Bonsai Week Masterclass Road Trip 2020

[MJL]

I was fortunate to be nominated (by YVBS) and then selected to participate in work shops during Bonsai Week 2020. On Saturday 28th March, I will be in seperate workshops with Marija Hadjic and Nik Rozman: https://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.a ... -week-2020

This is quite a privilege! I am as nervous, as I am excited.

Hopefully this thread will capture the Road Trip - the preparation, the trip, the workshops and hopefully some of the vibe over the next 3-4 weeks. I will also present back to the club upon my return.

I am nervous because this is my first workshop of this kind. I am excited for obvious reasons - to learn, to meet people, to explore different thinking and styles with the stock that I have. On the stock, I am delighted to have purchased some interesting rough-stock from a wonderful couple. (I am not naming them here to respect their privacy but alas - I look forward too caring for these trees and hopefully creating something interesting and evocative with each tree in due course.)

So to start. Here are the trees. Apologies in advance for those who dislike Junipers and Pines.... look away now and ignore the thread accordingly.

First is a Juniperus procumbens 'Nana'; yep, a common garden Juniper. I have played around with these early in my bonsai years but steered away ... too many lazy s-bends and skinny trunks. Alas, this is not that. There is width, taper, interesting movement, twisted trunks - there are numerous and interesting options upon which to take this tree. I continue to consider those options as I ponder the workshop. A semi-cascade seems obvious but I wonder about others options.

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If the tree above is about options, perhaps wiring and refinement technique. The next two are more challenging. They are about structure and perhaps, bending technique. More robust branch movement and alignment techniques.

The next is a Shimpaku Juniper. A healthy, thick multi-trunked beast that takes the mind in many directions. Directions that I find hard to see and I am sure a challenge for all but I hope some inspiration may lay within.

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Finally, the last tree, a Pinus Mugo is in, almost as an after-thought. A tree thrown in the boot at the last minute. It used to be a Niwaki in my friend's Japanese garden - so the challenge to convert to such a leggy tree to bonsai is obvious but .... there's something there I reckon.

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So there you have it - 3 trees (of which I'll take but we'll only pick two to work on), 2 masters, 2 workshops, 1 rank amateur and an exciting trip to be taken.

Updates to follow. Comments welcome.

[anthonyW]

Lucky you Mark, great opportunity and great times and wonderful stock you have, i can see beautiful trees in those images, enjoy as I know you will, have a blast mate.

Anthony

[Keep Calm and Ramify]

The Mugo would be the my No.1 choice to work with MJ.
There looks to be great potential there to make something really unique. Go Hard!

[KIRKY]

Agreed Mugo and the Shimpaku, you could probably dump the other along the way some council will take it !

Cheers
Kirky

[Keels]

Hey Mark,

I can't wait to hear the road trip story and see how your trees progress over the workshops. It should be a fun weekend

I found that with workshops like this if you research the teachers and have an understanding of their skill set then you can try and workout what you want to achieve with your material knowing their skills etc

[boom64]

Have a fantastic time Mark. I hope you have a shovel with you ,might be some roadworks along the way... The mugo gets my vote as well ,very interesting..Cheers John.

[TimS]

Enjoy the workshop and the road trip mate. Having seen these in person I am jumping on the Mugo train, i think it has the potential to be something really interesting. I think the junipers could be reimagined too with lots of branches and foliage to play with.

I’ll be interested to see the results!

[Ryceman3]

Mugo all day for me.. you’re gonna have a blast!!!

[MJL]

Cheers All.

The initial feedback on the trees is interesting and aligned with my thinking but I am intrigued; I am finding it hard to reconcile my own understanding/bias with the trees in front of me.

Re: the Procumbems - I remember Ryan Neil noting at the Australian Native Conference last yeat: "Why do people dislike these juniper Procumbens .... small leaf, pliable, excellent bark, can be worked easily ...." Not a direct quote but words to that effect.

Perhaps it is these Juni's are a starter plant for many and we see (and design ourselves) many poor plants .... for the reason that we are learning. Perhaps it is because the little blighters can be prickly and cause rashes.

Yet, there are truly magnificent specimens to draw inspiration from. And when I think of bonsai - what do I want? Good nebari, a strong trunk/base and taper, movement and interest in the branches. Add in, growth close to the trunk and through the branching, the perception of age. Hmmm. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.

