My 1st ever work shop

[Japonicus]

I went to my 1st work shop during my little vacation from work this year.
It was for WP with @Adair M at Plant City Bonsai.
I learned a better way to approach the foliage from underneath, now it's up to me to practice it.

Though being timid about going to a class setting and work shop, and not unwiring and rewiring my tree
in presence of others, Adair made you feel comfortable regardless of your skill level and your goals.






It really needs the wire removed which I've begun now that I'm back home with it.
I'm slow and didn't want half of my tree looking unkempt and half wired when I left
plus I was dealing with a migraine that day.

My regrets are that I did not get a picture of Adair taking his time as he sat down with and pondered
or studied what goals he would lean towards if it were his tree. It was a moment I should have captured.
Then, there are 2 short needled JWP there marked down for the class, and I did not take one with me.
I may still have one shipped...
I will post a few pics of Adairs trees taken with my wife iPhone, so not good photography, just a couple great trees
we took pics of.

 

[penumbra]

Wow! You guys look like real people.

 

[PA_Penjing]

waited way too long to take my first workshop, very intimidating. But i grew leaps and bounds and now I go to two a year. It cracked everything wide open for me, I hope you feel the same

 

[Shogun610]

So does Adair call you Japonicus during conversation orrrr?

 

[Japonicus]

Wow! You guys look like real people.

He's a swell guy really.

 

[Japonicus]

waited way too long to take my first workshop, very intimidating. But i grew leaps and bounds and now I go to two a year. It cracked everything wide open for me, I hope you feel the same

Too long indeed for me, and yes I felt intimidated signing up and leading up to,
but once in that all fell by the way side with a good instructor
This was over an 8 hr trip for me, there's nothing around here, so I can't just
up and go on a whim. I need to do an intensive and extended training.
WP being slow as it is and mine being leggy unlike Adairs, it will take longer
to crack my head wide open.

 

[Japonicus]

So does Adair call you Japonicus during conversation orrrr?

Numbskull would've fit fine

So, as Adair looked on towards goals with my tree, he's just so doggone nice and hospitable,
that he invited my wife and myself over to his place afterwards after a great milkshake
to see his own personal collection



These two are from his personal collection (my wife took pics) that he brought to the work shop.
This bunjin JWP is amazing. All his trees are amazing.




Then at Adairs home...I did not go about taking pictures to post on here, but we did capture
2 trees this JBP and a Zelkova. It would be rude to showcase someone else's garden from the forum I feel
so I did not just make a photo op of our very short visit. I did ask permission before posting any pics prior.

Again, my wife took the pic here. Adair could tell you about this JBP.
You do not see a chop mark whatsoever.




Then there was this amazing Zelkova with a nebari anyone would be proud of.
Can't wait to see photos of it in the Winter Silhouette show when he gets it there!

 

[vp999]

Wow...That Zelkova is amazing ...Does it belongs to Adair?

 

[Japonicus]

So, the plan Adair set forth here was to jin the 1st 2 branches on the left side.
The 1st branch is rather powerful, and both are leggy.
Branch one takes up 1/2 of the circumference of the tree.
The trunk is not so powerful...




Then to wire upper branches to hide the Y fork near the top.
I never really minded it, but to hear a bonsai judge say that, then it must not be a good thing.

I was pleasantly surprised Adair did not criticize my wiring or uneducated development of this tree
over the 16 yrs I've had it even though there is obvious room for improvement.
Then I was elated when he said this is a tree he would be glad to have on his own bench

This tree will have its own thread in the Pines part of the forum eventually.

 

[Adair M]

Wow...That Zelkova is amazing ...Does it belongs to Adair?

Yes. I purchased it from my friend, Steve Ohlman. Steve has owned it for 35 or so years. He wanted to pass it along so he could spend more time fly fishing.

 

[Japonicus]

? @Adair M would you remove those 2 lower branches now going into a repot this upcoming Spring
or wait till next year? Is now or late Winter best time for removal or is that insignificant really?

 

[HorseloverFat]

I went to my 1st work shop during my little vacation from work this year.
It was for WP with @Adair M at Plant City Bonsai.
I learned a better way to approach the foliage from underneath, now it's up to me to practice it.

