turn out a "proper" bonsai, inside the clasical traditions. Once you understand the rules, particularly the why of the rules, then you have the understanding to freely break the rules with good effect. Walter Pall understands what it takes to tell a tree's story, so he knows what he can get away with. As a student of bonsai, I have to take my teacher's advice and learn the "classic" design, before I try to strike off and invent my "own style". There are reasons for most of the "rules".
A medium-high quality tree displayed in a proper 3 element traditional display will be stunning. A high quality masterpiece displayed in a cluttered non-traditional setting without prople sensitivity to the space surrounding the tree will simply not show well. All the rules really are about visual impact. Once you have it down, and mastered a sense of visual impact. You can break the rules at will.
Just a thought - Leo

 

[PHRAG]

Hi Leo,

I think if I had the space, money and proper climate to grow bonsai outdoors, I would probably work on some traditional bonsai. The trees I have now allow me to play around with bonsai without getting too serious. I have poured over Naka's books a few times and learned enough about the rules to apply to my trees, even though they don't allow me to apply all the rules because of their size.

I am not so sure I should call what I have posted here bonsai. They are mame, and shohin in size, and planted in bonsai containers, but that's about it. I also have a lot of respect for traditional artists, it's just not my thing. The trees I posted in this thread need a lot of work to get them to where I want them to be.

I can also get away with a lot more laziness with regards to style, because I have no interest in showing my trees, participating in bonsai forums or finding a bonsai teacher. I like Nick Lenz's advice for people who want to try and learn bonsai. He said a good bonsai artist sends many, many trees to the compost heap. I am up to 5 so far. I think I am still just a shmuck playing around with trees.

 

[gonewild]

When I was young I took lessons from John Naka. I don't ever remember hearing that the rules had to be followed at all times.

Naka was famous for his wild collected junipers and the transformation of the wild tree into a bonsai required rewriting the rules at times to conform with nature.
As I recall he said the most beautiful bonsai is one that reflects the masters self. If you look at your bonsai and your face smiles, the tree is perfection. When the next day you see a fault with the tree, this is not imperfection but rather the tree leading you on to a higher level.

All my bonsai live in a retirement garden in Oregon now.

 

[PHRAG]

When I was young I took lessons from John Naka.

WOW! That's cool.

You are a man of mystery Lance.

 

[Leo Schordje]

Phrag, you are doing Bonsai. You should keep calling your shohin and mame that. You have got the right idea. It is a hobby for our personal enjoyment. Lance, I regret I never met Naka. So much I could have learned. I have sent hundreds of trees to the compost heap. My biggest regret is my lack of time to do it all.

 

[PHRAG]

Here are a couple of links to some mame/shohin bonsai galleries...

http://www.shohin-europe.com/PHOTOS-japan2005tojimarket.html

http://www.shohin-europe.com/photos-mamejapan1.html

http://www.shohin-europe.com/photos-lodders2006.html
This gallery features an AMAZING broom style tree near the bottom of the page.

 

[MoreWater]

I'm enjoying this thread. I know nothing about bonsai, but recently started thinking about bonsai-type presentations, partly because of the number of bonsai containers I seem to have lying around (bought mostly for cacti). Also, I ran through (it was raining) the bonsais at the US National Arboretum last year and while sorting through my photos, I decided I like some of the ones in the n. american and chinese pavilions.

The photo in your hand it great! I didn't realize how small these are. And thanks for the links - I'm was looking for reading material......