Late summer displays

On Sunday 6th of September 2009
Dragon Bonsai Society held a very well attended and hugely supported late summer show at their home base, Bonllwyn Garden Centre Near Swansea.
Combined with the show was a Bonsai boot sale and bonsai auction. Many a good deal was had by all attending.

Thank you all for making Dragon's first late show, auction and bonsai boot sale a great success. We will be doing it all again next year.

As part of the day many members of other societies brought trees to display.
Here is a small selection of the trees on show.
John Pitt's blackthorn.

A few trees from Swindon bonsai society.

Close up.






North Devon,

Dragon's






A few of the welsh stones on view.






Thanks for your amazing support, the fun, the great deals and bonsai chat from newly made and renewed good bonsai buddies.

Looks like a fun day had by all Jerry. WIsh I could have been there, but hirpling around Glasgow Green in the rain with my sore leg seemed so much more fun!

Very, very nice displays. I especially like those whit what appear to be smaller trees.

My only quibble is that the dark background on that one long scroll totally pulls your eyes away from the trees and, in fact, the entire display. If possible, I'd try to mount that on a more neutral-tone background.

Yes i had a great day and looking forward to going down there again.

It was a great day, everything went well and even the weather was on its best behavior. Everyone made a great effort, special thanks to all the Society members for making this a day to remember. There are a lot of photos to be procesed and I,m sure Jerry will work his magic as soon as he gets them, he was to busy boot saleing to take many. It was good to see friends from all over the country . This was one of the days that us Bonsai nutters dream about, my thanks to all.
Regards Chris

Very nice displays. All with the peace they should have. I just stumbled upon a few of the displays having the bonsai leaning away from the scroll, instead of pointing towards it, as I see it. But else it was all very beautiful put up, with the simplicity a display requires.
Must have been a good day. Thanks for the inspiration.

Regards
Morten

Thank you all for your comments.
Morton,
We had extended discussions regarding the placement of each tree as part of the photo session. Each owner presenting their tree as they felt showed it best.
Some interesting and thought provoking ideas / thoughts ensued.


Through such discussions we are developing and challenging our own ideas. Over time perhaps an accepted approach to our displays might starts to evolve.

Having spoken to many experienced and knowledgeable individuals regarding the placement and direction of the scroll and it's chop, it has presented me a few conflicting ideas, based on who has your ear at that time and which school they follow.

Very often the artist who created the scroll placed their mark to the left, right or central to indicate the scrolls direction.
Despite this, I conclude the bonsai artist should follow their feelings when presenting their displays and then leave it to others to either enjoy the presentation, or not.
Through sharing our ideas, challenging our preconceptions and having friendly, open and thought provoking banter, I feel must be a good and positive step. I enjoyed the session very much and look forwards to helping to host / taking part in another one soon..

Smithy wrote:Yes i had a great day and looking forward to going down there again.

Hi Smithy,
Thank you for your support on Sunday.
It's good to put a face to an fellow IBCer. , and good to see you in action at the auction.
Hope to see you before the next auction / bonsai boot sale.
Dragon hold workshiops at Bonllwyn every Wednesday eve. and Sunday 10 til darkish... check out our site.
http://www.dragonbonsai.co.uk/

Hi Jeremy and others

Truly, there are many schools teaching different ways of displaying. One basic rule though, shared by all, is the direction of the bonsai that always leans/point towards the scroll. Both because this balances the display, and because your eye is leaded towards the middle. This brings in the peace and harmony by unifying the display.

What is free, and makes many schools teaching differently ways of displaying, is how expressfull and more or less formal a display should be; what is shall express, and how.

It is a joy to see the efforts made at your event, showing good understanding, skills, and love for bonsai displaying. If anyone are interested I have a section at my website concerning some of the display issues with offset of the teaching I have from my Japanese teacher in these matters, as well as my own preferences: www.shohin-europe.com/DISPLAY-index.html

Regards
Morten

Well, I guess one could say the blackthron goes both ways

It really is pretty, and it looks like y'all had a nice show. What is the second tree, the one with the small leaves and purple berries?

And what the heck is a "boot sale"? Something tells me you're not selling shoes...

Russell

morten albek wrote:One basic rule though, shared by all, is the direction of the bonsai that always leans/point towards the scroll. Both because this balances the display, and because your eye is leaded towards the middle. This brings in the peace and harmony by unifying the display.

Hi Morton,
Thank you for your reply.
I agree, but... sometimes the creator/owner of a tree feels the tree goes one way and the viewer feels it goes another.
I posted the blackthorn for that very reason. The owner felt it needed to be to the right of the display, but many viewing felt it should be to the left, so I took pictures of both.

