AusBonsai

For me the highlight was my own tree (I didn't see much of the others)
This tree was originally styled by Michael Persiano at the AABC convention in Melbournein 2007 Since the time I got this tree I have referred to it as "Michael Persiano's tree"
Now after three years and a restyle it is now "my tree"

very nice gerard!

thanks for taking all these pics over the past week or so! there are some amazing makeovers! and it looks like webos' had a pretty close idea on his tree!

yours has come out very nice too mate, well done to all that went it looked very enjoyable!

jamie

Came up great Gerrard!!! Well done... some great trees done today! Even saw a few 4:1's

I have studied with great interest the trees posted and I must say firstly, thankyou for your generosity in sharing. The quality of the stock was/is very good, and the end results even better. Secondly, what a great artist Hiro is. His skill in finding the bonsai within is excellant, and his sketches are great.
Sorry I missed the opportunity.

Thanks for the positive feedback.
In my time as a member of this forum (less than a year) I feel that I have learnt heaps from other people here. The last week and a half has been a new learning curve. I have attended 16 of Hiro's teaching sessions each session usually 8 projects and each project packed with little gems of information. I have participated in 3 workshops and 2 demonstrations and will take home a wealth of information. The more I learn, the more I realise I have a long way to go.
So I will just enjoy the ride.

Gerard, you have truly enjoyed yourself, and have gathered an immense pool of knowledge from watching and working with Hiro.
As you have seen he can make even ordinary stock work.

He can also make the nervous beginner, feel very good and important, because that is his way. As I was half the country away and could not sell enough trees, we could not make it.

I thank you very much for your time and effort put into these sessions and the posting the pictures. Craig has said that we should keep bringing, him here well I believe our club The Bonsai workshop is in talks with him now.

Our president is a personal friend of his. So we will see what happens for us.

Again thank you for this herculean effort.

Cheers Pup

Thanks Gerard for sharing your posts with us who could not be there!

I attended Hiro's Workshop and Demonstration in Ballarat in 2008 ... he is a terrific teacher, is able to find the tree within.

I am extremely envoious of the opportunity you have had during Hiro's 2010 visit!

Hi Gerard, it was another great day beats working your juniper looks great, i kept working on my pine when i got home but called it quits about 9.30.
when i couldnt feel my fingers
John m

Hi Gerard,

Thanks for all the pix from Hiro's visit, a great effort to be styling & taking photos as well, the before & after shots are great with Hiro's sketches in between. Thanks, too, for being drill-man on my cedar on Monday, won't it be great if the branch sets & doesn't go 'boy-oing' when the wires come off?

Back to work today! Cheers for now,
Elaine

Hi Gerard, good to see you got your juniper sorted, it looks so much better you must be really pleased. Tanks for posting all the pics on various sessions I have enjoyed them a lot.
Craig

Elaine: Thanks for allowing me to work with you on your tree.
It is nice to see you posting

He can also make the nervous beginner, feel very good and important, because that is his way

I made the same comment myself during the week, he accepts many people are beginners and takes extra time to explain basic concepts, a few minutes later he might work with a different more experienced person and work with them to achieve a result. His level of respect never wavers.

anttal63 wrote:Came up great Gerrard!!! Well done... some great trees done today! Even saw a few 4:1's

craigw60 wrote:Hi Gerard, good to see you got your juniper sorted, it looks so much better you must be really pleased. Tanks for posting all the pics on various sessions I have enjoyed them a lot.
Craig

I was never unhappy with this tree before the restyle, I was aware that to have a branch wrapped around the trunk a couple of times was not credible, but it added interest. Bar branches 3/4 of the way up were not ideal and the heaviest branch on the entire tree was one of them but this tree had been grown by a good nurseryman with bonsai in mind. It had been styled by an international artist and these faults were much too difficult for me to rectify.
I got home last night put the tree in the corner and pictured the result with more foliage less wire and raffia and knew that I had made the correct decision.
I will miss what was my best tree but will have to settle for a better one

Gerard:
Thanks for all the work in photographing, transferring, sorting, cropping, and posting. It's a lot of effort all up, given the number of sessions Hiro did. I think we all appreciate your effort not merely so we can enjoy the befores and afters, but as much because this material will no doubt help future bonsai enthusiasts who may not even have joined the forum yet! Great aids for learning AND inspiration!

I'm still working on my Juniper. I think its going to take me a week to get to where I want with this one.