LARGE KINGSVILLE SAIKEI

Here's an old friend that has had some work today. Trimming the trees and cleaning up the landscape.
Height from table to top of main tree is 18 inches.

Mike

Hi Mike.
Really like your composition. Beautiful.

Pavel

My friend...

I feel like this one is an old friend to me as well... Since it's the one that made me fall in love with kingsville boxwoods...

I always enjoy seeing it through the years.... It's lovely still.

V

Pavel Slovák wrote:Hi Mike.
Really like your composition. Beautiful.

Pavel

Thank you, Pavel. I appreciate your comments.

Mike

Victrinia Ridgeway wrote:My friend...

I feel like this one is an old friend to me as well... Since it's the one that made me fall in love with kingsville boxwoods...

I always enjoy seeing it through the years.... It's lovely still.

V

Thanks for your kind words, V!!
I put this together back around 1995, give or take a year or 2. It was a saikei demo for the Bonsai Society of San Francisco at their annual exhibit.
The Kingsvilles were supplied by Col. John Hinds, ret. (the west coast king of Kingsville) of Seattle, who was also a BSSF member. The pot was supplied by member Eleanor Carlton, and the rocks by myself.
I came into the demo cold. Hadn't seen the Kingsvilles or the pot before I arrived at the show in the morning. The rocks I gathered from my rockpile the day before. We started the demo with John trimming the Kingsvilles and me experienting with rock placement, while talking to the audience about saikei. I first made a place for the big Kingsville with the big rock and several small ones. Muck was used to keep them in place. The rest of the trees followed from that. I guess we finished in about 1 1/2 hours.
Then came the auction. Member Ron Reed was the high bidder, and took it home.
About 5 years ago I heard Ron was selling off some of his collection, especially the biggest ones. I called him and asked about the saikei. It was for sale. I went to his place, we agreed on a price, and I brought it home. I was very happy to get it. It's my favorite by far of the demo pieces I have done in the past. Makes me happy to go out in the yard and see it sitting on the bench.

BTW, John Hinds and (the late) Eleanor Carlton are both old friends of Dan Robinson. The last I heard of John was that he was living in a retired officers facility at an AFB in Texas.

Wonderful saikei Mike...

Does ii qualify as a shohin?

Pat

bonsaistud wrote:Wonderful saikei Mike...

Does ii qualify as a shohin?

Pat

Pat, the tallest tree is a bit over 10 inches. The shohin police would probably ticket it for overheight.
The next one is about 8 inches tall. It might get a pass, or maybe a warning. The rest are surely short enough to make it under the bar.