Expo Bonsai 2019 UK

[GavinG]

Mel, you are indeed a stirrer...

For me, the pomegranate is a triumph of technique, but it has ended up just looking fussy and congested. I can't see what appears to be a sublime trunk all that well, and the branches seem not as interesting (dare I say it) as the trunk - they don't harmonise with it all that well. My trees are of course nowhere near this level of sophistication. It feels like more (ramification) may not necessarily be better.

The blackthorn is in contrast elegant, graceful and well sorted, (although I might open out the top mass just a touch - whoever said bonsai growers were a picky bunch?) MJL, I agree something jars, but for me it's the pot - the trunk is very complex in texture, and so is the stand, but the pot is very plain and straight in the middle. Brilliant tree, for me.

Of course I have no right to criticise trees at this level, but I'm trying to refine my eye and my understanding.

Thanks for posting, wicked Mel!

Gavin

[melbrackstone]

GavinG

Happy to get some dialogue, Gavin! I would kill for a twisted Pomegranate!

[KIRKY]

I have see these twisted trunks before and I have to ask, are they really twisted or a trick of the eye? Instead of twists I wonder if it is not well placed wire damage from years ago giving the illusion of twists? Or many young whips fused together?
Whatever I too would love to have a twisted trunk of this quality.
Cheers
Kirky

[TimS]

That blackthorn is just the absolute definition of what i appreciate in bonsai.

I'm sure I would unknowingly walk past a dozen magnificent pines because to see such a tree as that blackthorn in person would captivate me.

[melbrackstone]

Kirky it's an actual tree, with a natural twisting live vein. The older the tree gets, the more it rotates. Our own Callistemon and some Melaleuca do the same thing... There are some pretty amazing examples out there.

twisted.jpg

Tim, I'll be honest and admit I'll nearly always walk past pines.

[LLK]

I suffer from some sort of eye/brain co ... the tree!
Geez, Mel, didn't you know that in order to stop the tree moving all you have to do is click on it?? And to start it again, just click again.

[melbrackstone]

That works fine if the shot is in focus, Lisa.

[TimS]

Mel: Glad to know i'm not the only one who walks past pines :|Same deal with junipers, i'm not particularly drawn to them as a general rule.I just cannot get anywhere near as excited about them as i can with deciduous and flowering bonsai.

Even the couple of pines i do still have, i only begrudgingly work on them, while i will devote inordinate amounts of time to my deciduous trees.

[melbrackstone]

Same Tim, but of course I'm excited about all the possibilities of our Aussie natives as bonsai as well. I guess I've just been over-exposed to pines and junipers for too long.... and living in the sub-tropics makes a bit of a mockery of styling trees for snow load.

[TimS]

Totally agree Mel!

In the same way; I went on a holiday to South Korea back in 2012 with some people i knew better then. One of these people was most partial towards chicken, and their apparent desire to share all food between us resulted in me consuming chicken for every lunch and dinner for 3 weeks. This has now resulted in, even 7 years down the track, a disinclination towards chicken on my part that is most vehement.

There is a certain parallel between that chicken experience and across to how much pines and junipers i was exposed to at one stage and my current indifference towards them. To continue the food metaphor, they are like pancakes. At first they are delicious, but after a while you get sick of them. Pines and junipers have 'pancaked' for me now.

Of course i am in awe of the skill required to create the beautiful pines and junipers, most assuredly it is beyond me, but they are just not my bag as Austin Powers would say.

Similarly not a lot of snow happening in the coastal suburbs of Melbourne since my first trip to Japan, standing under an autumnal avenue of Ginkgo at Sapporo University it was the seasonal changes of deciduous that captured my heart. Fortunately that has never 'pancaked', i'm not sure where in bonsai would turn if it did!

[melbrackstone]

Absolutely agree, Tim. Deciduous aren't really much chop up here either though, so I must admit to going for more flowering, especially if they're natives.

Harry has very kindly uploaded some more good quality images to his blog. Isn't he a champion? http://bonsai4me.com/Gallery/Gal%20Imag ... e%201.html

[TimS]

That first maple What my bonsai dreams are made of. Thanks for the link!

[Watto]

Thanks Mel. I know that the trees shown are the ones that Harry personally liked but I was interested in the number of "locally made" pots featured with the bonsai. A great thing in my opinion and there should be more of it in Aus I believe.

[melbrackstone]

Agree Watto, it's great to see the local potters getting some exposure too, both in Europe and here!

HOpefully there'll be some more static images available soon, I really can't cope with all these wobbly videos around now...