DEMONSTRATIONS AND WORKSHOPS. – Page 7 – The Bonsai Blog of Hans van Meer

THE FIRST STYLING OF ED’S PINE.

Hi, everybody,

last Thursday my student Ed van der Reek brought his latest find, a Pinus uncinata, to my garden to give it it’s first styling. This small Pine showed all the typical Yamadori futures we look for in good Bonsai material, But on the other hand, it showed just as many typical Yamadori problems, that needed to be solved, or better yet, incorporated into the overall Bonsai design, in a way that would actually make the tree look better. There is a lot of beauty to be found in imperfection!

More text to the pics will follow tomorrow!

Left picture: Sorry for this poor picture against that bad background. Those two chairs were there for me, I had to go sit down every now and then! Point A: Shows one of the only 2 branches on the battered Pine. It is a to long branch, that grows from an ugly spot on the back side of the tree. It will be a major problem, to use this weak branch in any design we might come up with! Point B: Shows the second (Cascading) branch. This is a very hard to bend straight and thick branches, from which, way down 3 secondary branches grew. 1 strong and long and 2 smaller and weaker once. Above this branch, you can see a large dead wood stump that needs to be reduced and shaped in the future after the tree has its new image!

Right picture: A: Close up of the weak back branch.

Left picture: Side branches B and C are the weakest 2 of the 3 growing from the main branch, and they are placed to low down. ED uses wet raffia to tightly wrapped the place where the thick branch endures the most pressure when it is brought into the desired position. Than 2 lengths of copper wire are, with the help of pre-cut small pieces of thin wire, placed lengthwise along the side of the outside curve of the branch. The small pieces are there to help you attached the lengths of wire along the side of the branch, even if you work alone. Just hold them in place with one hand and use the other to swing the little piece around the area you are holding and then tighten it by hand and then by pliers. You repeat this process along the rest of the branch, very easy this way and it ensures that the lengths of wire are very tightly bound to the part where the branch needs protection from breaking! Then, as tight as possible, another layer of wet raffia was applied and over that layer normal wire was applied to hold everything tightly into place!

Right picture: A normal wood clamp was used to, very easily, bend the thick branch, bit by bit, into its desired position. The 15 minutes break we took in between the bending of this all-important branch, were used to wire the rest of the smaller branches and to drink some more coffee.

Left picture: Point A: The base of the branch was secured by a piece of copper wire to the dead stump. To prevent it from being torn off at its base! Here you can also clearly see the large deadwood stump that hides most of the main branch. This deadwood needs to be reduced and shaped in the future. In a way that fits the tree design as well as hiding the straightness of that same main branch.

Right picture: WOW! Look how far it has come and without any problems. Ed still can’t believe it! 🙂

Left picture: Side branch B is bent down and appears here from under need the trunk.

Right picture: Here Ed is carefully bending the cascading (side) branch into position.

Left and right picture: The now useless side branches are removed by Ed.

Left picture: without hesitation, Ed removes the useless branch on the right (back) side of the tree. Leaving a stump for a future Jin.

Right picture: After an afternoon of fun, Ed can really smile with the outcome of his work. The deadwood carving will be don later when Ed is more used to the trees new image. He has to charge his fantasy first for a while, so to speak. I am sure this tree will turn out just great in the future!

Most of the times I make a drawing, but this time I made this virtual of this future Bonsai for Ed. There are no back branches visible in this drawing, but there are 3 of those in the real design. Out of experience with my own trees, I have learned, that when the proper technique to stimulate back budding are applied on these Yamadori Pines, a design like this can be visual in 7 to 10 years. I know it sounds like a long time, but every step in the life of a Bonsai is worth taking, believe me!

Ed is happy so I am very happy, so it was a good Bonsai day again!

Regards,

Hans.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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THE ” BURRS TURKEY CATS ” GROUP PHOTO!

Hi, everybody,

Here is the “TURKEY CATS” group picture that Kevin Baily made at “BURRS”.

You can find more pictures here: http://www.dragonbonsai.co.uk/burrs.htm

And a picture of some typical “BURRS” humour! 🙂

Cheers,

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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THE 2008 “BURRS” RESIDENTIAL BONSAI WORSHOP WEEKEND REVISITED!!!

