chicago1980
Omono
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Basically what the title ask. If you could ask questions of a Bonsai professional for an hour what would you ask of them?
If you could speak with a pro for an hour what ?S would you ask?
- Thread starter chicago1980
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JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
Depends on the pro and their specialty.
chicago1980
Omono
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Those parameters would be your decision.
Let's say Michael hagedorn, Ryan Neil, and bjorn (impressed that I can refer to him by one name).
Lars Grimm
Chumono
If you were at my stage (two years in with more book knowledge than practical knowledge), what practical take home lessons would you share for the long term future success. Things that have been shared with me along these lines which have been helpful are to focus on a smaller number of species and try to get trees of the same type in multiple stages of development so you can learn simultaneously.
Bonsai Nut
Nuttier than your average Nut
I would probably want to watch them work, silently, with the ability to ask one question every 15 minutes 
That would ensure that my questions were well-thought-out and not distracting or frivolous
I would want to observe them rehabilitating an overgrown and leggy black pine. I would want to observe them styling a yamadori that only has growth at the tips of leggy growth. I would want to observe them styling a tree that has extremely hard and unyielding/unbendable wood.
At the end I would want to ask them things like:
(1) What is the hardest skill to acquire with bonsai - and how did you acquire it?
(2) What one "established" rule of bonsai do you find yourself breaking most often?
(3) What mistake do you see people making most often with their trees?
(4) What advice would you offer someone starting out - to advance their bonsai knowledge quickly and correctly?
That would ensure that my questions were well-thought-out and not distracting or frivolous I would want to observe them rehabilitating an overgrown and leggy black pine. I would want to observe them styling a yamadori that only has growth at the tips of leggy growth. I would want to observe them styling a tree that has extremely hard and unyielding/unbendable wood.
At the end I would want to ask them things like:
(1) What is the hardest skill to acquire with bonsai - and how did you acquire it?
(2) What one "established" rule of bonsai do you find yourself breaking most often?
(3) What mistake do you see people making most often with their trees?
(4) What advice would you offer someone starting out - to advance their bonsai knowledge quickly and correctly?
Nybonsai12
Masterpiece
What's your drink?
AlainK
Imperial Masterpiece
Got a light?
Smoke
Ignore-Amus
Anyone thinking they could learn anything in an hour is misinformed. The answer is not an answer to a question but learning a task to rote. Wire is such a task, but the answer is not so much how to wire but having the creativity to do something with it after application. That is the part no one can teach or answer in an hour.
Soldano666
Omono
I'd want to know what they would have done differently along the way, to save time and or to achieve better results. All while styling some collected gnarly material that has to be seriously transformed. I feel like there's a lot to learn just by watching.
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
I'd ask if he's got any raw material for sale...like blue light special sale...
chicago1980
Omono
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Best answer so far!
GrimLore
Bonsai Nut alumnus... we miss you
There are several here I may be able to see for an hour or two in the Spring. If possible I would like to use an hour of the time to ask them to show me their favorites and ask why they are... Take a picture or two and better understand methodology.
No mystery, just a opportunity to see things through another persons eyes
You have "dated" yourself I only have childhood memories of that rhetoric and they are closing most of those stores
Grimmy
No mystery, just a opportunity to see things through another persons eyes
You have "dated" yourself
I only have childhood memories of that rhetoric and they are closing most of those stores Grimmy
just.wing.it
Deadwood Head
Hahaha!There are several here I may be able to see for an hour or two in the Spring. If possible I would like to use an hour of the time to ask them to show me their favorites and ask why they are... Take a picture or two and better understand methodology.
No mystery, just a opportunity to see things through another persons eyes
You have "dated" yourself
Grimmy
Woody Carverton
Mame
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What role does general horticulture play in your decisions to style trees the way that you do outside of demonstrations?
