Professional Bonsai and Suiseki

Professional bonsai and suiseki from Peter Warren. Japanese bonsai educated by well known bonsai master Kunio Kobayashi.

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Second National Exhibition

Regular visitors to this website will know that I was away in the US recently on what was a very enjoyable but busy trip. It started off by returning to one of my previous spiritual homes, Texas, for a Cowtown Convention, sadly I don’t have any photos of this because I do not carry a camera with me. I’m not sure if this is because it is just another thing to lose or because I don’t like pictures…either way it was great fun as anybody there will hopefully testify. I was headlining along with Guy Guidry and Matt Ouwinga, both legendary guys who can party well. I know Matt very well from our time in Japan and subsequent friendship and it is very good to see him doing so well. He gives me a lot of credit but it’s all down to his own hard work. He is the Trident Maple king of the Western world and has a great eye for Bonsai and pottery as well. Guy is an incredible mine of knowledge, it is clear from speaking to him for 5 minutes that he is a nurseryman of the highest order as well as a man with an artistic eye and the skills to back it up; a true Bonsai professional, not an artist in the egotistical prima donna sense of the word, but a genuine from the roots up professional.

I would like to say thank you to Mark Bynum for his excellent organising of the event , he was the all powerful yet very flexible Chairman. Howard and Silvia Smith also deserve my thanks for putting me up for a few days and being great hosts.

Unfortunately the Lone Star Convention was on the same weekend as the 2^nd National Exhibition in Rochester, NY. I was one of the controversial judges last time in 2008 and this year my master, Mr. Kobayashi (a.k.a The Chief) was doing the judging alongside Farrand Bloch (Bonsai Focus) and David Easterbrook (Montreal Botanical Gardens). I was needed there to be the translator for the Chief but due to my prior commitments with Texas, I couldn’t make it until noon on the Sunday, an hour before starting a demonstration as the Chief’s trusty assistant/translator. The demo went well, as they always do with the chief and he made a nice Cascade Juniper. Thankfully before and after the demo I got a chance to walk around the show and it was once again very impressive. I did not think that Bill and his team of loyal and dedicated workers could pull it off again with trees of equal or better quality but they did and it was a joy to behold.

Many people both inside and outside of the States think that there are no good trees in the US, but that does a disservice to the many superb specimen trees that have been grown from seed or collected and styled; alongside those few trees that make it through the draconian importation procedure. From the time that I had spent in the US I knew there were one or two top quality trees around but at the first national show I was amazed to see even more collected in one show.  Yet again I have been amazed to see that there are double the numbers of high quality trees and that people are prepared to transport them half way across the world to show them.

It is clear to see the influence of many great artists at work, there are too many to name but people like Suthin Sukosolvit, Bill Valavanis, Kathy Shaner, Jim Gremel and Boon have all contributed so much to the advancement of the overall level of American Bonsai. Work they have done themselves or that their students have done is clear to see and it is testament to a dedicated and patient approach to Bonsai which is missing in some people’s trees. I am looking forward to seeing the next generation of American artists come through, Ryan Neil, Mike Hagedorn, Matt Ouwinga, Bjorn Bjorholm and Matt Reel. I wish that there were the same level of new talent coming through in the UK.

The award winning tree from Suthin, Pinus Parviflora in a wonderful Nanban pot

Due to the incredible size of the country, the logistics of the event are mindboggling. I had to explain to the Chief that there was a refrigerated truck driving for five days solid from state to state to pick up trees for show.  It is certainly a lot easier than popping over to Belgium in a few hours to show at the Noelanders Trophy. Respect is due to all who made the effort to show. From my critical and Japanese trained eye, there are still many lessons to be learned with the actual display of trees, however, the act of displaying is study in itself, and by comparing it against trees and displays from across the country, those lessons will be learned and more effort will go into finding the correct table or pot, along with a more ideal accent planting. There are a few skilled craftsmen offering high quality tables and pots are becoming easier and easier to get hold of. A more authentic display style will begin to show through over the coming years. Colin Lewis once again sponsored his Western Display award which again turned up a few interesting and novel displays.

As you can see from the pictures, the location is pretty impressive as well. The set up is down to a team of hardworking and unpaid volunteers who work together with Bill Valavanis. I should also add that Bill never stops himself and despite his broken foot, he managed to pull the whole thing of without any major problems. Needless to say, all the effort have ensured that his foot did not heal properly and he is in need of further surgery.

Coming from Yorkshire I am not one for hyperbole and false praise but both the Chief and I were impressed at the lengths that were gone to and the effort that was put in. I am looking forward to the third show.

After the show, Bill put on a two day workshop of advanced techniques and display, designed to show some different techniques that involve a little thinking outside of the box.  All the participants enjoyed it very much and we all learned a lot from the Chief.

After he left, I stayed for a few days, worked with some friends, was taken down to the Ball Game and culminated in a suiseki workshop where, much to Bill's delight, we sat and watched stones dry.

Despite what was happening else where in the world, I didnt miss the World Cup too much.  I did however put on far too much weight and have been on a diet and exercise regime ever since!

I will be back again in the US for the Stone Convention in October and then the GSBF convention at the end of the month.  In between then I will be touring about so let me know if you are interested in having me over.

 Many thanks to Bill Valavanis for the photographs and permission to use them.  Please do not copy them unless you ask!

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