AusBonsai

National Bonsai & Penjing Collection of Australia

Bonsai Pot Acquisition Prize - 2022

The Bonsai Pot Acquisition Prize 2022 is designed to encourage the appreciation of the art of bonsai pottery and to highlight the beauty and functionality of bonsai pots. The beauty and style of the pot adds to the aesthetics, the emotions evoked and to the way a bonsai is styled and maintained.

The Challenge
The challenge is to create a bonsai pot for a Coastal Tea Tree, Leptospermum laevigatum (pictured below). The Coastal tea tree, donated by the International School Brunei, dates back to 1989 and has been in training for the last 29 years. Two trees were grown from cutting and fused together to create a twin trunk.

Bonsai Pot Display
Selected pots entered will be on display at the Collection from Monday 21 March to Sunday 27 March 2022. Visit between 9am - 4pm, to see the creative interpretation by the ceramic artists.

How to Enter
Create a bonsai pot and write a 100 word description
Pots and entry form (found here) https://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.a ... BPCA_E.pdf must be received by the National Arboretum Canberra by 15 March 2022

If pots are couriered, please address to:
Attn: Leigh Taafe
National Bonsai & Penjing Collection of Australia
National Arboretum Canberra
Forest Drive
Molonglo Valley ACT 2611

Late entries will not be accepted.

Prizes
First Prize: $1000
Second Prize: $600
Third Prize: $400

The original artist, Grant Bowie, will be one of the judges.

Thanks to the Bonsai Trust Fund for sponsoring this competition

Hi Leigh, a suggestion was made this week to me to get the internal dimensions of the existing pot so that the potter can go purposely a little bit bigger, the same size or smaller. A deeper or shallower pot would also be at the discretion of the potter and would give us pots in the right size range.
I believe some of the pots last year were the wrong size to be considered for the intended tree.

Thanks,

Grant Bowie

Hi Grant

The internal dimensions of the pot are hard to measure with the tree in it. If I measure from the width of the lip of the pot, it is 24mm wide. So taking this from the measurements on the entry form, the inside measurements at the top of the pot would be: 412mm across and 332mm front to back.

Cheers
Leigh

Hi All, Leigh and I measured the rough internal dimensions of the current pot today. They are 41cm X 33cm X 7cm. The pot is a deepish, oval, Chinese made unglazed pot.

As I hadn’t read the entry form Leigh pointed out to me that external dimensions of the pot and of the tree are on the entry form.

Good luck to all those that enter the comp,

Grant Bowie

Hi Everyone

It seems a lot of people have had trouble finding the entry form. So I have attached it here.
Good luck.

Cheers
Leigh

Hi Everyone

I am just bumping this post up to ensure I haven't missed anyone that might be interested in entering a pot or two.
If you know any potters that haven't seen this yet, please let them know.

Cheers
Leigh