Potomac Viewing Stone Group in Autumn

If I had taken my camera to every event shared among members, there would be no time to display them. As it is, I've fallen far behind. Our last two meetings (one this past Sunday) were in Autumn & I will try to attach some early Autumn displays at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum as well as late Autumn displays-- each included kusamono (grass &/or wildflower plantings), bonsai & stones prepared by Museum staff and volunteers. Between the early & late exhibit was an exhibit of chrysanthemum viewing stones as well as a presentation by the owner, who is also the U.S. National Arboretum director, Dr. Thomas Elias. In very late summer, PVSG had a mountain river collecting trip where I got to know a new & talented collector.

Let us start by photos of stones PVSG’s new member collected in late summer/early fall at a river location distinct from any previously located stones. Photos from Ponder Henley of his stones (edited for publishing):

Members in PVSG seldom cut stones they've collected in our region. A visitor but potential new PVSG member (& recent California Suiseki Society president) Eorl Carlson thought this stone should be cut & saw two viewing angles-- his preference was for the scene imagined with the stone flipped-- I need to find a photo which does the other side justice. I liked viewing near the angle shown here:


One of Ponder's figure stones:


A smooth black stone (2 views):

... and

Ponder's mountain stone with a very nice (perhaps, brocade or calligraphic) pattern:


Ponder's black stone with softly worn contours and shallow filled cracks along its flat top in the pattern of a turtle shell:

... same stone at the meeting on Sunday:


Ponder's coastal rock or high peak plain for habitation:


Ponder's Yellow Wax rock:

Hi Chris Cochrane,


The stone is very nice, I love its texture so much. I wonder that it is a metamorphic rock in Ponder's mountain. Could you do me a favour and give me the name of it? Thanks you so much.

Best regards,
HuuHiep

Hi HuuHiep... The stone owner lurks here and is a geologist. From the photo of the stone, I think the dark matrix is limestone that has not metamorphosed (?) into marble. Hope that helps until Ponder can share a better explanation.

I promised posting photos of autumn stone club activities & events at the Museum...

A club collecting site (mountain river) in early September...


An small introductory poster on Chrysanthemum stones at the Museum (many on-loan)...


Mum' stones (from ~34 mum stones displayed in exhibit areas at this visit)...
















"Early to Mid Autumn" can be expressed with the sight/sounds of insects & migratory birds-- including a group of shore birds in Museum exhibits...

Still in early/mid autumn... A hint of color changing-- especially dampening of summer intensity in grasses & wildflowers...






An introduction to California mum' stones...


and examples... (coming soon-- I need to save the file.)

California Chrysanthemum Stones borrowed for the Museum exhibit...

"Fox in Mums" (on loan from Richard H. Wilson)...


Chrysanthemum Mountain (Alice Greaves, collector)...


"Moonlight, Moths & Mums" (Ken McCloud, collector-- gift to American Viewing Stone Resource Center in memory of Alice Kikue Greaves)...


Chrysanthemums (Cliff Johnson, collector; on loan from Skip Chalfont)...


Please excuse problems with this set of photos-- they are taken through a glass-fronted case, the stones sit on reflective glass shelves and the photographer (me) is wearing a bright red sweater.

Lovely stones and wonderful displays. Thanks for posting Chris.

Randi

Richmond, Va

Updates have only recently been posted by Museum Curator Ked Dell on the Autumn Arts of Nature exhibit at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington DC. Some of it was reviewed last fall, but the Museum explanations & photos are very good in expressing the season. Visit the National Bonsai Foundation site hosting the images by clicking the blue hotlink!