I would mainly ask this question because having seen about 200 demonstrations from professionals on everything from yamadori to nursery stock and even a million dollar specimen, the one thing i picked up quickly is that short of the perfect specimen trees, most styling for demonstration have little to no regard for tree health in the future as most demonstrations are trying to show off an artisans skill at transforming a tree NOT progression of styling to design beautiful trees for the future. There is only so much they can do in such a short amount of time. Ask any professional, they will tell you, they do things for demonstrations that they would never do on a tree they were trying to transform into a show piece.
I would mainly ask this question because having seen about 200 demonstrations from professionals on everything from yamadori to nursery stock and even a million dollar specimen, the one thing i picked up quickly is that short of the perfect specimen trees, most styling for demonstration have little to no regard for tree health in the future as most demonstrations are trying to show off an artisans skill at transforming a tree NOT progression of styling to design beautiful trees for the future. There is only so much they can do in such a short amount of time. Ask any professional, they will tell you, they do things for demonstrations that they would never do on a tree they were trying to transform into a show piece.
abqjoe
Chumono
I agree 100%! Pot's, tools or tree's and preferably on a regular basis in bulk if the price could be gotten right
I know pro's probably get complete tool sets thrown at them for free by companies looking to associate their names with the pro's. As far as Bonsai info goes the old saying of "there's nothing new under the sun" would apply. My take on Bonsai is that there is only so much information to be had and that practice is the key. 1 hour with a pro isn't going to give you sufficient practice so you may as well try to establish a potential revenue stream to put towards your own hobby. Everybody likes and needs money, including the pro's
Tieball
Masterpiece
I would ask one question set around what each looks at in a raw tree before beginning any work. Not an examination of whether to buy the tree material...not that time...but the point in time where they have the tree already and then begin to turn it, explore it, push things around, look closely at faults and good points, and come to initial conclusions to identify a course of action with purpose. I would ask that the subject tree be deciduous. I would ask specifically that they talk out loud so I can hear their thinking, their internal chatter, as they examine good parts, bad parts, goals, and objectives in mind. I'd want the entire hour just to hear their chatter about that one tree turned and thoroughly explored - the good, bad and ugly. I want to hear the detail of their thoughts and their thought process. I'll take up the mechanical parts another day.
I like to understand more about the thinking behind a tree before it takes shape. That's an area, a point in time, where I struggle with the most.
I like to understand more about the thinking behind a tree before it takes shape. That's an area, a point in time, where I struggle with the most.
Tieball
Masterpiece
I tried to get the live version before. Not successful. Unfortunately, Flash is used for the live version. I use an iPad....Flash is not supported with the iOS. I'll check out the YouTube link you attached. Good to know it is posted. Thanks.
Or a lifetime.
Well, I had my chance I did not know who I was talking to . 2009 Bjorn had just come back to the US, we were at Olive Branch for the weekend of a Brussels sale. Riding on the elevator that morning going to breakfast before heading to Brussels there was a nice young man in there, (looking at him thinking he is about the age of my boys) we spoke and he got off. When I got to Brussels, there he was, he helped me style the tree I purchased that day and then did a demo on a large pine. The pine I purchased had the most potential of any I have owned, I repotted it in 2010 and it was doing good for another year or 2, then one day it just started going down and never made a come back. I left it in the pot a couple of years in denial as if it was going to "wake up" Anyway it was a small crowd at Brussels and could have been my "hour" but I did not realize the opportunity I had. Next thing I knew I was reading about that young man on I meet on the elevator everywhere.
. 2009 Bjorn had just come back to the US, we were at Olive Branch for the weekend of a Brussels sale. Riding on the elevator that morning going to breakfast before heading to Brussels there was a nice young man in there, (looking at him thinking he is about the age of my boys) we spoke and he got off. When I got to Brussels, there he was, he helped me style the tree I purchased that day and then did a demo on a large pine. The pine I purchased had the most potential of any I have owned, I repotted it in 2010 and it was doing good for another year or 2, then one day it just started going down and never made a come back. I left it in the pot a couple of years in denial as if it was going to "wake up" Anyway it was a small crowd at Brussels and could have been my "hour" but I did not realize the opportunity I had. Next thing I knew I was reading about that young man on I meet on the elevator everywhere.Attachments
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