What is your criteria for deciding? Is it the direction of the trunk? The direction of the foliage ? The overall direction of the weight of the whole tree?
I feel, (perhaps it is just me ), literati are a challenge to display as the "guidelines," "your eye is leaded towards the middle", can't always be applied with satisfaction.

Russell Coker wrote: What is the second tree, the one with the small leaves and purple berries?
And what the heck is a "boot sale"? Something tells me you're not selling shoes...
Russell

Hi Russell,
Yep, personal I had a great day.
The second tree is a privet, standard hedging material here in the UK. Terry Adams the owner has created a fine and credible image. Undoubtedly over a few few years of skilled input on his part was needed to produce this powerful image.
Terry told me he is considering rotating the tree a little in the near future to show a better hidden nabari. But he is not one to rush into these things without a great deal of thought.

A boot sale is, as already stated earlier in in the announcement thread, A sale from a car boot/trunk.
elroy, " like trunk of the car, boot. think flea market. "
https://ibonsaiclub.forumotion.com/announcements-f5/dragon-bonsai-show-and-boot-sale-t946.htm

Hi Jerry . Another outstanding display. Well done. Are you sure its a Privet? Looks like some sort of Lonicera Nitida? Are you going to Capel Manor? Prefer the Sloe on the left hand side of the scroll, seems better balanced.

will baddeley wrote:Hi Jerry, Are you sure its a Privet? Looks like some sort of Lonicera Nitida? Are you going to Capel Manor? Prefer the Sloe on the left hand side of the scroll, seems better balanced.

Hi Will,
Yep it's a Lonicera.
We can make Capel this year, I'd love to, but if we can get a space next year, we'll be there.
The owner perfered the right, most of the viewers perfered the left as well. Go figure.

Jerry,

Sorry to make you repeat the "boot sale" info that was in your announcement thread. I'm sure you'll understand that I missed it because there is little point in taking time to read about a show happening half a world away from me.

Thanks for the identification, Will. I had wondered if it may be Lonicera, we don't have the shrubby ones here, just the vines - one native and the other an imported invassive.

Russell

Setting up the display
 
Jeremy, you are absolutely right about that some bonsai can have both a left and right direction. Some trees therefore can be placed at either side.
There are quite a few trees shown here that I read as having only one clear direction. I put in the examples below.
Trees leaning clearly towards one side also (most often) indicates that this is the movement and direction of the tree, no matter branches are arranged to the other side to visually stabilizing the tree. The overall movement will still be to the side that the tree is leaning in most cases.
Another point can be a main branch that clearly leads the direction of the tree, where the trunk does not indicate clear movement to a side.
 
There are in my view three indicators for movement here mentioned in order of significance and as a thumbs rule:

1) The movement of the trunk - decides always.
2) Main branch direction - (overruled by the trunk movement if trunk movement is clear).
3) If trunk movement or main branch movement is not clear, jins or branches showing more or less direction towards one side decides.

Some times the artist knows the direction of the tree when planting it in the pot, arranging it one third to the left e.g. because the tree lens toward the right. Still one see this bonsai misplaced at the display.

Some bonsai not so well designed have a main branch pointing to the left e.g. while the movement of the trunk points to the right. Here it is difficult to achieve harmony in the tree as well as deciding direction.
In the case of the literati though, one often see a tree leaning to one side, with a major dropping branch at the other side. This is though visually stabilising the tree, not indicating that the tree moves against the direction it leans toward, and therefore it is often very clear especially on the Literati style which way the three is directed towards.
 
In most cases I find it clear to see what direction the trees have. But uncertainness can always be present in special cases, and where the trunk movement is not clear.

Beneath a few examples of trees (I left out most of the correctly placed bonsai, because it is clear there is no problem with them).

Regards
Morten



This one was also placed the right way but here it is not.


This twin bonsai has all its movement towards the right and is therefore pointing out of the display wrongly.


The movement is slightly towards the right, furthermore underlined by the correct placement in the pot.
But the bonsai is placed at the wrong side of the scroll.


The top of the canopy may have confused the one who placed the tree. the top left branch should be removed, because it works against the movement of the tree. The trunk leans slightly towards the right and the branches (except the top mentioned) sugests the movement to the right, as does the placing of the tree in the pot. Branches can be worked on to enhance this movement.


This is an example of a tree that can be placed at either side, because it has movement to bot sides - shown by the branches and an overall neutral trunk movement.

Jeremy wrote:

Smithy wrote:Yes i had a great day and looking forward to going down there again.

