Literati hawthorn summer installation

A cooling installation on this very hot welsh summer day.


1-IMG_8135 by urobeam, on Flickr

Apologies for the heavy shadows. I was very hot and sunny.

You folks in the UK have the best Hawthorns.

Spectacular tree and pot! I will probably never have a hawthorn like that, but I may be able to make a similar pot.

Hi Jeremy

I love your fantastic hawthorn in this pot, on this jitta  ...how tall is it? 

Kind regards Yvonne

I'd appreciate being able to see a photo (close up) of the scroll and kusamono. Even a little written about them. I know everyone gets enthralled with the tree and pot but I'm also interested in what adds to the main subject and why they were selected. Thanks for sharing...

dick benbow wrote:I'd appreciate being able to see a photo (close up) of the scroll and kusamono. Even a little written about them. I know everyone gets enthralled with the tree and pot but I'm also interested in what adds to the main subject and why they were selected. Thanks for sharing...

Hi, Sorry the delay replying
I didn't take a close up of the accent. It consisted of locally sourced plants, the type that thrive in moist and shaded areas. I hope to use a dwarf reed with moss on the day.

The waterfall card.

}

Thank-you! I appreciate seeing the smaller more refined points as the artists hones in on the subject. Last night at the bonsai club meeting we had a prsentation on kusamono by artist greg brennen.. What a delight! If I've seen one bonsai demo, I've seen a million.
He paid attention to mochikomi ( years of life in a container) and had many examples that were in the same container for decades.

Now if I could just see a similar presentation with a few points on the use of scrolls, I'd be a happy man!

thanks again!

Jeremy wrote:Apologies for the heavy shadows.

why apologize ?

they add a bit of radical lighting to the photo,
especially because they are falling in a fortuitous way through the frame...

i sincerely think they add to the photo.

Hi Jeremy,

  Very nice display. Here is the display Photoshopped.

" />
cheers,
Adam

hi adam... i dont think the shadows you removed were as distracting as the one you did not remove   

kevin

beer city snake wrote:hi adam... i dont think the shadows you removed were as distracting as the one you did not remove   

kevin

Hi Kevin,

  I'm no expert at photoshop, can even take ages to find the background eraser tool. I'd attempted trying to remove the shadows on the tree trunk but gave up and I did not want to spoil the beautiful image anymore. For me the colour of the accent pot was the most distracting but the tree is beautiful, however, that straight bit at the top spoils the movement and I wondered if a slight tilt would improve the image, couldn't do that in photoshop too. Another point is that the tree feels like leaning away towards the left and creates quite a large space for the waterfall and I felt trees normally grow towards water. Maybe shift the tree to be on the side where the accent is?

cheers,
Adam

hey adam... i was just giving ya grief   
the shadow i was referring to was the one on the right of the scroll

i really did like the shadow play as it was a happy accident (to my eye)

In Praise of Shadows.
I like the dramatic shadows, but I know some prefer a flatter light for their pics.

I had a play today with a few possible accents for the installation at Exmouth on Sunday.

The stand I like, but it will likely be a small round and very flat jita on the day, depends on what I can find.  

I agree the tree needs to be leaning towards the waterfall. I have time before Sunday to have a look and decide.

Possible accent, reeds.


1-IMG_8223 by urobeam, on Flickr

1-IMG_8298 by urobeam, on Flickr

If I change the trees direction so it faces right to left, these accents could be used.

marsh grass


1-1-IMG_8295 by urobeam, on Flickr

dwarf iris


1-IMG_8305 by urobeam, on Flickr

I think your tree is positioned on the correct side on the left. (Hidari Katte, Migi Nagare 左勝手、右流れ） The apex seems to flow back properly. I am less worried about the trunk and the lower branching predominantly moving away from the accent.

You waterfall is a very safe subject for summer, but you know my feelings about your wooden kakemono. Once I heard a well known display artist say that in order to have the correct ability to create any display about 100 scrolls are necessary. (I know that is out of reach for the large majority)...but at least 4 Tansakukake (wallscrolls to hang tansaku) with 4 different colors would help you be able to be even more creative with your displays.

For the accent I would go with your dwarf iris. Iris in Japan is a good early summer season indicator.

Beautiful display and great job telling us about early summer.

Kakejiku wrote:
You waterfall is a very safe subject for summer, but you know my feelings about your wooden kakemono. Once I heard a well known display artist say that in order to have the correct ability to create any display about 100 scrolls are necessary. (I know that is out of reach for the large majority)...but at least 4 Tansakukake (wallscrolls to hang tansaku) with 4 different colors would help you be able to be even more creative with your displays.

For the accent I would go with your dwarf iris. Iris in Japan is a good early summer season indicator.

Beautiful display and great job telling us about early summer.

Thank you.
I have 2 tansakukake, one green, one blue/dark grey. Both 8"x49". I find them a bit too wide and too long to my eye. I am looking out all the time for narrower holders, akin to the wooden one you do not favour, a min of 4" wide x 22", but under 6x33"
I might make my own? Seasonal colours will be an area I will take into account. thank you for your insight.
The season here in WAles seem to be a little out of sync. I can see at least 6 phases and can never be sure what might be suitable each show. Perhaps things will settle and make our lives a little simpler.  

I try and keep my accents local to me in Wales.

Hi,
What colour would be suitable for a Summer kakemono?
Green for Spring and tan for Autumn.
Winter=?
Summer=?
Your suggestions would be appreciated.

Jeremy wrote:Hi,
What colour would be suitable for a Summer kakemono?
Green for Spring and tan for Autumn.
Winter=?
Summer=?
Your suggestions would be appreciated.

I don't know if this is directed to me...but it would depend on your objective.
One concept that some display styles incorporate is Heaven (Scroll) Man (Bonsai) and earth (kusamono or tenkei)
If that is the case, then you could try to match the scroll color to the colors of the sky in Wales during these summers. (Light blue/Celadon for summer and a light grey for winter?)
Here is a beautiful cloth that could work for summer (unless you don't want patterns in the cloth).
http://wallscroll.blogspot.com/2011/09/silk-sumie-remount-scroll.html

Thank you.
It is a great help.