Mastering Bonsai or rather having mastered Bonsai

The concept of taking a seed, making a drawing of what it will look like in 30 years, and then forcing it into that static image, then saying it's "done"... well... I've never heard of anyone doing bonsai like that.

If that's your goal, why even bother with using a live tree? Make the tree out of wood, clay, plastic, or metal. You say you want a holiscopic image to last forever of the finished design. Shoot, just make a sculpture.
Hank Miller in Buffalo uses ficus natalensis and designs the tree then fuses whips to create the tree. It only takes a few years. You've seen his trees at the National.
 
@darlene,

at Art I suck big time. However to compensate I did take art appreciation classes. Lots of them.
Love Old Master work and Pre-Raphaelite work.

We don't need to wire [ though it was done for a few years back in the 80's until Wu Yee Sun's book
became available. Lignan - Grow and Clip ]
Remember the skills were jumped in the 80's by visiting bonsai folk in US/UK and Italy.

Hey, I don't mind, I get to do the soil microbes, the soil and soon the power for big cold room for some more
temperate zone trees ------ as long as they can handle under 90 deg.F in Summer .
I can trim to tidy, repot, but just not design.

Remember also the designs precede the seed germination.
Once a tree is understood, it is shifted to the Design and then germinate the seed.
It is a little game K likes to play with himself.
I can prune just by looking at his designs. Just can't really create the Design.

I can also build by slab pots from K's designs, once again I can't design anything more than a rectangle.
Brain functions more with science and being tidy.
But I get the same benefits K does, the trees allow me to think.
Hope this helps.
Good Day
Anthony

Keep us up-to-date on the progress of your cold room for initiating and maintaining the dormancy of your temperate species. I think it would be a great idea for groups of bonsai enthusiasts in areas with warm/mild winter areas to have shared access to a walk-in refigeration room/unit. The unit could feature humidification and even lighting for conifers. Granted, this wouldn't be cheap to purchase and maintain, but if local bonsai clubs established one and the members chipped in so those who wanted to could use it, the idea might be feasible.

First, more growers need to try refrigeration for meeting dormancy requirements on a small scale and see that the concept is effective.

Also, as a side note Anthony, I learned that sugar maples (Acer saccharum) could survive a Central Florida summer (without the leaves getting fried) just fine, if kept in partial shade, as long as the tree had spent 4-5 months at 32F-40F between the current and the past growing season. So, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how many temperate deciduous species will perform well for you there if you properly utilize your cold room. From the sounds of it, you have already been successful with a number of such species.
 
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@Adair M ,

whoa slow down Sifu - chuckle.

You need to understand that the tree is not the focus, the benefit is in looking after it.
It gives, clearing of thinking, inspiration, slowing of the heart , good stuff for the health of body, mind and soul.

The fact that K can draw a design and hit it in under 10 years, means he has mastered his medium.
Plus we study how to work with nature ---------- emphasis --------- Health.

Additionally we don't force trees into anything, remember, studies done of live trees/ the best parts
are drawn, and it is a natural response.
Not something dug up and given a green hat.
We try to always work with what the tree can do.

And if you think the Chinese Scholars were so feeble of mind, well, you should do the bad thing and
read some more :)
Or is it you never liked to read and gain all information by word of mouth. Beware how much you
can be misled.
Good Day
Anthony
 
@miker ,

Yup been doing Celtis l, since 1980 and Celtis africana since 1993 or 6 as well as
Ginkgo [ UK whip ] 1993 and had a Trident , as well as apple.
Prime case of dead --------- dried out in the fridge.

Other than that entry in last week of January until April 1st, at crisper temperature
will do nicely, no problems.

Light can be sent in as eastern and bright, our sunlight is a good bit stronger than
the north.

@twisted trees ,

Thanks for that bit, now I / we feel more normal.
Sifu, made me feel like I was doing something evil.:)
Good Day
Anthony
 
Anthony, is so cheap he throws 5 cents in the loo to pick back up the cent that fell in accidentally
eh mike?
The one thing I know for sure about Anthony and his brother in law Khai is that they are both very good guys.
Talented artists and craftsmen,both.
Who don't mind sharing what they know and would give you the shirt off of their backs.
Cheap is in the eye of the beholder.
 
@Adair M ,
whoa slow down Sifu - chuckle.
You need to understand that the tree is not the focus, the benefit is in looking after it.
It gives, clearing of thinking, inspiration, slowing of the heart , good stuff for the health of body, mind and soul... ...
My Greek-Orthodox culture and system of values plus having my roots in East (Asia Minor to be precise) help me to completely understand your points, Anthony!
I stand by you!
And I bet you are the one who gains more out of creating Bonsai miniature trees!
 
My Greek-Orthodox culture and system of values plus having my roots in East (Asia Minor to be precise) help me to completely understand your points, Anthony!
I stand by you!
And I bet you are the one who gains more out of creating Bonsai miniature trees!
The thing is, Anthony doesn't create the trees. K does. Anthony only waters and pull weeds!

@Anthony, I've been tutoring you on JBP technique,
and general bonsai technique for several years. And now you tell me that all you do is water and pull weeds.

So, all my time spent with you is wasted.

And since you don't design bonsai, but you read books about it, you have no hands on experience. And yet, you try to school me in art appreciation? You say that the focus is not on the tree, but the looking after it? You think the object is to make the tree look like some drawing you made?