THE 2008 “BURRS” RESIDENTIAL BONSAI WORKSHOP WEEKEND !!!

Hi everybody,

this weekend I had the immense pleasure to be a part again of the, 2008 “BURRS” residential bonsai workshop weekend, that Tony Tickle organize every year. This was already my 3 time there and I am already committed to doing the next one in 2009. And it is almost fully booked, so if you are interested to join us next year, you can find more Information here: http://www.bonsaischool.co.uk/

I must admit that lately, I have lost my belief in a part of the bonsai community. I was so very disheartened by the behaviour and attitude of some, that I decided to stay out of any debate in the future, that could not be won, even if I was right! So I have stopped posting on some forums to avoid temptation and aggravation. My precious time is better spent on my own Bonsai and Bonsai friends. It just wasn’t worth any more of my good intended time!

But after this weekend in “BURRS”, being an intimate part of this large group of egoless and pretentious Bonsai lovers, that I call my friends, I know again, where I can find the true heart and soil of Bonsai.

They all come every year to this magical place in the U.K, from different countries in Europe, to teach, learn, eat and drink and have immense fun while creating beautiful stuff!!!

I thank all these dear Bonsai friends for their trust in us. This weekend was like a warm bath for me and you all revived my spirit and believes! Thanks Tony for organizing this event so well every year! And thanks to Ivo, Enrico and my dear friend Terry for their love of Bonsai!

I will see you all next year in magical “BURRS”!!!

“Turkey Cats” Rules !!!

Have fun,

Hans van Meer.

The picture above: I arrived at the “John Lennon” airport in Liverpool early Friday morning, where my dear friend Tony Tickle was waiting for me. We then drove up North, had a typical English breakfast in a fully for Halloween converted diner, while we waited for my other friends Lee and Simon to arrive. From there we drove up to a wonderful place to collect some Yamadori from a rather steep and hard to climb mountain. This picture tells how lucky I felled to be able to do that because only a week ago my back problems became so bad that I could hardly sit up, let along climb up a mountainside. It took some heavy medication, but I made it up there! The Bonsai gods were with me again on this one!

Below: The view was breathtakingly beautiful and worth the struggle!

Below: I took this other lovely view after I had to climb down most of the way to find my camera that had fallen out of my broken backpack. I was lucky again to find it back amongst all the Black and Hawthorns, but having to struggle all the way up again was no walk in the park for me!

Below: picture: Tony and Simon found their first Hawthorn.

Below: Early next Saturday morning at Terry’s place, while he allowed me to get a bit more sleep, he prepared everything to pot my collected trees in plastic containers. Then he woke me up, and with a warm cup of real thee, we started to do this exciting work! This promising Hawthorn was collected by Simon and Tony for me.

Below: After a fitting container was found, the tree was firmly secured from 4 sides to prevent any movement. Then it was filed up with a mixture of Akadama and Biosorb.

Below: This Hawthorn is planted in a cascading style, this meant some roots up the trunk were exposed to the air. That’s why Terry placed some Sphagnum moss around it, so they would stay alive to help the recovery of the tree next growing season. Later on, when the tree shows enough signs of recovering, they could be removed!

Below: Here are my 6 Yamadori potted up. So it was time for the lovely breakfast that Terry prepared as well for us! You got to love this guy!!!

Below: Here we just arrived at the “BURRS” venue. Isn’t this a fitting way to move a great talent and his wonderful material! 🙂

Below: Hawthorn after first serious cutting.

Below: Simon wiring his Pine. This odd-looking Yamadori turned out to be rather stunning in the end!

Below: Mister Tickle googling over the bulging root base of Simons Pine. Note the screw that is placed in the deadwood section to help pull down the whole top section to enhance the movement.

The surprising end result, a promising stylish Literati Bonsai!

Simon and his little helper are proud of what they accomplished! 🙂

Below: Pine forest on a natural slab.

Below: Ivo working on the deadwood of Jerry’s Mugo Yamadori.

Below: My quick drawing, of a possible future, for Jerry’s Mugo(the one above). He was very excited about it, I hope he brings the tree with him next year?!

Below: Cutting away this to thick and straight cascading branch on this Juniper, instantly created a very exciting fat Shohin!

