Must be a good person to develop good bonsai

[Anthony]

Here is the complete philosophy from the Chinese who started it x thousand years ago.

*** Do well in state exams, enter government, retire and move to the South China mountains.
No minimum wage, so you take family and servants with you.
Buy a couple hundred acres, using the Gvt pension, and Gentleman farm.
Build a suitable house for all the folk and live in - "poverty " "***

Use Bonsai, Scholar stones, Wine and ink to pursue your interests as a scholar.

Still works today.

The Japanese only show westerners a part of the philosophy, I suspect a land shortage.

However, we can still do it on this island. Just having to adjust for minimum wage.

I, as a young man expected to retire early and spend my life, quietly, with nano-technology.
Doing.

As you age, achievements become very important, and hobbies can keep you young, at heart,
in mind and body - also soul.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Eric Group]

That is some funny shit right there! I don't care who you plan to vote for!

 

[just.wing.it]

That is some funny shit right there! I don't care who you plan to vote for!

I want it on a t shirt, it a flag or something....

 

[sdavis]

You would think that an NHK video would pronounce the name of the art form properly!!

 

[johng]

You would think that an NHK video would pronounce the name of the art form properly!!

agreed!

 

[vaibatron]

I honestly don't know how I feel about this video. Kobayashi gives decent insight about how to let a tree guide you through it's training. A zen approach of saying square pegs don't fit in round holes. This is sound advice.

I was a bit off-put by the assertion about needing a great tree to learn something about bonsai. Maybe in his approach killing very expensive trees taught him patience, but I can't subscribe to this notion. This part, to me, sounds very disrespectful. Sure very old, expensive trees will die in careless hands, or of their own volition; however, had he learned patience before diving into the deep end, we may have a few more masterpieces to cherish today.

The good person bit: sounds like narcissism to me. Plenty of assholes in the world that make beautiful art. Bonsai is not a singularity in this respect.

An interesting clip nonetheless.

 

[johng]

I honestly don't know how I feel about this video. Kobayashi gives decent insight about how to let a tree guide you through it's training. A zen approach of saying square pegs don't fit in round holes. This is sound advice.

I was a bit off-put by the assertion about needing a great tree to learn something about bonsai. Maybe in his approach killing very expensive trees taught him patience, but I can't subscribe to this notion. This part, to me, sounds very disrespectful. Sure very old, expensive trees will die in careless hands, or of their own volition; however, had he learned patience before diving into the deep end, we may have a few more masterpieces to cherish today.

The good person bit: sounds like narcissism to me. Plenty of assholes in the world that make beautiful art. Bonsai is not a singularity in this respect.

An interesting clip nonetheless.

In Nov of 2000, I was fortunate to have visited most of the top Japanese master's bonsai gardens. I wish I still had the photo, but in the back of a very famous bonsai artist's garden, hidden behind the piss hole, was 5' tall pile of the most fabulous dead bonsai I have ever seen! (I won't name him out of respect but it was eye opening)

I keep a couple dead trees around just as a reminder to myself...but the pile I saw in Japan could have easily represented 6 figures worth of dead trees. Perhaps his pile was also maintained as a reminder??

 

[M. Frary]

In Nov of 2000, I was fortunate to have visited most of the top Japanese master's bonsai gardens. I wish I still had the photo, but in the back of a very famous bonsai artist's garden, hidden behind the piss hole, was 5' tall pile of the most fabulous dead bonsai I have ever seen! (I won't name him out of respect but it was eye opening)

I keep a couple dead trees around just as a reminder to myself...but the pile I saw in Japan could have easily represented 6 figures worth of dead trees. Perhaps his pile was also maintained as a reminder??

All of mine are piled up in the back.

 

[aml1014]

All of mine are piled up in the back.

As are mine lol

Aaron

 

[Smoke]

My Father, 81 as we speak and now battling cancer told me many years ago:
"Go thru life by breaking every task down to the lowest common denominator."

When I look around I see people with great trees, beautiful young wives, independent kids and big houses. Then I think each morning they reach into a drawer and pull out a clean pair of under ware and put them on one leg at a time, just like me. I sleep very well at night......

 

[Anthony]

Al,

years ago I was loaned a book on small houses and it said that the fixtures were what cost.
So I stayed with that idea. Not much into the trophy wife, I looked for sensible and hardworking.
Boys are all into Research in various sciences.

As to putting on pants or under ware [ jockey shorts ] I invented this device that allows me to levitate,
and put on both legs at the same time.
Then I invented a pair of helping hands to do the above for me............................................................

Aint science great!!!!

In all schemes there is one great truth ---------- is how we say it on this side.
Wise man your dad, he has my prayers.

Imagine piles of dead trees and famous Masters who keep them - Healthy

We compost the dead or burn for glaze ingredients/clay bodies.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[Anthony]

Note to self - Most arguments start on Friday.

Joking aside.
Johng's point is very serious!!

Years ago, we were warned that the majority of these guys learned by rote.
Change takes a long time with this method.
Improvement or advances are very slowly added on, if at all.

We actively discourage taking old specimens as the death rate is fairly high, even if one takes say 3
years to dig a trench half or one third around the tree [ at a given distance from the trunk ] and
enrich the soil, as well as putting a bonsai soil mix.
Very easy to damage a major root, or the root the tree is surviving on.

My question would be, if they are learning by rote and as far as we know no Art training [ Design ]

Just what are supposed to respect / learn / admire ?

Because of the West's different approach, what happens when the Art Students starting looking at
Bonsai as a real means of expression ?
AND they start to really add on Design ?
Boggles the mind.

There is a very big difference between copying a photograph [ even if you take it ] and the image you create
from a blend of imagination and drawn studied reality, like a Titan or a Raphael.

*****As Bonsai and holograms get closer and closer, wellllllllllll, a new artform will be born [ K ]*****

I resist the urge to say - Bonsai are lifeforms - and deserve a % of respect
Good Day
Anthony