Joshua Roth New Talent Bonsai Comp.

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So, I learned of bonsai in the summer of '08 and collected a few local seedlings at that time, and my journey began. That same fall I bought a couple juni's from lowes and a couple boxwood from a local landscape nursery. Then at the national exhibit I bought a Brazilizan rain tree, and a friend gifted me a larch. In '09 I added a JWP, a KHB, and a trident, and I collected several larch succesfully.

I'm thinking of entering the JRNTBC to be held at the Mid-Atlantic Bonsai Society show in April.
It is in New York and may be the only opportunity for me to ever enter. My trouble is that I've only really had one growing season to make any style changes (required for photo submission for quallifying) and some of the plants couldn't be worked on due to the time of year I aquired them, and the condition of the plants.

So, I'm asking the opinion of you nuts here. I'm posting links to my trees that I have personally styled. Which ones would you submit pics of? A minimum of three trees are required to be photo submitted for the first part of the competition.

Thanks for any opinions/suggestions/comments.

Dave

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2370 JWP
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1826 Box
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1961 Larch
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2736 Juni
http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2738 BRT
 

Bill S

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Dave I don't think it will hurt to send them all.

And I am not saying it just because I might see you there. Yep I am thinking of entering myself, as well as being part of the MABS committee. are you in the Mohawk club??

Go for it, doesn't cost you unless you weren't planning to hit the MABS Spring Festival. Speaking of which I need to set up an announcement.

See you there.

Bill
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Check out last year's winner!

Hey HotAction,

The guy that won the Joshua Roth competition at the 2009 Riverside convention here in So Cal is a guy named Peter Tea, here's his web site:

http://web.me.com/petertea/PeterTeaBonsai/Pictures.html

If the level of competition is anything like it was here in So Cal, brother you better get your chops way up if you want to win! Not to say you're not capable, but I couldn't believe how tough the competition was. I'm no new comer and I would have been thoroughly schooled!

What the heck, send in those pics and give 'em hell.

JC
 
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Tachigi

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Dav and Bill, Submit your applications and go for it. However know this, the level of competition is fearsome. Most of the people that make the cut for the competition have at a elevated skill level. Over the years a lot of the contestants and /or winners have studied a long time under people Like Boon, Colin, Ernie Fernandez etc... not saying this to dampen your spirit, just a clear picture of what the competition is like.

A good person's brain to pick is Dorothy's (Cascade) she was a contestant in the 2005 JRNTC during the World Convention in DC and she has talent to boot. She is very approachable and a great lady...she might be able to give you some insight if you drop her a PM. Check the pictures below of Dorothy, more can be found at www.absbonsai.org

Good Luck :)
 

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HotAction

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Thanks for the tips and advice everyone. Winning isn't really a concern for me. I looked through the previous winners and noticed they had studied w/ some of the best. With it being so close (opportunity may not present itself again) I wondered how deep the talent pool is among people who can commit to attending.

I think it would be a great chance to meet some great bonsai people and that would be the best part for me.

Thanks again,

Dave
 

HotAction

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Dave I don't think it will hurt to send them all.

And I am not saying it just because I might see you there. Yep I am thinking of entering myself, as well as being part of the MABS committee. are you in the Mohawk club??

Go for it, doesn't cost you unless you weren't planning to hit the MABS Spring Festival. Speaking of which I need to set up an announcement.

See you there.

Bill
Greater Springfield Bonsai Society

I'm not a member there(MV), but participate in their forum and know a few of the "goodfellas";)
I just joined the Rochester club last night, and have been a member of the syracuse club since I started.

I'm going to "woodstock III" at Jim Doyle's the following weekend, and would like to go to MABS too, but it's my GF's birthday. So...if i'm not in the competition the trip might be a tough sell;)

Dave
 

Bill S

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I hear you Tom, I am familiar with a couple of the runner ups, could be because they are in our club.:)

Last year eligible, and I have been fairly happy with my progress of the last few years, having had the opportunity to learn from Nick, Suthin, Roy Nagatoshi, Grahm Potter, Pauline Muth, Marco, Omachi, Easterbrook, Robinson, Banting, Valvanis, and a few others helps the cause a bit. Another in our club has been studying with Colin in his course, and may be there this year, it's nice we often agree on different aspect of bonsai design, builds my confidence.

Going to be there anyway, might as well see if I can meet the challange. My biggest problem at this point is finding out if I have my pix records. Haven't found the files or discs yet, hope they weren't in any of the 3 pc's that have crapped out on me the last few years. No potting up will help the cause somewhat due to the contest is at least a day long affair.

Besides just like any other game, you need to actually play the game to see who wins. I figure that for the price( zero if you were going to attend the conferance anyway), getting to work on a tree to try to make a believable bonsai is a no brainer. If it turns out the result is good I will be able to buy it for myself.
 

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I hear you Tom, I am familiar with a couple of the runner ups, could be because they are in our club.:)

Last year eligible, and I have been fairly happy with my progress of the last few years, having had the opportunity to learn from Nick, Suthin, Roy Nagatoshi, Grahm Potter, Pauline Muth, Marco, Omachi, Easterbrook, Robinson, Banting, Valvanis, and a few others helps the cause a bit. Another in our club has been studying with Colin in his course, and may be there this year, it's nice we often agree on different aspect of bonsai design, builds my confidence.