Below: Eric and Ivo, having a get to getter, over Eric’s Larch.

Below: Like in earlier editions, Potter and Bonsai artist John Pitt had brought along an import tree for Enrico and a Yamadori tree for me to help to style. This unique larch turned out very nice and looks very natural.

Below: A stunning Sylvestris Pine.

Below: A typical Yamadori Larch.

Below: My quick design drawing as a possibility and a guide for the student.

Below: With the help of wet raffia and copper wire the tree is already brought an end in the right direction.

Below: Concentrated at work…I love to see that!

Below: And yet another finished promising Bonsai!

Below: SWEAT!!

Below: Then on Saturday evening the very tasty traditional Diner as always prepared by Tony’s lovely wife Carolyn.

Below: Andrew “stone monkey” concentrated as always.

Below: Me clowning around like most of the time before the evening demo of Terry Foster and little old me!

Below: The students looking and listening on during our demo’s.

Below: Jerry looking at what we are doing and explaining.

Below: Terry did a lot of the wiring while I did sitting down most of the deadwood! And there was a lot of it on this unique old Yew from Terry’s own collection.

Below: Every big decision was discussed by me or terry and explained with the students before they were actually done!

Below: I have placed the tree in front of a white wall and covered the back branch to show and discuss how it would look with or without it?!

Below: Asking the audience what they think about removing that left side branch?! Enrico and Jihn are debating it together.

Below: You can see just how tired I am after this long day! Here we are discussing the end result of a not so usual styling of a unique Yew.

Below: The end result for now. A not twelve in a dozen Pre Bonsai with a lot of character and flair!

Below: The guy’s being funny! 🙂

Below: The Dutch posy! Finally everybody, in the pub 25 meters across the road for a beer or two…tree…four…who is counting anyway?!

We had a great evening/night and Terry and I went on at his place until deep in the night, sampling fine Scottie’s Whiskey and talking like the good friends that we are for such a long time now! The Sunday session was over before we knew it and then it all ends so fast and I had to walk past my great hero John Lennon again entering the Liverpool airport! Yet another magnificent “BURRS” weekend is over and what a great experience it was again! Thanks, Tony, Carolyn, Terry, Charlotte and thanks, Enrico, Ivo and all student for making this such a amazing experiance again!

“AND ABOVE US ONLY SKY”

Cheers,

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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“And above us only sky”

*more to come!

Hans van Meer.

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MY STUDENT “ED VAN DER REEK” HARD AT WORK ON HIS “ITOIGAWA” JUNIPER.

Hi, everybody,

I would like to share some pictures I shot of my student Ed van der Reek, who has, spread over the last couple of weeks, been hard at work in my garden styling his “Itoigawa” Juniper that he bought from me some time ago. Ed is fun to share with, the little Knowles I have of Bonsai. His great progression, humour and enthusiasm are a great inspiration to me. And the much-improved image of his Bonsai is getting better and better. He made some brave decisions on this one!

If he now could only stop drinking all my Coffey, things would be just great!

Updates will follow!

Cheers,

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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MY MASTERCLASS IN LEERSUM (HOLLAND)

Hi, everybody,

Last Wednesday I had the pleasure to give a masterclass in Leersum (Holland). Every year they organize 4 to 6 of these masterclasses led by skilled teachers like Mark Noelanders, Hotsumi Terakawa, Carlos van der Vaart and Teunis Jan Klein to name a few. During that evening they discuss the trees that the club members brought along. In this way, they almost get one on one answers or advice about training technique, styling advice and maintenance. I enjoyed my self that evening, although I lost my voice from talking all evening! I found this to be a great way to share my knowledge with the bonsai enthusiast that attended that evening! I thank them for their trust!

Here are some images that Hans Khoe shot during that evening, thank you for that Hans!

Below: Making a design for this little Pine.

Below: I love to convey my ideas or design suggestion trough drawings.

Next stop: BURRS (UK)! YES!!!!

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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PICTURES FROM THE XVII MOSTRA NAZIONALE BONSAI_SUISEKI SHOW “GIAREDA” IN ITALY

Hi, everybody,

Last weekend, I was invited to Italy, by my dear Bonsai friend, Enrico Savini. He had asked me to be the judge of the annual demonstrator’s competition during the XVII edition of the MOSTRA NAZIONALE BONSAI-SUISEKI “GIAREDA” event. And of course I sad yes!

