Smoke
Ignore-Amus
As to the Yamadori discussion specifically; I think there is something that is neglected even here, without an artistic approach to the material I don't care how good the Yamadori is, or how old, or anything else about it, if the work that is done is not done artistically it will just be another piece of mediocre, albeit very old, middle of the road bonsai.
The argument that the very best bonsai in the world are Yamadori is true but there is something else true here; those very best Yamadori were styled and developed by the very best artists in the world. So it is nice and partially true that a serious bonsaist should work on Yamadori it is also true that Charlie Brown will probably not make a great bonsai out of a great Yamadori. It is a fallacy to think that the possession of a great piece of Yamadori stock is going to somehow make the owner, a great bonsai artist. A Yamadori does not come with some mystical blessing of talent to make it into a great bonsai. If you have not learned the skills, developed an eye for style or obtained the techniques necessary to make possible the impossible then it would be best to stay away from this stuff till you do.
First paragraph not withstanding, I read this a couple of times. Who could disagree with anything written. All of it makes sense. Mr Vance has stated some pretty common sense issues and delivered them sussinctly and to the point.
but....you knew it was coming... It is delivered once again in a pont of view that is one sided. Not all things are equal here. So with all things being equal I will share my thoughts and observations.
Firstly I have read this thread with delight over a couple nights. I can tell by the posters and where they live how they fall on the issue of collected material. Those that have acesss to real good yamadori live and swear by it and those that do not have any acesss to it have let us know in no uncertain terms that good nursery material is just as good. Now along comes Dan and writes this piece and some of it seems to cooborate those feelings and "TAH DAH" nursery material is equal.
The rub seems to be that if you have no talent yamadori is not going to give you an upper hand. I agree. No one ever said it would. If you have no talent nursery material is not going to do much good either. So if we can agree that most of us are going to settle for average to above average bonsai in our collection, and all things being equal what is so wrong with wanting my collection to be composed of average bonsai made from 300 year old craggy barked, lighting induced deadwood, twisted branched yamadori. Why would I want to have a collection of average store bought ramrod straight nursery grower branches on a untapering young barked, rootbound nursery plant?
Is the glass half full or half empty here?
I do respectfully disagree with the parts about ametures not working with the best possible material if it is something that is within their rights and means to do. I don't believe anyone has the right to tell someone they can't do something if they wish to. If it goes against you own moral feeling or your ideals, tuff toenails.
Cheers, Al