Though being timid about going to a class setting and work shop, and not unwiring and rewiring my tree
in presence of others, Adair made you feel comfortable regardless of your skill level and your goals.
View attachment 401926

View attachment 401927

View attachment 401928

It really needs the wire removed which I've begun now that I'm back home with it.
I'm slow and didn't want half of my tree looking unkempt and half wired when I left
plus I was dealing with a migraine that day.

My regrets are that I did not get a picture of Adair taking his time as he sat down with and pondered
or studied what goals he would lean towards if it were his tree. It was a moment I should have captured.
Then, there are 2 short needled JWP there marked down for the class, and I did not take one with me.
I may still have one shipped...
I will post a few pics of Adairs trees taken with my wife iPhone, so not good photography, just a couple great trees
we took pics of.

STUD-MUFFINS SUPREME!!!

I wanna be there too!!

Pictures of me would be blurry.. i’d be ALL OVER THE PLACE!!

 

[Katie0317]

@Japonicus How did you learn to wire, style and grow your trees without ever having taken a workshop? Please share how you managed to learn and grow? It's extraordinary! @Adair M trees are stunning but yours is beautiful too.

@HorseloverFat Your enthusiasm for everything always makes me smile. You have an infectious happiness and you share it with joy. That's a good gift to have and pass along!

 

[BrightsideB]

@Japonicus be cool to see what you do with the pine! Plant city bonsai is cool! That’s where I get a lot of stuff. Fun place!

 

[Japonicus]

STUD-MUFFINS SUPREME!!!

I hope you're talking about post #7

How did you learn to wire, style and grow your trees without ever having taken a workshop?

Thank you for your kind words but mine are just fun projects that do turn into a burden once you've out numbered your capabilities.
My wiring will get better but wasn't near as accurate before I joined up here and listen to folks that know what they're doing.
The best wiring help I've found is ...

Bonsai Wiring Essentials

Uncover professional secrets to wiring better, faster and more accurately in this FREE mini-class, and develop beautiful bonsai trees!

www.craftsy.com

...watch each of the 5 videos here over and over and even try practice on removed branches or in the landscape.
One great thing about these videos, is you can stop and add personal notes along the bottom in the timeline progress
leaving bookmarks along the timeline you can access when signed in. Those classes are free, no sign up fee.

There are plenty of styling examples to attempt to emulate, but I would say starting with your eye, find potential 1st.
Most of my projects are nursery stock I've selected with potential in mind 1st. This tree was already grafted and styled
somewhat as far as branch selection is concerned. The Bonsai Nut forum has helped immensely but my skills are slow to
show that. Adair has offered me pointers along the way over the last 3 yrs on here as well as many others.
Hands on practice is all I could bring to the game, and I needed some help with this JWP, shoot, all my stuff needs help
but from someone who has more experience than myself, and has trees that are proper and good examples to back it up.

You don't need a workshop to grow trees, that needs to come naturally, and mostly learned with hands on experience.
Guidance is where a works shop comes into play.

@Japonicus be cool to see what you do with the pine! Plant city bonsai is cool! That’s where I get a lot of stuff. Fun place!

Steve and Sandy are great souls. We had visited there 2 yrs ago deviating to visit on our way back from Florida
and also visit the Monastery in Conyers. New England Bonsai is my favourite of the 3 and hope to get back up there for
a pine class in 2 or 3 yrs.

I posted those thumbnails side by side so we can toggle back n forth between 2 pics where I erased the branch
in a couple locations on my deck. I know there's some static in the background but I think I get the idea.
I'm guessing those 2 lower branches are 40-ish yrs old?

I'm going to make extended jins on those branches and break them back eventually.
I have to get a shot with immature jinned branches. That's how tree limbs die back in nature
if the branch died as a whole.

 

[Katie0317]

I hope you're talking about post #7

Thank you for your kind words but mine are just fun projects that do turn into a burden once you've out numbered your capabilities.
My wiring will get better but wasn't near as accurate before I joined up here and listen to folks that know what they're doing.
The best wiring help I've found is ...

Bonsai Wiring Essentials

Uncover professional secrets to wiring better, faster and more accurately in this FREE mini-class, and develop beautiful bonsai trees!

www.craftsy.com

...watch each of the 5 videos here over and over and even try practice on removed branches or in the landscape.
One great thing about these videos, is you can stop and add personal notes along the bottom in the timeline progress
leaving bookmarks along the timeline you can access when signed in. Those classes are free, no sign up fee.