Enrico Savini, Mauro Stemberger and Ivo Saporiti, were this year’s organizers of this important event and I think that they and the many volunteers that helped, did an amazing job!!!! This show proved once more, that the Italian Bonsai scene is very alive and full of New and old top talent! And the Bonsai….well some of them were breathtakingly beautiful!

Early on Thursday the 5Th, I made the short plane trip to Milan, were on arrival I was reunited with my old “BURRS” friend Ivo, in which house I was (A well-fed) guest. 😉

On the rest of that first day, we managed to visit “Picci Bonsai” and Nippon-en bonsai in Milan, before we had a nice meal and then it was off to bed!

Next day we had to get up really early to make it in time to the event! It was 2 hours long drive that caused a lot of yawning from all of us! But after I finally arrived at the venue…no, when I walked in the wonderful setting of this venue, I was impressed, very IMPREST and very awake! This was the most perfect setting I had yet seen!

During this weekend I saw some of the best bonsai that I had ever seen, that where showed in one of the most perfect places, that I had ever seen and literally in the middle of all that Bonsai Bliss, there were more than 10 of the best Professional Bonsai teachers in Italy demonstrating their talents on amazing and sometimes very difficult, but exciting material! And it did not stop there, because there were, even more, very talented Bonsai students from the “PROGETTO FUTURO” Bonsai school, were Enrico, Mauro and Ivo are teachers, working on amazing Yamadori. Together they all were demonstrating, with great result, on some unbelievable raw material! This was really a Bonsai spectacle that I wish every Bonsai nut could see! It was pure magic for me to be amongst all this talent, Bonsai beauty, superb material and friendliness! And I hope that the pictures that I post here can evoke some of that feeling with you!

* CLICK ON PICTURE (THUMBNAILS) TO ENLARGE!

Below pictures: Ivo Saporitti garden.

Below pictures: Picci Bonsai centre (Milan) Italy.

Pictures below: NIPPON-EN Bonsai centre (Milan) Italy.

Below pictures: Impressions of the venue and the Bonsai in the exhibition.

Pictures of the 2-day demonstration, performed by the talented students of the PROGETTO FUTURE BONSAI SCHOOL.

Below pictures: Demonstrations from the pro/teachers.

Demonstration by 1st place winner: Olivier Barreau (France)

Demonstration by 2nd place price winner: Zino Rongo. (Mirtus)

Demonstration by 3rd price winner: Roberto Raspanti. (Taxus baccata)

Demonstration by 4th place winner: Alfredo Salaccione. (Pinus sylvestris)

Demonstration by the 5th place winner: Samuel Corazza.

Demonstration by Francesco Santini.

Demonstration by: Antonio Conte.

Demonstration by: Nicola Crivelli.

Demonstration by:

Demonstration by: Donato Danisi.

Demonstration by:

Demonstration by: Armando Dal Col.

Demonstration by: Matteo Caldiero.

Demonstration by: Renzo Pooli.

Demonstration by: Paola Nastasi.

I hope you enjoyed it? If you have some nice pictures of the end result of the teacher’s demo’s, please email them to me! And please email me the missing names of the people in the demo pictures?! As you can see I don’t have all of them complete! karamotto@hotmail.com thank you!

Cheer,

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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MY WORSHOP AND DEMO WEEKEND FOR THE NORSK BONSAISELSKAP.

Hi, everybody,

Many mounts ago, my new bonsai friend ‘Rune Kyrdalen’ invited me over to Norway to do a workshop and demo weekend for his club “THE NORSK BONSAISELKAP”. So finally last Friday, early in the morning, I boarded the SAS plain to fly to yet another country I had never been to before, to meet up with new bonsai friends to do some serious bonsai, with a smile!

Above: Rune, his lovely wife “Anne” keeps and runs sledge dogs. This is “Ringo” one of her beautiful wolf-like dogs, that I photographed while enjoying some morning sun.

Saturday: the demo day.

Above: Me next to the homemade sign that stood at the bottom of the road leading up the mountain to the wonderful house were this bonsai weekend was held. If you look closely you can see that even the little kids had joined in making it!

