Recent Workshop with Bill Valavanis

Hello all, I recently had the good fortune to spend a couple days working with Bill Valavanis. Bill is certainly one of my favorite and most admired bonsai teachers. His workshops are always full of interesting techniques and insightful styling. Here are a couple of videos. The first video is of a slab planting of seedling winged elm that he and I worked on together and the next video is of an extremely challenging juniper on which Bill pulled out some of his tricks! Thanks Bill for a great learning experience.

John

The elm forest has an appealing simplicity about it and I'd love to see it again in a few years to see how it has filled out. As you say in the video, not bad for a few seedlings. It's given me an idea for some rowan seedlings I have that are at a similar stage of growth.

The juniper is an interesting case. Apart from the education of bending technique shown, artistically he has attempted the seemingly impossible and started a transformation which might just pull something out of the hat. Our modern "want everything in a hurry" lifestyle would be a wrong approach for this tree - it's not what he's done in the course of that one day but how it will will develop over time that is important. Again, it would be good if you could let us see this one in a few years time.

Thanks for another couple of very informative videos, John.

fiona wrote: ... ... Thanks for another couple of very informative videos, John.

I do double Fiona's closing sentence!
.... and let me feel very proud of my compatriot Mr. Valavanis!

Love the Winged Elm group John. Very delicate and natural look, with a great slab too.

thank you very much
what a lovely forest
regards
bigbabol

Thanks for the replies folks!

Fiona, I agree on your assessment and that tree was not put in front of Bill with any notions that it was good material. Now that Bill played with it, it may have a future but that will take some time to determine.

John

Winged elm are a fantastic species to work with. Nice little forest...Thanks for sharing.

Here is the forest now that it has leafed out...

Very nice!
The "pot" reminds me of a gondola in Venice canals!

I'm not usually one to run with the pack, but I have to agree that the forest is already a lovely image. I've been collecting seedlings from a Betula Pendula outside my house for a couple of years now in anticipation of creating something akin to your planting. Now I have a better idea of how it will look!

Love the forest. I am also taking classes with Bill and some of the slides he has of forests are very convincing. His classes are wonderful. Maybe if he sees this he can post some more pictures.

Neil

Neil Jaeger wrote: .... ... Maybe if he sees this he can post some more pictures.
Neil

I wish he will see this!
It would be great.

Here are a few of my forest bonsai. Please note that some of the forests are sinuous style, while the others are group plantings of individual trees.

Bill


Trident maple group planting


Trident maple group planting blue pot


Chinese elm group planting autumn


Chinese elm group planting winter


Metasequoia group planting


American larch sinuous style


Rock cotoneaster sinuous style

Hello Bill, The first Trident maple group planting here, What size is the pot it is planted in? Oh and by the way... Nice... Very nice.

The. Korean container is about 20 inches, but its in a different and finer co gainer now.

The chinese elm group planting with the fantastic variability of colors is absolutely beautiful, Mr. Valavanis.

truly elegant and inspiring work.
are my eyes playing tricks or is that the same pot showing in the second trident group and the tamarack planting?

jgeangel - The winged elm seedling forest is very nice, charming for such young trees. Makes me want to go plant seeds in a flat right now.

That juniper in the video. I almost didn't watch, because the material looked so boring. Great idea Bill, I would have never thought of splitting the trunk like that. You created interest where there was none. Nice.

Bill, your forests are beautiful. Inspiring. I like them all.

Thanks

Glad you liked my forests.

Yes, the blue container for the large trunk trident maples is the same as for the larch sinuous style.

Bill

And what does the juniper look like now?

William N. Valavanis wrote:Yes, the blue container for the large trunk trident maples is the same as for the larch sinuous style.

which group is nestled in there now? or have they both moved onto new settings?
i know which of the two i prefer in there, but that's insignificant.

again: powerful work. i can only imagine how breath-taking they are in 3D.
thanks for the posts / inspiration.

The American larch is currently in the antique Chinese blue container.

I've seen that juniper technique before, but have never seen what a calloused over, split trunk looks like after the rafia is gone. Just wonder what the wound will look like over time. Good technique for near impossible trees. Nicely done Bill!

That looks familiar?

Yes Dale
The original container and trees came from you before I redesigned the forest.
Bill