The Noelanders Trophy 2013, did you have trees selected?

If you entered tree for the Noelanders Trophy and on checking you email this morning you should have received an email for the Secretaris Bonsai of the Event. There will be joy for those who have had bonsai selected and disappointment for the rest.

If you have organised a bonsai exhibition no matter what ‘level’ the show be it club or national the selection process is often fraught and difficult. Informing those who have been successful is easy, letting those who have not been less so. So I was very impressed with the procedure adopted by the organisers of the Noelanders Trophy, here is a sample from the email:

“Reasons for not accepting bonsai are very diverse. Some of these bonsai will become good bonsai in the future, but based on the pictures, they were not yet ready for exhibition. This means that we would like to see these trees again in a few years as participant.

Other bonsai didn't have enough intrinsic qualities to participate in an international contest, in which we want to surprise the spectators with exceptional trees in their best condition. This is not detrimental to your work nor to the joy that you experience with this bonsai.”

The selectors address two issues:

The first being that the tree is not mature as a bonsai and thus not ready to show. We have been too eager to show trees too early, too little foliage, poor ramification or ‘just been styled’ This is a BIG problem for many bonsai shows particularly when traditionally too few people submit their trees for exhibition, should selectors accept a tree to ‘make up the numbers’ or keep the quality high but have fewer trees? This is NOT the case for the Noelanders Trophy as I am aware that it is massively oversubscribed and can afford to be selective, it IS the premier Bonsai event in Europe after all!

The second issue of “Not upsetting the entrant” by letting them down gently! They may well have worked on the tree for many years, paid for an expensive pot, commissioned a handmade table and the tree has not been accepted “This is not detrimental to your work nor to the joy that you experience with this bonsai.”

Let me put the statement: “we want to surprise the spectators with exceptional trees in their best condition.” into context. If I travel over 1000 miles pay for a ferry, stay in a hotel for three nights, take two days off work and all the expense associated I want to be damn sure that the exhibited trees will be worth the effort. That and the quality and range of traders make the journey more than worthwhile.



So if on this occasion you have not been selected go to the event, see the quality and it will give you something to aim for, because you are worth it.

If you were wondering? Yes... I have had two trees selected.

NOTE: I have a Poll concerning the Noelanders Trophy 2103 enter the Poll here

Congratulation Tony, can't wait to see them...

Well done Tony. I might try next year Which 2 did you put up for the show?

Here three:

Mugo pine, Pinus mugo
Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris
Japanese maple, Acer palmatum

I have two small homemade shohin accepted

will baddeley wrote:Well done Tony. I might try next year Which 2 did you put up for the show?

Seen here on IBC recently

You guys are just showing off right now ... but with all the bragging rights.

I have read the "reasons" and "other reasons" etc and i very much beleive that selection of your trees mr.Tickle and mr.Pall (and i also know mrs.Graubaek's little ones are top-notch) are a few of the trees that represent european bonsai community...

At the same time i hope also other enthusiasts were successful at this point. There are some VERY nice trees here that deserve the "qualification" round, at least. I hope there are many...???

With ALL do respect... i wish everyone - good luck

Gašper

Wonderful trees guys! Bonsai at it's finest! Good Luck Everyone! (I'd love to attend one day)

Tony,

I like so much your first tree, what species is it ? I like the way you put the barbwire, just with this small simply touch, it shows the cultural interaction of bonsai art outside the oriental. Can I ask for permission to use this picture for my next book ?

Tks in advance.

Hi Tony,

Yes me too - my first year trying so a Noelanders virgin haha

I just submitted one tree picture and it was accepted - (hinoki), just need to clean the bark of green algae ! we had a wet autumn here

looking forward to a great weekend, followed a few days later by the Ryan neil willowbog do so probably one of my best weeks in bonsai coming up

marcus

I dont want to show you my eleced small trees now, but I am pleased to show you, the rare japanese suiseki that will be in the shohindisplay.

Normaly do i call the stone "turtledove" because of the surfacepatern......

BUT, for the "Noelanders Trophy" will I rename it "Buzzard", it can also be quit spotted, and is a common bird in the danish winterlandscape...It will be better for the danish trees, exhibited during winter .


Kind regards Yvonne.......I look forward to see Robert Steven in action

Yvonne Graubaek wrote:I dont want to show you my eleced small trees now, but I am pleased to show you, the rare japanese suiseki that will be in the shohindisplay.

Normaly do i call the stone "turtledove" because of the surfacepatern......

BUT, for the "Noelanders Trophy" will I rename it "Buzzard", it can also be quit spotted, and is a common bird in the danish winterlandscape...It will be better for the danish trees, exhibited during winter .


Kind regards Yvonne.......I look forward to see Robert Steven in action

i see a grey seal.

out of curiosity why are they stones and not rocks ?

thanks Marcus

marcus watts wrote:

out of curiosity why are they stones and not rocks ?

thanks Marcus

Seriously? Ever tried to order a "Whisky on the stones" ?!

Cheers,
Hans van Meer

Ha ha Hans
I love your sense of humor

Marcus ...I have no idea. But I thought a stone in inglish is small, and a rock big....I can very well be wrong, please...can you explain?

I not a problem for me if you think it look like a seal.....people into suiseki, will not see a seal, as they are not traditional japanese...from one of the sides does the stone look a little like a minogame to me....so, everything is possible....but please remember it is a buzzard when you see it in the exhibition, as it will make sense...or have one more beer, it might help.

kind regards Yvonne

good evening Yvonne,

I love the buzzard

it would not worry me that the japanese dont have grey seals though - the trees are European, the show is European and a seal drying on a rock is very European - it just means the stone found in Japan has returned home

the stones may be small, but they often look like mountains.........so they are even bigger than rocks . Stone is a more romantic word i guess............?

Hi Marcus...good morning

Thanks for your reply...It is OK if you see a seal in the stone...we actuly sometimes have seals resting on the beaches were I find my danish stones.

kind regards Yvonne....I stick to the buzzard though

well done tony i also had a scots pine selected
see you there mate regards rob a.

OMG Marcus

Not only are you are bonsaiartist...you are also a poet, and your drawing is really spot on....I cant help admirering you...I look so much forward to meet you, and I already know, I will look up to you, when we meet at "Noelanders"...(I am only 154 cm tall)( is the white seagullcrapp? or is the buzzard the regular guest

Kind regards Yvonne

Can someone ask Marc Noelanders to set 1 or 2 tables reserved for the IBC buddies during the Gala Dinner ? Just a thought...