Going to be there anyway, might as well see if I can meet the challange. My biggest problem at this point is finding out if I have my pix records. Haven't found the files or discs yet, hope they weren't in any of the 3 pc's that have crapped out on me the last few years. No potting up will help the cause somewhat due to the contest is at least a day long affair.

Besides just like any other game, you need to actually play the game to see who wins. I figure that for the price( zero if you were going to attend the conferance anyway), getting to work on a tree to try to make a believable bonsai is a no brainer. If it turns out the result is good I will be able to buy it for myself.


Bill, thats a pretty impressive list of names to be throwing out there. Do you have a good tree that exemplifies the knowledge gained from this list of artists. I have not nearly studied with such a large group. I would be curious to know what insights could be gained from this kind of study.
 

Tachigi

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Besides just like any other game, you need to actually play the game to see who wins. I figure that for the price( zero if you were going to attend the conferance anyway), getting to work on a tree to try to make a believable bonsai is a no brainer. If it turns out the result is good I will be able to buy it for myself.

I agree Bill, you have to play to win....but knowing if you have a chance to win is a basic strategy of any contest. If your going to have your proverbially teeth kicked in it might be best to wait an hone your skills a bit more. Not directing this at you specifically, just mentioning in general.

Also, unless the rules have changed (didn't look) you just don't get to work on a free tree if you attend. You have to qualify and make the cut. Then if you do...you get to work a tree...and not necessarily one you want or choose...

Good luck with it Bill...get your game on
 

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Here is a few shots of the final entries from the finalle at the GSBF convention in Riverside where the competition ended.

All were 5 gallon procumbens.
 

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Smoke

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The last two...
 

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Bill S

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Hey Tom, understood on the qualifying first, thus my issue with coming up with the older photos.

Al, our club is active at bringing in the traveling artists, it helps we pair up with a sister club and share. So it's not like an active study with these guys, although we do make anual trips to Nicks. I'll try to get some newer shots of my trees, crappy camera, dial up at home, etc. has kept me from all the documentation I would like to keep up with, need to do it for the entry qualification any way. That said we are working on details to try to do a study group with Suthin, which I think will go a looong way to boost my abilities. Starting to believe that a steady diet from one source will work better than varied opinions from all over the place. Not to say that having workshops and demos from a variety is a bad thing either, you just have to think about how the variables change with locations, and materials, etc.

I would like to think that my first five rather than 10 years as a beginner are well behind me, the last few have been productive and my trees are starting to show it. I did have the misfortune to loose a bunch of trees about 9 years ago, and I kind of gave up for a while, too bad too they would have been pretty nice tree by now. Dollars are my only hinderance now, but my thoughts are now geared to starting with better materials so hopefully I can enjoy some finnished trees on my own benches.

By the way which of those was the winner?? Also looking back at some of the contest photos I have seen, I feel that I could do at least as well as what I have seen from previous contests.
 

Tachigi

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Starting to believe that a steady diet from one source will work better than varied opinions from all over the place. Not to say that having workshops and demos from a variety is a bad thing either, you just have to think about how the variables change with locations, and materials, etc.

In my opinion that is key...understanding one approach from one artist that you connect with, till you have a firm grasp of that artist's approach. Then pull in other influences from other artists, sure fire way of putting you on the fast track. Sensory overload can and often will keep you static.
 

Bill S

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If I remember correctly you worked with Colin didn't you, still are too maybe??
Brian Kelly from our club has been working with him, and really likes the way things went.
 

Bill S

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Al, here are a few that I had in my flash drive, not great shots, but a representation of some of my trees. Still need work, and relatively new materials, so they are in the be careful don't do too much at once stage.

left to right Yamadori Hawthorn, Larch form the swamp, Serrissa, Shimpaku Kishu, Tigerbark Ficus, dead juniper, prostrata semi cascade.
 

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Tachigi

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If I remember correctly you worked with Colin didn't you, still are too maybe??

Yes I did .... Worked 6 years with Colin...was a worth while experience, though all must come to an end.
 

Ang3lfir3

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By the way which of those was the winner??
If i remember correctly it was either the third one from the first group (#5) or the first one from the second group (#2).... I can't remember which, I can tell you the judges found it very hard to judge the competition as it was pretty tough.

It was suggested by one of the judges (besides Dan) that my wife and I should compete in this competition in the near future... so look forward to some additional competition in years to come.... I have a few trees that are being groomed for just this task :p
 

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It was supposed to be in Idaho for 2009 before it got moved to Ca..... I was seriously considering entering it until I heard it was moving...Idaho could have been tied in with a collecting trip. Oh well. I have been nudged to persue it but I don't think I will unless it came real close to home then I would be tempted. I think it could be fun.

Jason
 

Bill S

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Thanks Eric, I like the #2 at least from the photos. I tend to agree, you guys could do well, hope you have the chance to give it a shot.

Jason, all I can remember is seeing "see you in Boise", didn't realize it had changed. I agree about the fun aspect, and again partly because it will be held at our venue, so I will have the travel aspect already covered.
 
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