Bonsai - Living Art: June 2013

Monday, June 24, 2013

Progetto Futuro

This weekend Vid Novak end I spent two great working days with Enrico Savini at his school Progetto Futuro near Bologna. It was a great positive experience with intense two days of work, new knowledge and lots of fun.

When we arrived we first gave a quick look at his garden. Its a stunning collection of trees with many great masterpieces and award wining trees. Its a special and truly stunning garden.

After the quick garden tour we immediately started to work. Vid was styling his great Pinus Mugo. Its a powerful old Mugo Pine with great potential. It was prepared in the past for this step and now it was time to proceed towards the final image.

Vid working on his powerful Mugo Pine

Enrico Savini

Great Pinus Mugo almost done for this step

On the second day additional students came to the studio and Tommaso Triossi joined the group to help us all out.

Tommaso Triossi working with a PF student

Positive atmosphere in the studio

I was working on my Juniper and the goal of this step was to improve the branch structure, to refine the foliage and to restyle the first left branch. The problem with the first left branch was that it was to heavy and that from the side the branch didn't look good.

Juniper before the stylng

Four bigger branches ware cut off to improve the structure

Juniper after the styling

The result of the work is promising and im looking forward for the next steps. In the next step I will work on additional foliage refinement and development of the foliage on the first left branch. In addition to that there will be some improvements and changes on the deadwood. After that it will be time to start to search for the right pot.

The whole experience was really great, positive, creative and educative. The right combination of enthusiastic hard work and fun.

Saturday, June 15, 2013

The Bonsai Art of Japan - Episode 38

Great video form Bjorvala Bonsai Studio. In this episode Andrew Sellman styles a Juniper.

Thursday, June 6, 2013

The Bonsai Art of Japan - Episode 37

New video form Bjorvala Bonsai Studio presenting how to style a Japanese Black Pine (Pinus thunbergii)

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Andrea Melloni demo at the Bonsai und Kusamono fest Hallein 2013

In addition to the last post about the nice event in Hallein I like to share some additional photos from the demonstration performed by Andrea Melloni.

Andrea performed a demonstration on a Pinus Sylvestris and as he explained while working on the tree, the main goal of the first styling was to make the trunk line more dynamic. As usual Andrea showed great knowledge, transformed a quite boring tree into a tree with nice potential and again proved that he is a great artist.

Pinus Sylvestris - starting material

Andrea Melloni

End result of the first styling from Andrea Melloni

Sunday, June 2, 2013

International Bonsai and Kusamono Exhibition Hallein 2013

This weekend a nice bonsai event was held in Hallein near Salzburg. Unfortunately the only thing that is not possible to control, nature, made it shorter than planed and the organizer had to end the event earlier than planed. The strong rain in the Salzburg region in the last days, resulted in huge floods which was the reason that the truly nice and cosy event was cancelled on Sunday and the building had to be evacuated. I truly hope that there will not be to much damage for the organizer and the nice old city.

Despite of the enormous weather damage, where i hope that life will get back to normal as soon as possible, the event was a success. A nice collection of bonsai, kusamono and suiseki was presented, some interesting lecturers ware held, Andrea Melloni made a good demo, many visitors came to the event, there was also a huge sales area and the whole atmosphere in the old building, which is and very old salt warehouse, was really special.

Three members of the Slovenian bonsai Club exhibited three tree, some additional members visited the exhibition, our family's ware with us and if weather would not spoil the event in such unhappy manner, I would say we had a really great time. Unfortunately the sad feeling because what has happen to the organizer and the people who live there cant be erased, but I wish and hope that the flood will be forgotten and many nice memory's from the event will stay.