Above: Having a talk with Xenie, will enjoying a cup of Coffey.

Above: Rune trying to figure out how to build the drawing board.

Above: This Pinus sylvestris Yamadori was the first demo tree of that morning.

Above: Plucking away the old needles takes up a lot of demo time!

Above: Ready to wire and style.

Above: The students are watching and taking notes.

Above: Bottom section is wired and now that unwanted top section needs to go!

Above: Rune cutting it off! Better for my teeth!

Above: Looks already more compact and ready for it final shaping!

Above: Creating the new Jin’s.

Above: Checking it all over again for some final touch-ups.

Above: And the final result of this quick demo. The Jin in the curve was let on for the owner to decide if he wants it to stay on or not?!

Above: A kid on a unicycle in front of his lovely house below us on the hill.

Above: Second demo tree…now what to do with this one?!

Above: Wired, now getting rid of that dead stump and creating a short Jin.

Above: A quick drawing to explain my plans for this little Pine.

Above: sadly there is no picture of the finished pre-Bonsai, but it looked pretty close to my drawing!

Above: The third one is another Pine that I only discuss and prepare for wiring and styling by it’s owner!

Above: Many branches were removed, leaving only the ones that were necessary for the future design.

Above: Ready to be wired and turned into a cascading Pre-Bonsai.

Above: Another promising Bonsai is discussed and styling options are looked at!

Above: I was asked by the owner of this large Pinus sylvestris to bent the thick top section back towards the base of the tree to make it more compact! I applied in water soaked raffia and heavy copper wire to protect it from breaking.

Above: With several thick copper wires and a tightening device the branch is slowly brought in to it’s desired position!

Above: The top is almost enough above that cascading branch that is very important in the future design! The tree needs to be tilted considerably to the left to create movement into in the whole composition and to make the long trunk less monotone and straight looking! By doing this the top will be almost right above the trunk and the hanging branch will finish it all nicely making it a elegant Literati…but that is work for it’s owner, my work is don. 😉

The second day (Sunday), was a workshop day.

Above picture: Just before he collapsed, Rune was proudly showing his beautiful and BIG “Ligustrum ovalifolium” from England.

Above: What an idyllic place to live and do Bonsai!

Above: Rune concentrated at work.

Above: Nils Arne Haagensen is, after having to work hard to organize this fun weekend in his stunning garden, enjoying himself, will working on his Yamadori Pinus.

It was so inspiring for me, to be able to work under need these magnificent Pines in Nils garden.

More pictures soon.

Cheers,

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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MY DEMO AND WORKSHOP AT DANSK BONSAI SELSKAB 2008

Hi, everybody,

on 7 and 8 June, the annual meeting of the Danish Bonsai Association was held in Aalborg, in Northern Jutland (Denmark). I was invited to do a demonstration on the Saturday and a workshop on Sunday. After just a short flight, I arrived early in the afternoon on the Friday before the event, in Copenhagen airport. I was picked up by my Bonsai friend Klaus Buddig and together we started the 5 hour trip to the North of Denmark. Which included a 45-minute catamaran ferry crossing to Jutland. This boat trip was anticipated by me with some horror because I get seasick even writing about it! But I have to admit it was a lot of fun to race across the water on this bed out of hell! And I have to be honest: there is not much that 2 cold beer cant fix!

Above picture: me on the back of this large speedboat (the things I have to go through for this hobby).

Above picture: Klaus Buddig relaxing on the back of the boat.

Above picture: Those mighty twin turbines, created a water spray over 30 meters long, leaving a foam trail that can be seen from an aeroplane!

After a long but pleasant drive, during which, many bonsai talks was spoken, we arrived in Aalborg, one of the main cities in Northern Jutland. The TOMTOM brought us safely to the “Huset” (which means “The House” ) where this event would take place. My dear friend Morten Albek showed use were to park behind the large old building and after we sad our Halloo’s, he let us through a big old gate into a big courtyard like square, that was completely surrounded by this beautiful ocker coloured square shaped building. We arrived right around dinner time and the smell of the barbecue that was going on made my mouth water, but first a beer! There was a large stage were musicians were setting up their instruments for the show that would start in a few hours and in front of that stage, scattered around the square, local people were having a nice dinner, sitting under old Linden trees, that were planted in a circle (like a doughnut). These stunning trees provided some picturesque shades in the setting sunlight and having your dinner under need them observing the atmosphere of the place while listening to some light Jazz and Blues was a real treat for me! It proved to be a great start to a great weekend.

