2016 Noelanders Trophy Results

[johng]

thats a very nice tree, though (and this is something i struggle with) i wonder about the flow of this tree.
the owner has the tree with a flow to the rights as he places it left in the display. the trunkline matches this pretty much however the foliage, deathwood and even the top seems to suugest a strong wind with direction to the left and leaves me wondering which is it now... id love to hear some other peoples opinon about this

In spite of our best efforts, or maybe, because of, the visual flow on some trees is ambiguous. I commonly see trees in which the tree exits the soil in one direction but the apex flow in a different direction....sometimes the trunk flow and branch placement are contradictory... Often this type of tree is controversial when being displayed because different people read the flow/direction in different ways....thus leading to disagreements about how to setup the display. Bill V. stated once that when in doubt look to the base of the trunk and let that determine the flow when creating a display, or deciding which side of the container to place a tree. In a recent thread, Boon advised Adair to display a tree contrary to the flow of the trunk but based on the flowers.

I guess the bottom line is that ambiguous direction doesn't lessen a tree to any degree but can make it more difficult to create a display with an aesthetically pleasing flow....one in which your eye is led through the display but retained within the display.

 

[Cadillactaste]

its a spruce, picea abies i assume, not sure.
in the picture you posted the tree is left side of the display with the accent(although not visible here) likely to be on the right which indicated he sees this tree to have a movement to the right.

A possible spruce (thank you)...it's foliage captured me...along with that trunk. But it seems soft...maybe because of the outline of the apex isn't so blunt. Are spruce foliage soft to the touch? Really ignorant on conifers.

Ahhh I see...yes,a full display photo was on his blog. The base of the root brings your eye to the right possibly. Not really all up on displays and settings myself.

So ones don't have to imagine what the display looked like.

 

[0soyoung]

Even though flow of the tree is definitely to the right, wouldn't it make sense to have the kusa in the lee?
The tree indicates wind from the right. It would be a more 'comfortable' presentation for me if the kusa was on the left, in the wind shadow of the tree.

 

[sorce]

This way makes pretty good sense,
Though I see what you mean Tommy, about the branches. It's not as conflicting in this further view though right?

It works like this to me....

I thought it could work the other way...with a scroll up there...and a companion plant further left.....


But there is nothing then to keep the tree from falling right (red arrows) in the "comfort centers" of our brains.

As it is.....the companion plant...
And even both the wood slabs
Push back to hold the tree "comfortable".

I wonder....if you could see more live vein in the base, if it looked more capable to anchor the tree....
Would that allow for a different placement?

Sorce

 

[armetisius]

Japanese judges at a European show...of course Japanese trees are going to win

John,
Are you implying that there could be some collusion/favoritism at an invitation only exhibition?
Shocked at the implications

 

[Walter Pall]

John,
Are you implying that there could be some collusion/favoritism at an invitation only exhibition?
Shocked at the implications

This is not an implication. It is a fact.

 

[Vin]

This is not an implication. It is a fact.

Is that the best you got? Please elaborate on the exhibition as a whole. It would be interesting to know how it compared to the Artisans Cup (since it's fresh in our minds)?

 

[Walter Pall]

I will only write as little as possible on any forums. It's your guess why this is so.

 

[sorce]

Sore typing fingers!

Sorce

 

[armetisius]

This is not an implication. It is a fact.

Yes Walter; my comment was meant to be sarcastic--snarky even.
But then no one would like a show I gave either. Why? Because nobody
would be allowed to enter a tree that they [themselves] had not styled,
grown, and owned for less than 5 years.
Documentation would be required in the form of photographs.

 

[Cadillactaste]

I will only write as little as possible on any forums. It's your guess why this is so.

I respect you Mr. Pall...enjoy your blog...and what you do share. But,it gets old dealing with the hoopla of all the voices and opinions I'm sure. When your knowledge super exceeds many by leaps and bounds. Would have loved to hear more as Vin stated...but respect your not wishing to take that path.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Yes Walter; my comment was meant to be sarcastic--snarky even.
But then no one would like a show I gave either. Why? Because nobody
would be allowed to enter a tree that they [themselves] had not styled,
grown, and owned for less than 5 years.
Documentation would be required in the form of photographs.

Set it up, I'll enter a few that meet your criteria. The JBP is the most recent addition of this bunch; going back to 2007.

Problem is, at some point, to really get to the next level, you have to start working with better material and better teachers...then people start implying you're inauthentic, or into checkbook bonsai. Those are usually the people who end up running off the Walter Palls from places like this, only to start whining why nobody good posts anymore.

