Photos from the British Shohin Association’s 'Shohin Off' weekend event 2011

This was our (Ritta and I) first time to a BSA event, and to Willowbog also.

We’d very much like to add our congratulations to the organisers for arranging such a great Shohin bonsai event. Our personal thanks go particularly to the proprietors of Willowbog, Peter and Jean Snart, for their hospitality over the weekend. I learnt that Peter and I share another interest too - the music of Joe Bonamassa!

We were invited to exhibit 3 Shohin displays, so we arrived there with a car full of trees, stands and shitakusa after a 350 mile journey. Also, Ritta and I were genuinely honoured to both be asked to talk as part of the weekend’s events ; Ritta spoke about Kusamono/ Shitakusa, and I spoke about the development of our trees over the 25+ yrs we have been growing Shohin. To be candid, we were both somewhat apprehensive about talking to such a knowledgeable and specialist audience, but our anxieties were soon allayed by the friendly welcome and positive response we received. Thanks for all the kind comments we received, and hopefully we were able in some small way to add to the weekend's festivities and to give something back to the hobby.

I was asked my many of the attendees there to post some photos of the trees, which I promised to do, but my photos do seem a little redundant now after seeing all the great photos already posted. But, to honour my promise, here goes…..

The photos will appear more or less in exhibit number, starting with # 1 :-

Mark (& Ritta)

Our 6 tree display #1







A closer look at the beautiful trophy made by Andy Pearson (Stone Monkey). Thanks Andy.



On to exhibit #2. It was great to see Caz's lovely trees







Bob B's 2 tree Mame exhibit #3 , with matching "Mame size" scroll



A closer look at the itoigawa



Bob Bs 3 tree mame display #4



A closer look at the Musk Maple (Premna)





More photos to follow later.

Hello Mark. Truly wonderful displays, from everyone. Well done and thankyou all for your high standards of art, design and dedication.

will baddeley wrote:Hello Mark. Truly wonderful displays, from everyone. Well done and thankyou all for your high standards of art, design and dedication.

Thanks a lot Will...much appreciated. Mark

Exhibit #5 : our White Pine, Root over Rock style Trident Maple (in a Dan Barton pot) and mixed accent planting (Shitakusa)



Exhibit #6 : our White Pine (top), lower right - home made Berberis (var. Bagatelle), lower left - Arakawa Ibota (Japanese rough bark Ligustrum), far left -Trident maple with Davallia "Seka" fern accent.







More photos to follow.....

Keep them coming, I'm loving this

Beautiful

Glad you're enjoying the pics ..there were certainly some fabulous Shohin on display. All comes to he who waits Ian ..watch this space. Mark

Very nice trees. Congratulations to the successful the exhibition.
Pavel

John A's famous Itoigawa with small Potentilla and Broom Style Zelkova







Roger's 6 tree display





A closer look at the Japanese Black Pine in a John Pitt pot with "receding glacier" suiseki



More photos to follow .......

As usual Mark, you photographs are as immaculate as your trees!!
I’m hoping to be able to bring along some of my humble offerings next year to share but judging by this year I will need to pull my socks up.

I would like to thank you and Ritta for all you advice,support and encouragement to very much a Shohin novice.
I look forward to catching up with you guys again in the near future,
Love, Peace & Bananas,
Simon

Thanks Simon. Bring along some trees to display ... it's the best way to learn. Mark & Ritta

John B's juniper



a closer look ...



John's exquisite wee Tsuru modoki (Oriental Bittersweet) used to add seasonal interest and as a visual counterbalance to the juniper (out of shot on the first 2 photos)



Many more to come .....

Lovely photos Mark.

I didn't get a chance to meet you at the event, but congratulations to you and your wife for the stunning displays you put on. Hopefully I'll get to speak to both of you next year.

The little Japanese Ligustrum displayed is an incredible tree - very unusual and striking with its berries. I dont know much about pots matching trees, but on my first walk around the show, I thought it was a cracking match. I later walked round with Iain Ballie who said the same thing - a perfect match !

I hope you dont mind me posting a closer shot of it, but hopefully this photo lets others see this beautiful little tree and pot combo





Cheers for now.

Paul

Just to say thankyou to yourself and Ritta for making the long journey to Willowbog
Also for giving so freely of your knowledge in your talks.
Again great photos

Graham

I am in awe of these trees. Incredibly beautiful, brilliant displays! You folks who grow and display these trees are great role models for us underlings!
Thank you!
Best,
Todd

Thanks Mark for posting the pics of some amazing trees. Each of the trees were a visual splendor on their own right. Some of the trees that I liked a little more than the others are John B's Juniper. It captured the image of a real old tree surviving the elements and the odds very well. The other tree that caught my eye for being different was John A's broom style Zelkova (pic below)


The reason I liked this tree is because, to me it is actually not a broom style but rather a twin apex tree or rather a natural tree style. Have seen numerous such trees in nature but in the bonsai world where twin apices are shunned and looked down, it is a refreshing change to see someone following their heart and not conventions. If John A is reading this ... John great job done.

Thanks again Mark

Ravi

Thanks for your comments Todd, Graham and Paul. Ravi, John's trees are certainly "top drawer" and are a credit to him.

Here are some more photos from the weekend.......

Our native Shohin Larch grown from seed about 30yrs ago (Dan Barton pot)



Les' display







Many more photos to come .....

John B's 3 tree display



A closer look at the Chojubai



John A's 4 tree display





A closer look at the Elm in the yellow pot



still more photos to come ....

Mark
The Photo,s are just like your trees and displays,BRILLIANT.
Bob

Aaaw..... shucks ! Thanks Bob !

Duncan's Rosemary



A closer look



Duncan's 6 tree display





J. Communis



more to come .....

What strikes me, looking back over all these again, is the great choices made with the pots. I'm hard pressed to find a match up I don't like, and that's unusual for me

How many trees in total were displayed? Just wondering as you keep pulling more out of the bag Mark

I think that Duncan's Rosemary is lovely.
So are the choices of stands, especially the carved root stand with the rhododendron is on.

I must try to get some of the Phoenix group to travel past the Watford Gap!

Well done Ritta and Mark.

Ian Young wrote:What strikes me, looking back over all these again, is the great choices made with the pots. I'm hard pressed to find a match up I don't like, and that's unusual for me

How many trees in total were displayed? Just wondering as you keep pulling more out of the bag Mark

We're nearing the end of the photos now Ian. I think there were about 20 ish displays, but gawd knows how many many trees in total that equates to (60 - 70+?). It may be fun to count them up when I've finished the photos (?!).

The standard of the pot/ tree/ stand combinations was very high I think. I can understand too those people who just collect shohin pots as pieces of ceramic art in their own right.

Dave Martin wrote:I think that Duncan's Rosemary is lovely.
So are the choices of stands, especially the carved root stand with the rhododendron is on.

I must try to get some of the Phoenix group to travel past the Watford Gap!

Well done Ritta and Mark.

Thanks Dave. Yes, Duncan's Rosemary is fab (even better in the flesh, so to speak)....he has many lovely trees. I said to Duncan at the weekend that I coveted his lovely root stand !! (we've been looking for one for ages)...in fact that whole stand/ tree/ accent combo. was delightful.

In November I went to Hong Kong, whilst there I had hoped to find a carved root stand but was met with blank looks.
It appears that they are made in another part of mainland China but not sent to HK.

But I managed to buy a couple of nice stands very very cheaply!