New term for American bonsai

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Do you think the French adapted the word from Latin because they developed their own style? Or, simply by nature of their own unique dialect..

Another example is the word, automobile...there is no refuting that other countries have different styles of (“cah” -in Boston), but should only one country use the term?

I am an individual from the U.S. who has been trying to immerse and educate myself in all of the many and deeply unique facets and approaches that is bonsai..to nearly the point of what some (my wife) would call obsession.

However, I have only been doing this for less than two years...does this disqualify me from the conversation?

I don’t know what this is, never thought of it as bonsai, but think it could be one day. For now I’ll call it contorted in southern antique enamel vessel. Thanks
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I like the way you think. As the founder of the American Nonsai Society, I hereby declare you "in".
Funny thing...this morning I was looking a ordinary household and outdoor objects that might make 'pots'. A terra cotta roof tile-like outdoor hanging candle holder, for example. That little painted pot next to your tree looks exquisite in the photo.
 
@Bananaman previously used the username @Smoke (Al Keppler), which goes back to 2006. Nonetheless, you are right. If you look up the contributions made under either account name they are for the most part unnecessarily abrasive or confrontational, and there is an obvious lack of positive contributions to this forum and indeed no sign of just plain participation in the community's shared interest in bonsai. After many people called him out for this, he recently created the following thread: https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/al-kepplers-tips-for-better-bonsai.35041/

He has, as an aside, created an astonishing number of self-centered threads that are completely unrelated to bonsai:

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/retirement-party.34419/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/shout-out-to-a-few-fans.34368/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/are-you-a-parrot.34299/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/what’s-al-been-doing.30757/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/pretty-tough-at-home.29042/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/rip.23677/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/to-argue-could-you-put-your-best-foot-forward-to-post.27390/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/you-have-been-warned.33373/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/j...pular-with-the-in-crowd-hail-bananaman.35115/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/the-bitchiness-is-not-over-yet.35647/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/i-love-this-guy.35092/

https://www.bonsainut.com/threads/let-me-try-this-one-more-time.34898/

At least he knows himself:
Well, THAT explains a lot!! Thanks for sharing that perspective.
 
I see. You are at least as good at bonsai as anyone here, and much better in some ways. You should be the one to make the decisions about bonsai.

I’m just waiting for you to tell us about how you made Ryan Neil’s career and your illustrious path in American bonsai again to show us what you are made of. Yaaaawwwwn.
You don’t read so good do you. You are just like many here and just skim posts and don’t read the words. That’s ok, put me on Ignore, that’s what I do. There are many here that bitch about me, yet bitch daily. Use the ignore function and “your” problem goes away. But... if you are like many here, you just want to bitch about something and I am convenient because I have something you want. A following. I find that most don’t want to put me on ignore cause you don’t want to miss anything I might have to say, and you get some kind of satisfaction out of wagging the tail of the big dog.

I get it. Like a big dog, you just nip at my heels.
 
Not saying it does, just answering your inquiry....
You even threw Lord Mugo for a loop.
That’s my point. Vance is telling me how I need to behave, when his past is as checkered as mine. He has twenty years plus on forums, and we have been posting together on six or more together for decades, the guy who always pulls the “ show me your trees card”. Now Vance has to this day defended Will Heath who was notorious for crapping up peoples threads with useless crap and never had a tree to save his ass. Maybe Vance has recently found the Lord and decided to be more gentle. But trust me Vance is in there. We are human. He is still the defender of the ASNF club.

It’s not my problem that Vance doesn’t keep up with current events here and just conducts fly bys.
 
@Bananaman previously used the username @Smoke (Al Keppler), which goes back to 2006. If you look up the contributions made under either account name they are for the most part unnecessarily abrasive or confrontational, and there is an obvious lack of positive contributions to this forum and indeed no sign of just plain participation in the community's shared interest in bonsai.

I posted 36 of my own bonsai in this thread. I have the before pictures of every one of them. All of them have contributions on this forum as to how they were made and how they have been maintained. Spend half an hour or how ever long you spent looking up threads to support your vitriol and look up the contribution threads and post them in a list. I think you will find it far out weighs the crap you posted. In fact if you open each of the threads you posted, most of them are a counter point to something going on negatively on the forum and I was posting that as a different perspective.