Hi Smithy,
Thank you for your support on Sunday.
It's good to put a face to an fellow IBCer. , and good to see you in action at the auction.
Hope to see you before the next auction / bonsai boot sale.
Dragon hold workshiops at Bonllwyn every Wednesday eve. and Sunday 10 til darkish... check out our site.
http://www.dragonbonsai.co.uk/

Hi Jeremy,
I will definitely being coming to see you guys before the next auction. I'm looking forward to coming to one of the workshops. Sorry i never quite got to speak to you but there were so many people and trees to meet that i never got around to saying hello. I'll be sure to meet up soon.
The auction was the best fun i'd had in ages.
Smithy

Thank you Morton,
Your clear guidelines help us all.

It is curious those who are less schooled in the "way of display" and styling, sometimes feel their trees flow better (in their eye), one way or another.
This, I expect, is due to the tree not being well refined or defined to give a clear way.

I like the notion of the trunks direction being the over riding factor in deciding the trees flow. More refined trees therefore will have little conflict between the trunk, branch and foliage seeming direction.

There will always be judgement calls on trees that are not clear, that are less refined and defined or the owner likes it that way (self indulgent or creative?), and until a clearer styling decision is made this will continue.

If the outcome sought is to enjoy and appreciate the display, (rather than an exercise in perfect Japanese display technique.), then I would wish first to encourage the trees owner to follow their ideas / feelings, to explore, develop and refine their "way of display" that use their own cultures references and personal feelings and that shows an understanding of the present approach to Japanese's tradition of display to a varying degree.

Not reinventing the wheel, but getting it to run with your engine.

Just using your eyes without context, can be a challenge. ignorance is bliss.
Just as your trees needs time to refine and become, then I would expect my displays are like wise.
I think the only way to refine your personal trees and displays would be to have a simple thought / feeling you wish to portray and then getting your hands "dirty" by working on refining repeatedly, until you feel it. "It", being that moment when peace and joy touches you and hopefully others.

Well spoken Jeremy. I totally agree.

Best regards
Morten

A few more of the display trees.

Morten

Could you please help with the ruling direction of the two trees shown. Would it be the bottom main trunk or the upper portion?

Regards.

Hi Jaco,
I too am very interested in the answer.
My thoughts would be this. In the direction of the white line. From the base through the apex.

Morten

Could you please help with the ruling direction of the two trees shown. Would it be the bottom main trunk or the upper portion?

Regards.

Jeremy


The way to "measure" the direction is looking at the trunk from the base to the top, and draws a straight line not taking the upper or lower part in consideration alone, but together in one piece.
If the bonsai is not correctly placed in the pot, the angle is wrong or the design in other ways is in conflict, it can be difficult to achieve the direction at all. One example below.
Most of the trees you showed in this latest post are good trees, with a very clear direction but all but one misplaced.
One bonsai is misplaced in the pot as well. I have made a quick virtual on how to correct it.

I hope my comments beneath and above are clear and understandable.

Regards
Morten




This bonsai has the wrong planting angle as well as it is planted in the wrong side of the pot, according to its trunk movement and branch structure. I have made a quick virtual suggestion on how to correct this. When corrected the tree must be placed at the left of the scroll, not on the right side moving out of the display.


The way to find the movement of the tree is to make a straight line from the middle of the base on the trunk, towards the middle of the top of the canopy.
How the trunk moves from the base to the top does not influence on the direction of the tree, with exception of a tree poorly/wrong designed. The trunk can be more or less straight or curved, but still the way to decide is to make a line from base middle to top middle.
This Pine is clearly pointing away from the scroll, and should be placed opposite.


Even more obvious here, but placed at the wrong side.


Finally. YES!

Best regards and have further fun with displaying. It is very pleasing to and enjoyable to work with bonsai this way.

Morton,
You are very clear in your directions. Thank you for your help..

This bonsai has the wrong planting angle as well as it is planted in the wrong side of the pot, according to its trunk movement and branch structure. I have made a quick virtual suggestion on how to correct this. When corrected the tree must be placed at the left of the scroll, not on the right side moving out of the display.

The way to find the movement of the tree is to make a straight line from the middle of the base on the trunk, towards the middle of the top of the canopy.

How the trunk moves from the base to the top does not influence on the direction of the tree, with exception of a tree poorly/wrong designed. The trunk can be more or less straight or curved, but still the way to decide is to make a line from base middle to top middle.
This Pine is clearly pointing away from the scroll, and should be placed opposite.

Even more obvious here, but placed at the wrong side.

Following your ideas makes a lot of sence, but I still feel I prefer this particular acer on the right.

Thank you Morton.
I'm enjoying it as well.

Thank you, Morten. Several of us had this discussion at our club's yearly judged show this past weekend. The BEST of SHOW winner was moved to the large tokonoma and some thought Sara Rayner's Rocky Mountain juniper should be shown on the left and others were sure the right. Your imaginary line from the center of the base to the top is very clear and easy to remember. Here's a photo of the awesome tree.

Norma