The “Huset” picturesque inner courtyard seen from above. I shoot this picture from a second-floor window where the Shohin exhibition was staged.

Above: picture: The local folks enjoying a lovely dinner, while waiting for the band to start playing.

Above picture: How nice it that on a warm summers night?!

Above: Both pictures above where shoot by me from the Aalborg camping were we stayed, not a bad place either!

After the dinner and some light refreshments, we only had to drive a couple of minutes to reach the “Aalborg Camping” where we all would stay during this weekend. After we enjoyed some more refreshments while sitting outside in the still setting sun, we all went to bed very tired. Next day, it was early out of bed to enjoy a lovely breakfast and then it was off to the “Huset” to start the show!

Above picture: Just before the doors for the public were opened, Ljunberg a very lovely and talented new potter preparing here first ever display area.

Above picture: An equally lovely friend dressed in a traditional local dress who helped here during the weekend.

Above picture: This is the tent where the new talent competition was held. It was next to the tent where I was giving mine demonstrating, so every now and then I could catch a glimpse of all those eager, enthusiastic and nervous bonsai lovers at work. This made me smile and it worked very inspiringly for me.

The new talent contest winner was a very new talent, Julie Isager from Keyaki Bonsai Club in Copenhagen. Julie is 26 years old and started to practice bonsai only six months ago. She is a student of my friend Klaus Buddig. The second place was taken by Finn Christensen from the bonsai club Kita in Aalborg. (No third places was chosen, only first and second).

* Above picture: Here I am posing with Klaus Buddig in front of his Yamadori Pinus Sylvestris he so kindly entrusted to me to demonstrate on. In the middle, you can see the design I made for this future Bonsai.

Above picture: The design I made for this old pine.

Above picture: Explaining my plans for this tree to the audience.

*Picture above: I like demonstrations, like this one, where the audience can walk right up to me and ask me questions and see hands on what I am doing. You can see here than the cascading branch is all ready brought down the trunk. The future top section is here still reaching for the sky.

*Above picture: Concentrated and hot at work.

*Above picture: It is always nice to have an extra pair of hands! Erling Klysner did a great job helping me wiring the top and bending it into place. So we could all go to dinner in time!

*Above picture: Working on the future top.

*Right picture: The finished pre-bonsai for now. The cascading branch needs a sharper bend to the right, just where it appears from behind the main trunk! But because this is it first styling and the branch had come such a long way from where it was originally before all the works started, that this will be don in the future, when the tree is fully recovered from all this stress! The tree’s health should always come first, even in demonstrations!

* Above picture: And then there was Coffey!

On Saturday I had the hard task of judging the bonsai on display in the show. And during the dinner, I was invited on stage to present the award and give some comments to all the winners. I myself was honoured with some lovely words and a bottle of some of the best Cognac I ever sipped (half empty already)! They all sure made me feel very much at home here, really special people indeed!

Above picture: During a break in the gala dinner on Saturday night, a proud Morten Albek received the first prize award for the best Shohin composition in the exhibition.

Winner of the best bonsai in the exhibition was won by Martin Nielsen with a beautiful Juniperus Chinensis.

Below: I had a couple of hours to kill Before the Sunday workshops would begin. So Lona Rasmussen asked me if I would style one off here Yamadori Pinus Sylvestris, she brought along for her own first demo, that she would give that afternoon. So while everybody was busy for a few hours at the annual club meeting on the other side of the venue, I had some nice quiet bonsai time on my own, while working on her little tree in the morning sun with some coffee.

Below: Lone’s Pinus Sylvestris before work began.

Below: Wired and ready to style.

Below: The finished sweat little Literati Pine.

Below: Me and happy Lona Rasmussen with here Pine.

*Picture above: The tent where the Sunday workshop was held.

*Above picture: Here I am working together with Julie Isager on here Yew, she is the winner of the new talent competition. I am sure she has a bright Bonsai future ahead of her!

