Yesterday was a perfect warm sunny day I had a very welcome visit from my oldest Bonsai friend Teunis Jan Klein (NL) who runs the well known Bonsai centre “DESHIMA” in Nieuwe kerk aan de ijsel (NL). So I created a simple welcomes display in my living room on my high work table. In the background is a print of a picture that I made in the amazing Japanese garden in Portland Oregon. I worked this picture over with my paint program so that it looks like it was painted on canvas. The tree is one of my Hawthorns Yamadori (collected tree) that I found in Wales with Tony and Terry in the middle nineties. It has been in several shows over the years and she turned into a grand old lady that lives in a very special Dan Barton pot that he gave to me as a gift during one of my very memorable stays in his and Mom’s lovely place in the (U.K). I miss those days of being able to travel and meet all those different Bonsai friends!

Below: It was unusually hot that day and Teunis drove all day when he arrived…so I duck up a Japanese handmade wooden coaster and a bronze water basin with a gold-painted frog and blossom branch. To make it a real cooling composition I filled it half with water and plucked some little weed leaves that grow under my tables to float on the water.

Teunis was pleasantly surprised and we then spend a long good old friend’s time among my trees. Discussing and showing my work to a great artist is always an honour and a pleasure for me!
Cheers,
Hans van Meer.