I'm sorry, I try to help those that actually work on their trees, and try to improve them. Not waste my time with poseurs.
 
@Adair M ,

Sifu,

why so sad ? All your thoughts were read by K and myself and chewed on, Tried and recorded in the book

So because I admit that haven't an Artistic bone in my body, but did take Art appreciation classes, it's
a problem ?
BUT I have been saying all I wrote since I have come onto Bnut ----------- a little confusing.
I can understand and appreciate Design, and that is good enough for me.

I hope this does not mean we must part ways, that would be sad.

Well if one can draw as well as K does, and also study tree parts, I would say, that's a great deal more than
most might apply to the tree.

I guess you also missed Alexandra's point, the philosophy, it is also the basis of European Art and Chinese
Art.
Well if this is goodbye, I thank you for all the help and I will be reading your replies to others.
Sadly Anthony
 
I don't think I'm very creative, either, Anthony.

Remember, I am the one accused to making "cookie cutter" bonsai. And doing everything "by the rules".

And yet, it seems I'm able to turn out some pretty nice bonsai.

I, too, studied Art History in College. I have visited The Louve, Le Jeux de Palm, the Ritzmuseum,
The Vadican Museum, etc.

European art has very little influence on bonsai styling.

Bonsai is not a "still life" art form. Like a bowl of fruit. Or a vase of flowers. Both of those are favorite subjects for painters in their attempt to capture the image of their subjects at their very peak of beauty.

We don't do that in bonsai. Yes, we try to capture the image of a mature tree, one that looks old, but the trees change over the years. Even through the seasons. No, bonsai is not a static art. It is more of a performance. At any given time, the tree will look as it does at that instance, for only a moment.

The skill of the bonsai artist can be seen in a couple of ways. 1) is the tree beautiful. 2) is the beauty sustainable. I have seen some trees that have been manipulated so that they look fantastic at a show. But upon closer inspection, you can see major faults that have been covered over with aggressive use of wire. The tree will look good for a couple years, but after that it's in trouble. The tree's long term beauty was sacrificed for beauty in the short term.

A skilled bonsai artist styles for the future. But, who knows what the future holds? Maybe a branch gets broken, an insect kills the apex... maybe one day you see the tree from a different angle and that side appeals to you more.

Bonsai trees are forever changing, growing, adapting.

If they stop, they're dead.
 
@miker ,

Yup been doing Celtis l, since 1980 and Celtis africana since 1993 or 6 as well as
Ginkgo [ UK whip ] 1993 and had a Trident , as well as apple.
Prime case of dead --------- dried out in the fridge.

Other than that entry in last week of January until April 1st, at crisper temperature
will do nicely, no problems.

Light can be sent in as eastern and bright, our sunlight is a good bit stronger than
the north.

@twisted trees ,

Thanks for that bit, now I / we feel more normal.
Sifu, made me feel like I was doing something evil.:)
Good Day
Anthony

Yep, as stated before, though they don't actually need to be watered very often while in refrigeration, if the roots dry out completely, the tree dies. It is easy to forget them in there and let them go too long. The only cases I have had with deciduous dying on me in the fridge are when I forgot to water.

How long have you had the temperate trees you have currently?
 
@Adair M ,

whoa slow down Sifu - chuckle.

You need to understand that the tree is not the focus, the benefit is in looking after it.
It gives, clearing of thinking, inspiration, slowing of the heart , good stuff for the health of body, mind and soul.

The fact that K can draw a design and hit it in under 10 years, means he has mastered his medium.
Plus we study how to work with nature ---------- emphasis --------- Health.

Additionally we don't force trees into anything, remember, studies done of live trees/ the best parts
are drawn, and it is a natural response.
Not something dug up and given a green hat.
We try to always work with what the tree can do.

And if you think the Chinese Scholars were so feeble of mind, well, you should do the bad thing and
read some more :)
Or is it you never liked to read and gain all information by word of mouth. Beware how much you
can be misled.
Good Day
Anthony
Can I ask what is the reason you write sifu?

Thanks
 
@miker ,

the oldest are the Celtis l, from Lafayette, Louisiana. 1980 or so, brought in to Trinidad
as seedlings. Zone 9 I believe.

@chicago1980

J.B.pine grows easily down here, and has to be started as seed, Plant quarantine will allow no
trees in, might infect the citrus.

We can keep them lush, and ramified, but have yet to learn how to get the needles shorter.
Been getting advice from Mr.Adair M, and the polite term is Sifu [ teacher ]
Good Day
Anthony
 
@Adair M ,

hmm, Sifu, I guess there is no difference in our thoughts, we expect the Design to change in say 10 years.
Will work the tree to it's max or just generalise the shape.

The drawn design, allows one to refer to, and not clog up the memory.
Plus, it shows one has mastered the qualities of the tree, and can create what is drawn.
Instead of a happy accident.

So a new design is created every 10 years or so, or the tree is given away.

As to European Art and tree designs, well K is Italian trained and it is that
training that guides his trees, Not Japanese ideas.
The drawings are western type studies.
The drawn images are based on what exists down here.
Perhaps to illustrate the difference a new term should be used instead of Bonsai or
Tree Penjing maybe ------------- small potted trees ?

Good Day
Anthony

^ I will add one bit ---------------- he who waters and weeds well controls the tree's health:):cool:
 
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