*Above picture: Aase Wiberg working on here big garden Juniper.

*Above picture: Helping with some final wiring.

Above picture: Peter Landerloos working concentrated on his Yamadori Pine.

*Above 2 pictures: During this Sunday workshop, Klaus Buddig enjoyed himself very much working on the deadwood of his Pine, that I had worked on during my Saturday demo! And I liked to add: he did a really beautiful job!

Then before we all knew it, it was time to say our goodbyes already! I had a great time and made a lot of new friends and was thrilled to spend this long weekend with some old friends! I am sure that this was not the last time I visit beautiful Denmark to do bonsai! Infect: I have already been asked by Morten to do a show he is staging next year!

After the 5 hours long trip to Klaus his great house, I had a good night rest in his famous Bonsai guest room, where many well-known artists have spent the night before me! On Monday we had a wonderfully relaxed day in his garden, enjoying the Sun and each others company, just a brilliant day to finish my wonderful visit to Denmark!

Above picture: For our dinner, Klaus took me to a posh and very exclusive sailboat club in Copenhagen. The view there, overlooking the Sea was really stunning, and the food and cold beer were not too bad either!

Above picture: A beautiful Acer buergerianum raft in Klaus his garden.

Above picture: In Klaus his large garden, I had a great time playing with young “Sheva” a rare Bergen Pichard lady dog….YO SHEVA behave !! I said LADY DOG!!!

Above picture: That’s much better! Isn’t she pretty!

Then it was off to the airport to fly home, another wonderful Bonsai memory came to an end, up to the next one!

Here are the links to the site of the Danish Bonsai association where you can see more pictures of this unique event, my demo and workshop.

http://www.bonsai-danmark.dk/BILLEDERDBS-2008-demo.htm

http://www.bonsai-danmark.dk/BILLEDERDBS-2008.htm

*Pictures with a star by Morten Albek.

Cheers,

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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THE FIRST (SMALL) WORKSHOP IN MY NEW GARDEN.

Hi, everybody,

Here are some pic’s of the guy’s (Eric Sanders and Ed van der Reek) at work on the trees they brought along.

ED (in front) and Eric hard at work. Before any real styling can be don the trees need to be cleaned out, so Ed is removing the old needles from his Pinus Sylvestris and Eric is thinning out and is removing unwanted foliage and small branches from his Chamaecyparis.

After carefully checking out the right lower branch, Eric had decided it has to go and without hesitation, he cuts it off!

Ed wiring the whole tree where the main trunk had to be bent severely, to give it more movement and to make it more compact. He protected the trunk, within water soaked raffia wrapped tightly around it. In picture 2: The lowest (right) section of this tree is already more or less in the desired place, now Ed can start styling the top section.

Double chin, MOI? No! Picture 2: Looking better and better!

Ed’s Pinus Sylvestris and Juniperus Sargantii. The Juniperus had it’s second (touch up) styling.

I’ll be back,

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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MY WORKSHOP AT “SHADY SIDE BONSAI” IN GLEN ROCK PENNSYLVANIA

Hi, everybody

here at “SHADY SIDE BONSAI” in Glen Roch Pennsylvania starts the third stop of my demo and workshop tour around the USA.

Saturday, May 10.

Day 1:

Below: Early in the morning and the first students for the demo and workshop arrive. Tom’s “SHADY SIDE BONSAI” is so big that he (on the left) and Rich (on the right) had to load Rich his BIG Yew onto the back of a small tractor to bring it up the hill, to his outdoor working area.

Below: Here I am checking out the possibilities for this lovely but difficult two trunk Yew Tom provided me with for my morning demo.

Below: Looking how and where to start.

Below: Although the weather was letting us down a bid, people were still waiting with anticipation.

Below: Discussing all the possibilities with the students.

Below: First the tree was cleaned of all unwanted branches to get a better view of the frame of the tree. Then because the base of the left trunk was too thick in comparison with the right trunk, the too large pies of deadwood on the left trunk was reduced, to open up the empty space between the two trunks.