There are plenty of styling examples to attempt to emulate, but I would say starting with your eye, find potential 1st.
Most of my projects are nursery stock I've selected with potential in mind 1st. This tree was already grafted and styled
somewhat as far as branch selection is concerned. The Bonsai Nut forum has helped immensely but my skills are slow to
show that. Adair has offered me pointers along the way over the last 3 yrs on here as well as many others.
Hands on practice is all I could bring to the game, and I needed some help with this JWP, shoot, all my stuff needs help
but from someone who has more experience than myself, and has trees that are proper and good examples to back it up.

You don't need a workshop to grow trees, that needs to come naturally, and mostly learned with hands on experience.
Guidance is where a works shop comes into play.


Steve and Sandy are great souls. We had visited there 2 yrs ago deviating to visit on our way back from Florida
and also visit the Monastery in Conyers. New England Bonsai is my favourite of the 3 and hope to get back up there for
a pine class in 2 or 3 yrs.

I posted those thumbnails side by side so we can toggle back n forth between 2 pics where I erased the branch
in a couple locations on my deck. I know there's some static in the background but I think I get the idea.
I'm guessing those 2 lower branches are 40-ish yrs old?

I'm going to make extended jins on those branches and break them back eventually.
I have to get a shot with immature jinned branches. That's how tree limbs die back in nature
if the branch died as a whole.

@Japonicus That actually freaked me out when I opened the wiring link you sent. Genuinely. That has been the most helpful set of videos I've found and only found them after watching some very convoluted wiring videos. My husband and I watched those and I thought, "Finally! Wiring instructions that make sense!" To see you post them and share that it's how you learned has put a final stamp on approval on them and I appreciate it. They've been my only 'go to' videos but I felt nothing I did was valid until I'd been taught in person. All wiring workshops nearby are two day courses. The first day you practice on faux trees or branches and the second day with your tree. These are expensive classes. Most are 125.00 but may include basic tools. I already have the tools so I don't need that part. I'd rather spend that money on something else. Two days is a lot of time. I'm not sure I want to spend two days on that.

It's a brilliant idea to make notes with the timelines bookmarked. Reminds me of when someone said, "You can write in your own cookbooks. They're yours and nobody cares." And I do. I have classic James Beard etc... cookbooks that I've adjusted recipes just a bit and my copies are marked up with my notes and I hope someday someone else will add their own revisions someday.

I've been lucky enough to attend a few workshops and it's amazing to watch the instructor transform trees. I could never have imagined where he would take a piece of nursery stock or pre-bonsai. He uses block wedges to prop them at angles and a cloth to cover sections of the tree to see how it looks without it there. He asks members of the class if they think it looks better with or without certain branches watching him transform a tree is the most amazing part of the workshop. Both my husband and I have gotten more from watching him take something that looks like nothing and carve, wire and shape a tree from it. People also come in with what looks like a tree and leave with a stump. They leave with more cuttings than tree. It's really something to see.

You said you made a side trip after a trip to Florida? Did you not find nurseries and nurseries offering classes in Florida? We have several near us in the central part of the state and there are several in south Fl.

Still and all it's very impressive what you've done on your own! My own attraction is to flowering tropicals which makes sense given where we live and conifers aren't very popular in nurseries here. They seem more complicated to me and I'm impressed by what you've created. I hope you can attend more workshops because you clearly have an eye for it and you've done the hard work already and I imagine your work will just get better and better with even the smallest amount of guidance.

 

[Japonicus]

@Katie0317 Adair is a good coach.
Notice the wiring angle or angle of spiral here is closer to 45º a couple years ago, wired Fall 2019.
Adair was quick to point that out, as well as too many guy wires.
Now I try to wire at 60º when feasible as it holds better and uses less wire.

Spring 2020

Last Fall I rewired this JWP as seen in the 1st post.
All that wire is now removed and will need wiring again next year.
I've learned here in the last year JWP needs frequent wiring .
Not my favourite chore. It also needs repotting next Spring and repotting always
brings out the worst of my paranoia.

As for looking for classes in Florida, I was on vacation with my wife.
I think stopping by to check out the stock Steve had at PCB was stretching the vacation a bit.
White pine is not a thing, in Florida, for the most part either, but I do have mostly other conifers than JWP.

People also come in with what looks like a tree and leave with a stump

Not always a good thing. Need history going in, blah blah blah, never take a bonsai to a work shop
or especially a club, and allow them to remove branches at will. Coaching is better, coaching is safer.
You can't replace branches, short of grafting them on.