Re: the Shimpaku - exciting but I am really finding it hard to find the tree within but I am excited to potentially have a reasonable Shimpaku in development.

Re: The Mugo - most peoples favourite going in. Very captivating to my eye. Yet - a paradox. In much of what we learn of bonsai - this specimen has some substantive flaws from the get go. The growth is at the ends on elongated branches, the base of the trunk while thick and old, is especially great in the context of nebari and flow up through the tree. A challenge to be sure.

So - my historical biases aside and with my current level of knowledge the tree that should take pride on my bench in a few years time is a will worked Procumbens...having a good foundation from which to refine an interesting and exciting tree. That said, there is beauty in surprise and mystery in the unknown and we'll see what lies ahead for he other trees.

Who doesn't love a story with beauty, mystery, intrigue and of course death and despair should one make a wrong move.

As I noted in my opening post. Each of these trees - however they turn out - mean a lot to me by way of their provenance. They will remain in my care while I stalk this mortal coil and I will do my best to bring out their best. (As long as I don't kill 'em in the trying!)

[TimS]

I think the procumbens instantly is at a lesser appeal because it’s very ‘my first bonsai’ as a species. Therefore it is never as highly regarded as Shimpaku or virtually any other species. That and it’s a prickly bugger! I detest procumbens juniper though, so maybe I’m far too biased to have a balanced view

Similar thing happens with Chinese Elm. It’s a default for many beginners, so even amazing Chinese Elm are not as highly regarded as other deciduous

[Pearcy001]

If you want the best possible outcome, take all three and let the artist decide. Personally I think the Mugo and the Shimpaku (Especially if you can't picture what you will do with the Shimpaku at all).

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[Ryceman3]

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Re: The Mugo - most peoples favourite going in. Very captivating to my eye. Yet - a paradox. In much of what we learn of bonsai - this specimen has some substantive flaws from the get go. The growth is at the ends on elongated branches, the base of the trunk while thick and old, is especially great in the context of nebari and flow up through the tree. A challenge to be sure.

Exactly the reasons why it makes good fodder for this kind of weekend. I look at the others and I can see there is a tree to be had. I look at the Mugo and I’m sure there is something in there somewhere, if only I had an experienced dude to help me bring it to the fore??? But wait... right now - I DO!!

[MJL]

Yep, I get it but I also don't want to ask a master to polish a turd.

I jest, of course, I do not think any of these trees are "poo tickets" to coin a phrase and I am with You, Pearcy and others - in the context of the potential in the Shimpaku and Mugo ...I am constantly looking at options for each of the three trees and will have a number of options marked to facilitate discussion on the day. I'll certainly take all three and let the respective visiting masters choose ...to optimise their skills and creativity.

[shibui]

I was thinking exactly along the lines of your earlier post. Procumbens has most immediate potential. Shimpaku is a great species but this particular tree only has a great base then long, straight branches Similar with mugho. At least the shimpaku will grow after cutting back.

Good workshop leader should be able to see potential in trees we mere mortals can't. They will know more techniques that could be used to make something out of most material but can still only give you what is actually available in the tree. Sometimes the value in a workshop is not in the tree you take home. Often far more value in the ideas and techniques you take home to work on future trees. The tree you take can just be the vehicle to gather ideas and practice on.

I'll certainly take all three and let the respective visiting masters choose ...to optimise their skills and creativity.

There is nothing wrong with taking extra trees and asking the leader which they would prefer to work with. That allows them to pick the one they see most potential with the skills and vision they have.

[Matt S]

Hey Mark,

Firstly congrats on getting to the workshops, I went to the workshops for Bonsai week in 2018 and had an amazing experience. As I was flying in and out I wasn't able to take my own trees but even working with someone else's material was an incredible learning opportunity and I had a lot of fun, even though I had to hand the trees back to their owner! The finished tree is only part of the experience, so whichever tree gets chosen will be a good choice.

I wouldn't be shy on working with the procumbens either. As stated before a good workshop leader could produce something special. Once we had Mauro Stemberger do a demo at our club with a procumbens and it was one of the few times I've been genuinely surprised at the style that he chose and the quality of the finished tree.

It's great that you'll be recording your experience here. Have fun!