Faces of a transplanted bonsai artist. From Colin’s’ website.

From bad weather to more bad weather
Colin Lewis is a Englishman who somehow has ended up in the woods of Maine, where he raises bonsai, teaches, unpacks from his bonsai road show and drinks copious amounts of coffee in his pajamas. Most people who know Colin say that if you can get past his heavy foreign accent (joke!), you can learn a lot from him. Especially when it comes to the art of bonsai.

An uncommon mix
Among other things, Colin has a somewhat uncommon mix of talents. He can bonsai, he can teach, and, to top it off, he can write. So well in fact, that I once received an article for Bonsai Today (issue 79, on larch care) from him that didn’t need one single word (or even punctuation mark) changed. If you’ve ever been a publisher or especially an editor, you know just how rare this is.

But I digress, so without further ado, here’s Colin answering a few questions I emailed to him a while back.

Do you have, or have you had, bonsai teachers? (any stories?)
I never had a regular teacher, but I learned from so many fine artists.   I lived close to Peter Adams and visited him from time to time.  Dan Barton was another influence.    I learned mostly by watching good people work – and still do.

What would you say are the most important things you’ve learned about bonsai?
They’re all important.

Do you consider bonsai an art?
Absolutely.   But don’t look for comparisons with other artistic disciplines – there aren’t any.

Shimpaku from Colin’s website and from his book, Bonsai Design (unfortunately, out of print). The pot is by Dave Loweman.

Continue reading Colin Lewis Interview: “They’re All Important”