Again, like Vance says, post up the photos of your trees here and let’s see what you got. I’ll weigh how much credibility to give you in your diatribe. If that doesn’t work for you, either suck it up or put me on ignore. I’m not changing for you are anyone else for that matter. Debate my words not my style !!!
 
I like the way you think. As the founder of the American Nonsai Society, I hereby declare you "in".
Funny thing...this morning I was looking a ordinary household and outdoor objects that might make 'pots'. A terra cotta roof tile-like outdoor hanging candle holder, for example. That little painted pot next to your tree looks exquisite in the photo.

Thank you, it’s an honor. Nonsai represent!

The one next to my tree was teacup with coffee; however, with good ceramic bit...off to the races
 
That’s my point. Vance is telling me how I need to behave, when his past is as checkered as mine. He has twenty years plus on forums, and we have been posting together on six or more together for decades, the guy who always pulls the “ show me your trees card”. Now Vance has to this day defended Will Heath who was notorious for crapping up peoples threads with useless crap and never had a tree to save his ass. Maybe Vance has recently found the Lord and decided to be more gentle. But trust me Vance is in there. We are human. He is still the defender of the ASNF club.

It’s not my problem that Vance doesn’t keep up with current events here and just conducts fly bys.
And I still just answered your inquiry. I think it Vance knew who he was speaking with, the conversation would go differently. And he wouldn't bother asking to look at your trees he probably wouldn't have even chimed in.
 
You have me laughing at you now.

Bonsai start by transfer medicinal plants in Asia. This is the creation of Bonsai. Read some story you like, but this is the reality. Hai
Horseshit Hai

Do some research before you start pontificating. Specifically the Kamakura period in Japan and bonsai. It makes no difference whether the practice of dwarfing trees in containers started in south Asia. The Japanese refined it into what is generally thought of as "bonsai" today. It has over 500 years of history in Japan and before that in China and possibly (it's unproven) south Asia.
 
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Is a word that important? A tree in a pot is a tree in a pot. If I were to change anything that would be the way people in the west display bonsai. I personally don’t like or feel the need for scrolling, accents and those display stands. They just look old to me. I’d rather have a modern and more westerner display. That would be different on its own. My two cents.
 
Is a word that important? A tree in a pot is a tree in a pot. If I were to change anything that would be the way people in the west display bonsai. I personally don’t like or feel the need for scrolling, accents and those display stands. They just look old to me. I’d rather have a modern and more westerner display. That would be different on its own. My two cents.

"A tree in a pot is a tree in a pot" Not really. A good bonsai is very distinct from a potted ficus in the mall. That "aged" look doesn't just happen. It is developed by the maker of a bonsai. That's the difference between a potted ficus and a bonsai.
 
"A tree in a pot is a tree in a pot" Not really. A good bonsai is very distinct from a potted ficus in the mall. That "aged" look doesn't just happen. It is developed by the maker of a bonsai. That's the difference between a potted ficus and a bonsai.

Maybe the difference is that one is a good bonsai and the other is a bad bonsai. But that is according to Japanese rules. A kid or a person with a different background may find different. Anyways, my point was more about the how we display bonsai and how this may mark a difference between western and eastern bonsai?

Another question: how does American bonsai differ from European bonsai? Should it be an American thing? Or more of westerner way?
 
I'm about halfway through Bonsai Mirai's latest video "2018 BSOP Rendezvous-Sierra Juniper Demo". Ryan mentioned that we may need a new word for American Bonsai, just as the Japanese changed the original word from penn jing to bonsai. After trying to come up with an English word that might fit, I went to Latin for inspiration. After trying several combos, I came up with " Arbor Artis". "Arbor" meaning tree and "Artis" meaning art. Kind of fun going through different combinations.

The video is awesome, by the way.

dumb idea...
 
I always thought American bonsai is a term to promote native american species and local stands, pots etc . Kinda commercially driven in a way. I think it even works. And I don’t mean this in a bad way you know.

But as for styling, It ain’t all that different from japan. It depends on the person which style he designs most, also in japan it is like that.

In this age bonsai is a universally used word.
Unless something is actually different it’s kinda weird to use a different term, but hey you can if you want to
 
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