In shows, it's the trees that win. Owners know what their involvement was, and across the spectrum, I sure there's still pride of ownership; whether you dug it out of the ground yourself, or earned the cash to buy a knockout showpiece.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

Could one ever enter a tree anonymously? I'd like to be able to do that one day at a show in the USA.

 

[Cadillactaste]

This way makes pretty good sense,
Though I see what you mean Tommy, about the branches. It's not as conflicting in this further view though right?

It works like this to me....View attachment 93269

I thought it could work the other way...with a scroll up there...and a companion plant further left.....
View attachment 93270

But there is nothing then to keep the tree from falling right (red arrows) in the "comfort centers" of our brains.

As it is.....the companion plant...
And even both the wood slabs
Push back to hold the tree "comfortable".

I wonder....if you could see more live vein in the base, if it looked more capable to anchor the tree....
Would that allow for a different placement?

Sorce

Yeah...I see those roots pulling your eye back around to the accent planting. But I don't claim to be knowledgeable in display. But see how it could work. So never questioned it.

 

[sorce]

anonymously?

Yeah....you gotta sell it to some other sucker for G's And you're done!

Sorce

 

[0soyoung]

Yeah...I see those roots pulling your eye back around to the accent planting.

And this is wrong to me; the ACCENT should NOT BE THE FOCUS of the display. The tree should not there to flatter the kusa (or if it is, you take the kusa, I'll take that tree).

 

[Vin]

I will only write as little as possible on any forums. It's your guess why this is so.

Yes Sir, I can appreciate your position.

 

[armetisius]

Set it up, I'll enter a few that meet your criteria. The JBP is the most recent addition of this bunch; going back to 2007.
View attachment 93285 View attachment 93286 View attachment 93288 View attachment 93289 View attachment 93292
Problem is, at some point, to really get to the next level, you have to start working with better material and better teachers...then people start implying you're inauthentic, or into checkbook bonsai. Those are usually the people who end up running off the Walter Palls from places like this, only to start whining why nobody good posts anymore. In shows, it's the trees that win. Owners know what their involvement was, and across the spectrum, I sure there's still pride of ownership; whether you dug it out of the ground yourself, or earned the cash to buy a knockout showpiece.

Quit it. Too jealous. They are all lovely. Only been back for like 3 years now. Give me some time to catch up.
Then we can have some fun.
Agreed on the latter part.Yes, Brian, but there are not many of us who actually want the pride of "I did that"
and are fixated enough that we document everything just for our own information and to track how the tree
is going.
"Checkbook bonsai" is a funny notion anyway. If you buy the base tree and you do the work yourself--even if
at the direction of an instructor--it is still your work. What isn't? "I bought it in this state and have the man
come in monthly to double check how things are going with . . . " Now that is checkbook bonsai. And I have
as much respect for them as I would some gallery owner who feels all "puffed up" because they finally landed
some tired Dali ink and watercolor--usually by accident. Owner ship does not constitute artistry or reason for
them to feel all special. Maybe it is just because I have always felt that taking credit for someone else's work to
be plagiarism and a form of lying. And if they are so insecure that they would rather lie then I have no respect
for them anyway.
Side question: Does the BBG still have the larger azalea that came from Calloway? It was a Naka work to
begin with.

 

[Cadillactaste]

And this is wrong to me; the ACCENT should NOT BE THE FOCUS of the display. The tree should not there to flatter the kusa (or if it is, you take the kusa, I'll take that tree).

It should be a continuous rotation of not mistaken. I just didn't have the other photo on my device to use the entire display shot. No way that accent over powers that tree. That tree is quite the show stopper. Thus drawing ones eyes back to it.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Side question: Does the BBG still have the larger azalea that came from Calloway? It was a Naka work to begin with.

The bonsai on display at the BBG actually belong to the Alabama Bonsai Society. We have an agreement to keep them on display if they keep them watered (we have an automatic watering system, so really the agreement is to simply not shut off the water). For whatever reason, the water kept getting shut off, and we lost around 40 trees over the last 6-7 years.

We finally decided to pull the few survivors from the display and keep them at members' homes for better care. I think we have one azalea left, but it's smaller; maybe 14" tall with a 4-5" trunk. If we have a second, it was a thin trunk, but we may have lost it a the last time the display was allowed to dry out.

We do still have a Natal Plum that was purportedly styled by John Naka. It's big, but rather unkempt.