Bonsai Anniversary - 5 years in review

[Victrinia Ensor]

omg... and on #3.... when I first got that one.... I picked it out over the phone with Ron Martin... he used to let me call him... and I was in the nursery in a huge section filled with these awesome little hemlocks. I wasn't sure what to pick, so I called Ron... all crazy excited... and thank goodness he answered the phone... He talked me down, got me looking at things... told me things I should be looking for... and then told me to trust my instincts... to get the one which really appealed to me.

I was so grateful... and excited.... and I took it home... and a cleaned it up... and I was so proud... and a few days later they were having a "bring your tree for critique" after a lecture by Dave DeGroot at the Rim. Mine was last to be done.... I was so nervous, I think I had a mini anxiety attack.

He looked at it, and made a remark about the "fine Christmas tree".... and the president of the Seattle club made some other crack... and everyone laughed... and I never wanted to be non-existent so much in my whole life.

But after the laughter died, David tried giving me some ideas, and I realized I was not commited to styling it... I was afraid of ruining it. And in stead had settled for something mediocre.

So instead I turned it into a sub-alpine form... and while it wasn't executed extremely well, it was at least a vision... and a form more worthy of the material.

Between that, and the moment when Daniel said, "If a girl were brave...." I realized that half the journey was having the courage to do a thing. For better or worse... preferably for better.

V

 

[Dav4]

Happy bithday Victrinia... Wow..5 years in bonsai already.......I think I remember the blue star junipers you are talking about.. Didn't one of them kind of look like a ferris wheel.

...lol.....

Well, err ahh, it does have a somewhat striking resemblance

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

Hey! Haven't you ever heard of a "spoke" style bonsai??

V

 

[Attila Soos]

Hey! Haven't you ever heard of a "spoke" style bonsai??

V

My favorite is the white rock next to the larch.

 

[Smoke]

hummmmmmm..... Did someone mention a rock?

 

[october]

I remember very well you telling me that they said that someone had brought a christmas tree...In fact, I rmemebered that line while I was posting the tree

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

My favorite is the white rock next to the larch.

You can't poke fun of that though... I did that tree the day my grandmother died... and the rock is one of the many my Dad and I have picked up over the years... so it was appropriate as a memorial at the time. Plus I didn't know it was tacky to put rocks with trees at the time.

Don't worry... I or my grandmother are not offended... she watches over all of my trees anyway. Gotta love ancestors....

V

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

hummmmmmm..... Did someone mention a rock?

lol down boy....

I actually bought a rock for myself the other day... not a very good one. Again... humble origins.... but I like it... and the hubby wants to figure out how to make a diaza for it.

So yes... we definitely need to talk rawks sometime soon.

V

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

I remember very well you telling me that they said that someone had brought a christmas tree...In fact, I rmemebered that line while I was posting the tree

Yes... I remember telling you all about it. But something good came of it... like most painful lessons in life...lol

V

 

[Attila Soos]

You can't poke fun of that though... I did that tree the day my grandmother died... and the rock is one of the many my Dad and I have picked up over the years... so it was appropriate as a memorial at the time. Plus I didn't know it was tacky to put rocks with trees at the time.

Don't worry... I or my grandmother are not offended... she watches over all of my trees anyway. Gotta love ancestors....

V

This just shows how bonsai is much more than competitive sport. Mundane objects can be sacred sometimes. I can't help but feeling bad about poking at you, but as you said, I am forgiven...thank you.

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

It's all good brother... I would have no discomfort in you over that.

Here this will make you feel better... and amused again.... the "seikei"..... lol

It's always good to laugh at one's self.

V

 

[Victrinia Ensor]

You can clearly see where my dog was chewing on the end of the dead "trunk"... before I confiscated it. Of course there was the odd time she'd try to take it back... since it was on the deck and it was hers after all.......lol

V

 

[Just Duane]

Happy Birthday Anniversary to you Victrinia! I think its awsome when one can laugh at themselves. I think we should start a thread where everyone can show their first works Might be kinda fun fun funny!! Anyhoots, wish you many more bonsai years!!

 

[bonsai barry]

So let' see the photo of the tree that changed your life!

 

[tinhorse]

Thank you so much for sharing everything with us in this post......I have similar beginnings with bonsai. Its really nice to see some one having soo much fun with bonsai. Not taking things too seriously but still having the passion to continue to improve.

Thanks again for sharing

Steve