Shohin Off 2011

And so off to Willowbog we go for Shohin Off 2011



Marco introduces the event



Mark & Ritta Cooper's stunning display




Watch this space more to follow...

Have a great time everyone, see you all next month.

Regards Chris

Looking forward to updates. I was meant to be there this year but had to pull out for personal reasons a few weeks ago. I'm itching to see what I missed.

Sounds interesting. For non-Euros could you explain what it is?

D.

Dale this might explain while we await an update :-)

Shohin Off

Thanks, looks like fun.

Dale Cochoy wrote:Sounds interesting. For non-Euros could you explain what it is?

D.

never been there, but trust me, it's in god's country, right where the romans built their wall.

bobby little wrote: trust me, it's in god's country, right where the romans built their wall.

Aye right. That piddly wee thing! fat lot of good THAT did! We still were able to stroll across. We were going to steal your sheep, but mysteriously they all seemed to be otherwise occupied.

Anyway. Shohin Off 2011

The Shohin Off event was not an exhibition (although a smaller scale non-competitive display area was set up) but a very necessary development event. Shohin is a very specialised branch (sorrry!) of the already specialised area of bonsai and at present there is only a small pool of shohin trees in the UK. Although partly to avoid the staleness that comes of the same trees being shown year on year, the weekend was mostly about members and non-members attending workshops and seminars to help furnish them with the knowledge and skills that will bring about the development of the next generation of Shohin and Mame trees. Sub-events included workshops with Marco Invernizzi and Peter Warren, pottery workshops with Andy Pearson and David Jones, and two very informative, enlightening and inspirational talks by Mark and Ritta Cooper on how they have developed their own shohin trees and Ritta's wonderful accent plantings. As usual, the weekend was conducted in an atmosphere of friendliness and fun while getting on with the more serious business of working with trees. Although the event attracted a smaller number than the conventional exhibition, I am sure everyone who attended will have gone away with new knowledge, skill and moreover the enthusiasm to drive forward this delightful sub-section of bonsai.

And if that happens, as it surely will, then we will push the bar of quality and excellence even further up - which is the BSA's principal constitutional aim and well in keeping with what is happening in British bonsai as a whole.

No doubt there will be many pictures to follow. I'll try to get some of mine on soon as possible. I'll also be posting in Announcements some very advanced advance details of next year's event. Don't switch off your set.

Just a event in my spirit. No competition, lots of learning and friendly atmosphere.
Sound as the perfect place to be

Regards
Morten

Doing some Photoshoppping on the tree pics but here are some general ones:


Old dogs, new tricks? Roger would say it doesn't matter how old you are, it's never too late to learn (and he should know - he's nearly 80)




John Brocklehurst gets up close and personal with his tree




Going potty with Pearson




See what I mean?




Paul B (Scotland) gets "wired in"




Mark and Ritta outlining their visits to Japan and how these influenced them




Rob Atkinson and his lunch!

Looks like a fun and instructive event!
Would like to see more pictures!

That's a beautiful shohin set up , i like it!

Best regards,
Yannick

I see some familier faces in the pictures.
Looks like fun, but hell the few events I visited in England where fun.

Peter

Seems like a lack of hair was the order of the day. Would have slipped straight in there myself. Look forward to some further pics.

Just got home so I will try and get some pictures up for your viewing pleasure tomorrow, but for now this monkey is tired and needs some long awaited sleep. Oh and yes it was a great weekend

Night night

Andy

Some of the trees. These were on Mark and Ritta Cooper's stunning display which was voted the people's favourite by a long way. You can clearly see why - meticulous, careful and prolonged attention to detail:

Thanks to Peter and Jean for their warmth and hospitality and the wonderful catering staff who made a great weekend even better,with special thanks to their two little helpers!
Bob and Sandra

That's a very nice shohin display by Mark & Ritta. The broomstyle Zelkova and the cascade pine are just magnificent...

Thanks for sharing!

Maybe, trees from Japan.

Very nice,

Alex

What a fantastic weekend, it was nice to meet many fellow IBC'ers.
Here are more pictures of trees and accents, apologies for no owner or species, mental note to onself, "make notes whilst taking photographs".










I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.
Cheers
John

Alex wrote:Maybe, trees from Japan. Very nice,

Alex

We were given an insight duirng Mark's talk of how these trees have been developed over the years by Mark and Ritta. It was amazing just how much difference they had made to what were good trees to start with. As I said earlier, it's all about meticulous attention to detail - that's what takes even what we'd consider great "start" material and turns them into top quality trees.

OK I have recovered from the journey and had my fill of sleep, now prepare for the onslaught of all that was Shohin Off 2011. A damn fine weekend

My personal favorite Shohin






Well done Mr Storey at 2nd Place. Well deserved my friend, and very stiff competition












Pots for Auction





BSA's special, unique and very funny auction hosted by the one and only Mr Invernizzi







The Public Choice Award went to Mark and Ritta for their outstanding, would not look out of place at Gafuten, mind blowing display





More to come, this was only Saturday, sheesh. Fi I have been told by a reliable source that you have a few of my pot workshop. Please feel free to display the good, the bad and the ugly

I am lucky to consider Mark and Ritta very good friends and know for a fact the trees you see in their recent displays are yes Japanese trees,but the results you see today are the result of a combination of hard work ,patience and last but not least a very high level of skill . The displays again are not just putting trees on stands,but the result of countless hours of preparation working out different combinations untill they are satisfied they have the right combination of tree,pot stand,to give the most harmonious display. Even then they are not satisfiedand and are consantly seeking advice from other bonsai artists both here and in Japan.
Congratulations Mark/Ritta on your well deserved award at Shohin Off this weekend
Bob

My best side