 

[HorseloverFat]

Adair has taken the time to instruct me/help me hone my wiring technique, through PM after an off-hand comment I made, led him to realize that I was wiring incorrectly. I am forever grateful. He also, earlier in my time here, made sure I didn’t take certain member’s/or their advice, too seriously. He, as you are, Japonicus, is invaluable to the community here... we are lucky.

 

[Katie0317]

@Katie0317 Adair is a good coach.
Notice the wiring angle or angle of spiral here is closer to 45º a couple years ago, wired Fall 2019.
Adair was quick to point that out, as well as too many guy wires.
Now I try to wire at 60º when feasible as it holds better and uses less wire.
View attachment 402310
Spring 2020

Last Fall I rewired this JWP as seen in the 1st post.
All that wire is now removed and will need wiring again next year.
I've learned here in the last year JWP needs frequent wiring .
Not my favourite chore. It also needs repotting next Spring and repotting always
brings out the worst of my paranoia.

As for looking for classes in Florida, I was on vacation with my wife.
I think stopping by to check out the stock Steve had at PCB was stretching the vacation a bit.
White pine is not a thing, in Florida, for the most part either, but I do have mostly other conifers than JWP.

Not always a good thing. Need history going in, blah blah blah, never take a bonsai to a work shop
or especially a club, and allow them to remove branches at will. Coaching is better, coaching is safer.
You can't replace branches, short of grafting them on.

@Japonicus I would never take a tree or plant to a club and allow it to be 'styled' but there are people who are bringing in plants where you can't even see the trunk. (This is not a club meeting but a workshop.) Without removing branches there wouldn't be anything to discuss. There are are a huge range of trees that come in but only a few conifers. Some people have very strong ideas and a vision and others have just bought their first pre-bonsai. Also, he cuts nothing without the owners consent.

Lots of tropicals here grow so fast you have to prune them before you can begin to see anything and some people are afraid to even prune their tree. I've learned more from watching the instructor (He has a well known bonsai nursery and has been invited to do quite a few workshops in his 30 years of bonsai). There are people that I think lean on him too hard on him to style their tree and I wish he'd hold some more accountable but he also gets some sophisticated bonsai owners and the conversation about what to keep and what to loose is fascinating. I've yet to see anything done looking without it looking far more advanced than when it started. I think styling is his gift and he gives each tree a tremendous amount of thought. He uses wedges and props and once even un-potted a plant to 'see' it better before he did anything.

As far as needing history going in...He knows all these people. They've been buying from him for years and years and some pay to work with him privately. Like I say watching him style has been fascinating and a tremendous learning experience.

He allows people to come for free and watch but most people want help styling their trees. Some bring multiple trees.

I bought a miniature weeping cherry from him the first time I visited his nursery and all the branches laid completely flat and draped up to two feet down with beautiful clusters of flowers. I thought, "Oh, a cascading bonsai tree" He said, "This would be a good tree to workshop." It's an uncommon tree btw, I've not seen any at the three main bonsai nurseries we've visited.

Little did I know it's not supposed to hang down at all. All those branches got cut and I did practice wiring on it but it has such delicate branches and they're very thin and brittle. They seemed to break just looking at them. Not a good tree to learn to wire on and I did it too tight.

When the tree was cut way back and each branch wired it looks like a weeping willow. Never would I have known what it was supposed to look like! It didn't even resemble the same plant I brought in. So I'm grateful for his help! My husband and I both said watching him in workshops make us look at trees completely differently. Fortunately I've bought slowly because with what I've learned I'm now looking for very different attributes in a pre-bonsai.

I agree about clubs though. I'd want to watch and listen for quite a while before bringing a tree for help. I'm not sure we have time for clubs right now but there are several in the area and we want to try one. Jason Schley at Schley's Bonsai is very involved in a local club and he's very close to us so we'll try that club. Just after meeting him and talking with him I can tell he's a good teacher and all the meetings are held at his nursery and he's very involved. We want to try that one for sure.

 

[Adair M]

? @Adair M would you remove those 2 lower branches now going into a repot this upcoming Spring
or wait till next year? Is now or late Winter best time for removal or is that insignificant really?

The time to style JBP is the fall. Now is a good time to do it. Make Jin’s out of them.