Remember Isao Omachi? Isao’s house and bonsai nursery were swept away in the tsunami. That’s the tough news. The good news is that hundreds, maybe thousands of people in our international bonsai community donated to help Isao and his family get back on thier feet. As a result of this effort (and Isao’s and his family’s determination) Isao is back doing what he loves. This is our good fortune; Isao is one of the featured bonsai artists at the Mid Atlantic Bonsai Societies 2012 Spring Festival. This sweet colorful bonsai is from Isao facebook page. It looks like a Japanese winterberry.
Planning ahead. Like to take photos of bonsai? This is your chance.
Better hurry if you’re going to make this 2007 Ginkgo show. This photo may be ancient history by now, but I couldn’t resist. It’s not just the blazingly beautiful blooms and the thick thick trunk, though those are surely enough to warrant a look. But how about that pot? Have you ever seen one quite like it?
Sea of pines. From Jonas Dupuich’s six week apprentice experience at Aichi-en nursery (that’s where Peter Tea is serving his much longer sentence apprenticeship).
Nature’s deadwoood. I don’t think anyone could carve and age deadwood quite like this (not even Fracois Jeker). The photo is from the California Bonsai Society Exhibit at The Huntington Botanical Gardens. It was posted on the Internet Bonsai Club by alonsou. The photo is identified as QAkh61. Is the QA Quercus agrifolia (California live oak)?
The whole tree (from above) with companion. The leaves are too fuzzy to tell what it is (for me at least).
Today is the last day. Another tree from the CBS annual exhibition at the Huntington. This one belongs to David Nguy. The exhibit is going on right now (today, Sunday, is the last day).
While we’re on the West Coast. It’s always great to see bonsai clubs with up-to-date websites (I’d say less than half are, with some a year or two behind). Here’s your link.
Another one that’s up to date. Listed events include the Michigan All-State Bonsai Show (May 12 & 13), the Chicago Botanical Garden Spring Show (May 19 & 20) and Milwaukee’s own 42nd Annual Bonsai Show (Sept 15, 16 & 17). .
Barber pole bonsai. I found this unusual tree here. I’ll let you be the judge.
Mark the date. From the Columbus Bonsai Societies Newsletter. If you can’t make this workshop, you can learn a lot from Andy’s DVDs: Finding the Bonsai Within and How to Collect Wild Trees.
Wayne,
Thanks for posting the World Bonsai Photo Contest by WBFF. You are much better than all the WBFF VIP’s…
I came to know this contest and it said that the entries should be sent to the regional coordinator; but I have been trying to find out the coordinator of Asia region by sending emails to all the WBFF VIP’s including the President..with many reminders ofcourse…but NOTHING !!!
LOL, seems what you posted is quite updated from WBFF official website, but there are still many regions mentioned without the coordinators, although I know there are as some already being announced regionally. But for Asia region..this info is NOT circulating.
Further concern..it mentions “Regional coordinators forward regional entries to regional judges”… In some regions, I know..this can be very “tricky” since the regional judges panel are never “transparent”. Some play GOD… (sorry)
It also mentions the coming 2013 WBFF Convention in China and I have been trying to get this info, where and when..but NO SINGLE RESPOND !!!
Whoever the WBFF web-master/admin is..I suggest to post an updated information, and for the so-called Worldwide Coordinator, please make sure this contest is working well worldwide for the sake of worldwide representation… Thanks !
Hi Robert,
Yes. WBFF webisite though good in places can be a little befuddling too. I too looked around for more info and finally gave up. Hopefully, more and better info will be forthcoming on both the contest and the 2013 convention.
Hi Wayne, I too thank you for advertising the WBFF photo contest. I received a certificate for the photo of my little Acer palmatum from the 2006 WBFF contest at the convention in Puerto Rico. Such contests allow us to display our trees to a wider international audience – not everyone can attend international conventions :-(
Could I humbly suggest to Robert Steven that the mark of a leader in the bonsai world is to not simply whinge about a problem but to actually do something about it – if something is wrong perhaps becoming an executive member of the WBFF and contributing to administration (and thereby assisting to resolve any perceived issues) is the way to go about it. My late father always stressed to me that I should do something and not let others do it for me. This public outburst does not sound like the Robert Steven I met at our Australian National Bonsai Convention in May 2006.
While at ASPAC Takamatsu in 2011 we were told about the forthcoming conventions in China in 2013. I understand there will be a combined WBC and ASPAC Convention – one single huge event – held in Jintan, PRC. I’m sure details will be announced in due course so we can all consider our travel plans (several Aussies are raring to go). I look forward to seeing some photos of Robert’s trees on display.
Hi Frank, nice to hear from you.
By all means, this is my concern for the quality of the contest. I am not whinging but criticizing for improvement..and maybe not many people know, that I was the initiator and coordinator of the first WBFF World Bonsai Contest immediately after JAL stopped sponsoring the previous JAL Photo Contest many years ago.
All the coordination work, starting from collecting the entries, catagorized by region, recap the entries data, sent to the judges, set the system, announcing the result, printed the certificates and produced the Saburo Kato bust trophy with my own money..all this was done with the help of my asistent in my company, thanks to Mr. Tom Sigemitsu from Japan who was sponsoring to send the awards to the winners with his own money.
We were doing for few years till Tom was sick and can’t help to involve anymore. Then I requested asistance from the organization(s) so we could continue the contest, but sorry to tell you, Everyone was absolutely quiet and NO BODY even spoke a word for suggestion (it was a tough task indeed)..and I sadly stopped..till the new contest started again recently.
I was also among who were involved in the forming of ABFF, the Asia Pacific region of WBFF, and was the Secretary General for 2 terms. Believe me, the communication problem was helly frustrating when you were expecting the agreed programs to run. I was too naive on this…
I appologize to say all of this here and my tough words, which maybe I am not suppose to, no negative means but simply to show my concern. I know the task is hard and I appreciate to all who are incharged in this program, but simply expecting a successful contest.
However, seems someone has read this post, and finally I received email from Junardy, the Director of Asia region, telling the asia region coordinators are Budi Sulistio from Indonesia and Montri from Thailand. But I am still questioning if two coordinators is a good idea..knowing that each region should select the best 50 entries for further judging (ABFF has 8 country members).
Beside the problem of coordination between the 2 coordinators, there is possibility of one entry sending more than once (because I experienced this problem). When there are hundreds of entries, it’s hardly possible to identify the double entries without proper system. There is also another problem…normally the entries will come at once at the last minute, and it can easily cause the over-quota problem of the coordinators’ mailbox (I experienced this problem as well); hope they are anticipating…
Thanks to Junardy, anyway…
Hi Robert,
Thanks for giving me some background information. I understand your point of view and am glad that things are now moving again – a win all round it seems. Lets hope the photo contest gets many entries and we get the “friendship” of bonsai moving again.
regards
Wayne,
the “Nature’s deadwood” that you posted is a John Naka tree, and it’s a Prunus mume (Ume). I’ve seen it in person last weekend.
Regards,
Attila
Thanks Attila,
It’s great the old Master’s trees are still finding their way around. Do you know who owns it?
What’s interesting about this, is that it shows John Naka on the exhibit tag. The tag is supposed to identify the owner. I was told by the members of the California Bonsai Society, that a lot of John Naka trees are maintained by a small circle of John’s closest students. This ensures that the trees will look as close as possible to Joh’s original design. So, I think that the term “custodian” is more appropriate in this case, rather than “owner”. That’s why the actual owner is not identified. It may well be ownership by committee, but I don’t know the particular details beyond this.
Thanks Attila for the inside story.
It’s all news to me.