Below: After most of that excess wood was reduced and the trunks looked better in balance with its other I was able to make my design for this mother and child Yew. This is the drawing of the design I came up with. I almost always make these sketches of my designs. It helps me to remember my first thought, like a blueprint, before I start to think too much about thinks! Because of the lake of time and the health of the tree that should be protected at all times, most first styling during these demo’s are a bit rough and unfinished and don’t always show clearly what the end result of the future bonsai will be in a few years. These drawings are also pretty handy to show people what your future plans are with your tree! It makes explaining why I am using certain techniques to get to a certain point a lot easier if those people have a clear view of where I am working towards!

Below: After lunch, we had a great afternoon workshop and lovely weather!

Below: Before and after.

Sunday, May 11.

Day 2.

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THE STORY OF THE “H.O.G” (or, how Richy saw the light! Used the force and fell asleep)!!!

You might ask: why is this story in a section of its own? Well because this is a story about courage, stubbornness, hesitation, and overcoming to be rewarded! In short: creating a very promising pre-bonsai!

Everybody else walked past this enormous Yew when they were collecting, simply because it was too big! But no, not Richy! Even when everybody said, don’t Rich! It is too big, too heavy and too hard to collect, leave it! This only fired him up to do it anyway. I came to find out that Rich is a bit stubborn sometimes and what he lakes in height, he easily makes up with courage! So he went for it! All alone and for many hours! If you look at the next picture and compare the height of the tree to that of the shovel, you can fully understand the enormous task he had to perform to get this monster Yew out!

GGGRRUZZEL! #*#FRRUCKELSS! #*## GGODDSSFRIZLE!

The above picture is titled: Yew in front of its new home. Or: How Richy scared the neighbours!

Richy, (with the help of a water jet stream) managed to clean off all of the hardened old soil of the massive roots! But, by doing this, he created a bit of a mud stream, that because of the sloping street, quickly grew into an all-engulfing mudslide! Twiggels, the cat from Misses Brown, from down the street, is still missing! And even further downtown, many a toilet got clocked up for weeks!

Saturday, day one. THE PRELUDE.

After discussing with him about how and what to do with the massive amount of deadwood on this Mother of a tree, he bravely started to freestyle with a courage you would not expect from someone who never had handled such a large power tool or created much deadwood before! Every now and then he asked for help or advice and then bravely went on with this huge task!

Below: All geared up for the task ahead!

Below: Richy concentrated at work on the massive deadwood section Below: With markers, lines were drawn on as a guideline for what Richy should remove and what not! Creating the rough shapes that later on (much later) would be refined into stunning Jin and Shari sections!

Below: Every now and then I would jump in to refine certain arias and to give Richy a well-deserved break!

After a long day of hard work we allowed our selfs a short break for a nice dinner and then it was back to our waiting Bonsai work and fun! It was raining, storming and freezing that whole evening and the early night…but nothing could stop us…we were in the zone!!!

Below: Richy wiring the branches.

Below: Me carving away and refining while Richy takes a break and looks on and learns.

Below: Cold but concentrated at work, I love freestyle deadwood styling!!!

Below: Then back to wiring again while I help the other students.

Below: Despite all the cold and tiredness everybody was still hard at work and enjoying the moment!

Below: After many hours, slowly but steadily getting there!

Below: The end result after a long day of hard work! I believe that this monster pre-Bonsai has a great future ahead of it and that Richy should be very proud of his work and his eagerness to learn and work hard! And for those who wondered about the name H.O.G for this tree? Look at the right top Jin, Richy said after I had finished it: it looks like the Hand Of God.. H.O.G!!!

Below: One of my proudest moments! Me happy, Richy happy and a whopper of a tree to boost!!! Later indoors while looking at the pictures we made with a whisky in our hand, poor Richy fell asleep…with a big smile on his face! 🙏😁

Below: Next morning after a short night sleep, the H.O.G. looks even better in the daylight and we are still happy! Two new friends that shared an amazing experience together! I love Bonsai!!!!

Above: THE “H.O.G.” SQUAT.

Below: Two amazing people my host Tom and Richy.

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I had a great time at “SHADY SIDE BONSAI” And would like to thank Tom and his lovely wife for there hospitality and for giving me the opportunity to work in the USA.

Cheers,

Hans van Meer.

Info: karamottobonsai@hotmail.com

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More pictures can be found on this next link to “SHADY SIDE BONSAI”.

http://www.shadysidebonsai.com/id122.html