Chamaecyparis Pisifera Bulevard

This tree is with me almost from the start of my bonsai trip, so around five years and actually the first post on my blog was written about this tree. All this time I constantly worked on the tree and step by step it is slowly improving. 

Chamaecyparis Pisifera Bulevard
- five years of progress

Last year the tree was exhibited the first time at the European Bonsai Exhibition EBA-2012 in Ljubljana. And while I'm looking at the photos now, I think it was not ready for showing it at an exhibition. Especially not ready for an Exhibition at a EBA level. But Ok, they didn't throw tomatoes at me and it was a positive experience.

Chamaecyparis Pisifera Bulevard - EBA 2012

This spring I repoted the tree in the same pot with a new position and left it to grow and gain energy. At the evening of Mick Jaggers 70th birthday, with a good and long Rolling Stones playlist, I started the next styling, changed the wire and in the next days worked on some details.

Chamaecyparis Pisifera Bulevard
- after the last styling

At the moment I'm happy with the result and maybe if the tree develops nice in the future and gains the right maturity, someday in a couple of years, it will be truly ready for an exhibition. Maybe even before Micks 80th birthday. 

Prunus Mahaleb progress

I collected this Prunus Mahaleb in spring of 2011 and in the first two years the tree made nice progress. I hope it will continue to develop with the same pace so it can be exhibition ready in the next 5 to 6 years.

Prunus Mahaleb after collection 2011-02

After a year of rest I started to style the tree in spring of 2012. Unfortunately I broke one of the main branches, but what is gone is gone and the good thing with Prunus Mahaleb is that new branches can be developed quite fast so in three to four years a new branch with a similar diameter will be developed form scratch. After the styling the tree was completely defoliated and re-wired in June 2012.

In spring of 2013 I transplanted the tree in a training pot, changed the angle and the old soil with a new substrat and made an additional styling focused on deadwood and branches structure. My goal was to develop a good basic branch structure with the right dynamic movement of each branch and especially  start the development of branches with natural proportions.

Prunus Mahaleb 2013-03

Despite that the tree was transplanted and styled in spring the growth was strong and vigorous so I decided to defoliate the tree completely in the June 2013 and make some new adjustments to the branch structure. 

Prunus Mahaleb 2013-06

Styled deadwood

Prunus Mahaleb 2013-07

The main structure of primary and secondary branches is done for the moment. The focus of the future development will be mostly on developing stronger branches and maintain the good structure, proportions and branch movement of each single branch.

I strongly believe that a quality deciduous tree needs to have, next to all other characteristics that make a good bonsai, a natural, mature and proportional branches structure compared to the trunk and of course with the same design principles of proportions for all additional branches (secondary vs. primary, tertiary vs. secondary and so on).

Progress from 2011 to 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.

The Bonsai Art of Japan - Episode 38

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

The Bonsai Art of Japan - Episode 37

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

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

Andrea Melloni

Andrea Melloni

Andrea Melloni

End result of the first styling from Andrea Melloni

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.

Stunning Juniperus by Tomaž Kovšca

Great Juniperus by Nik Rozman

Junperus - Roland Petek

Juniperus Chinesis - Clemens Marso

Cedrus - Hikari Bonsai School

Larix Decidua - Wolfgang Putz

Picea Abies - Andreas Holzer

Zelkova Nire - Heinz Leitner

Prunus Mahaleb - Karl Thier

Larix Decidua - Hans Weh

Ulmus Parvifolia - Jurg Stahell

Pinus Sylvestris - Georg Franer

Pinus Parviflora - Reinhard Plabst

Tilia Cordata - Karl Thier

Crataegus - Sepp Hofer

Quercus Cerris - Karl Thier

Carpinus Betulus - Jurg Stahell

Shohin composition - Bonsaiclub Brixen

Acer Buergerianim - Gerda Ramoser

Pinus Mugo - Helmut Bachmann

Quercus Cerris - Hermann Hagmann

Juniperus Chinesis - Hikari Bonsai School

On the way home we made a stop in the Bonsai Museum near Seeboden and all I can say, I recommend the visit.