A few snaps from today’s one to one with Derek in Dublin.
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One to One with Derek
Author Archives: bonsai eejit
Garden Changes
Two weeks ago I started the process of removing the grass from my back garden. More space for display and additional drainage due to seasonal flooding were my aims.
This was the starting point.
First step was getting a micro digger in.
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Next up was 16 tonne of stone, some decorative some for drainage.
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Then it was time to start adding trees. I opted to use temporary bench legs while I figure out the layout that suits me best. I’ll replace them when I’m 100% on the spacing etc. I’ve also a few monkey poles to add and some underplanting. I’m also looking for a nice piece of bog oak to use as a sculpture/feature. I’m still looking.
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That’s the front part of the garden nearly complete. Next up is the back with a new Polytunnel.
Hosta Parade
I think I have another addiction 🙈
rock is
Fencepost Cedar
Well that’s what I call it. I’ve played with this tree for years watching it progress slowly. It adds a bit of colour in the display and despite all its faults I still like to stop and look it it, even though it’s usually to figure out what I’d like to change 😂
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some older shots of it over the years. Back when I made a Horlivka of the carving 😀
This was it in 2016
Iris Accent
Bud-Ten Bunratty
From small acorns mighty oaks grow….
It was an absolute pleasure to be be involved with Ray Egan at Bud Garden Centre in Bunratty and watch the first (and not the last) Bud-ten exhibition come together.
Bud Garden Centre in the Shadow of Bunratty Castle
Ray is one of guys who works hard in the background to push bonsai forward in Ireland and do it in the right way. From a chat last year over a few beers when he talked about hosting a Japanese Gardening Weekend at Bud including bonsai, to what just transpired last weekend, it’s been a rollercoaster.
Ray hard at work
Bud is nestled away in a corner opposite the historic Bunratty Castle and although small, offers plants missing from most garden centres. Ray hosts monthly meetings for the Munster Bonsai Club of which he’s a founding member.
Ray asked if I’d help pull the bonsai side of things together and as things progressed I ended up down the rabbit hole 🙂
Ray invited me to judge the exhibition so he could award deserving trees and help encourage exhibitors to push the standard of their display. The exhibits are from various people at a wide range of levels but Ray encouraged many of his fellow club mates to exhibit for the first time for the experience. Here’s the exhibition and the winning trees.
Japanese White Pine Best in Show -Michael Guerin
Higa Siama Japanese Maple Best Broadleaf in Show – Michael Guerin
Shohin Rack Best Display in Show -Stephen and Vanessa Dodds, Ben Follis, Ray Egan
Best Shohin -Itiogawa Juniper Stephen Dodds
Best Accent – Dodecatheon Paul Lynam
Best Native Elm -Steven Short
Best Conifer Japanese White Pine- Mark Cashman
Best Tree Pot Combo K. Hornbeam on left in Beko pot – Dermot Woods
Best Mame Musk Maple on left – Kris Stoker
And a few other photos of exhibits
The accents from the show.
WE had some fun social evenings with bonsai enthusiasts from all three clubs in Ireland getting together with our partners for food and drink.
Dangerous putting these girls together!
On the bank holiday Monday, after the exhibition had ended, I delivered a Kusamono workshop for 11 people and afterwards gave a talk on beginning bonsai for the public.
Friends old and new being brought together all weekend.
A massive that you to all those who made the weekend such a success, Visitors, exhibitors, helpers but most importantly to the man below, without Ray’s drive and commitment this simply wouldn’t have happened.
Bud-Ten Set Up
Great fun in the last two days helping my friend Ray set up his Japanese Gardening Weekend at Bud Garden Centre in Bunratty County Clare.
There’s a small bonsai exhibition as part of the event that I’ll be judging and running demos along side.
When this idea was first floated last year and I was asked to be a part of it, I jokingly called the bonsai Exhibition Bud-Ten the Japanese term for exhibition. Ray wasn’t keen at first but peer pressure worked wonders and it stuck. 😀
We have bonsai enthusiasts from across Ireland coming for the trees and of course the social side of the weekend 🍻
If you are reading this and you’re a local, come along and say hello.
Here’s a few photos of the set up. No tree pics until It’s all set but this will give you an idea of what to expect.
Building an Empire – Advanced Course 2
Oscar Jonker has been working his magic again on Bonsai Empire. He’s been teaming up with Bjorn Bjornholm again to bring us the second part of the Advanced course.
I’d been wondering where Empires quality content could take us next and I wasn’t disappointed. Having early access and little time of my own to watch so much content, I sat down one evening to speed review the sections. Well, that didn’t work of course! I ended up binge watching it like a season of Game of Thrones 🙂 Addictive stuff this bonsai thing.
If you have watched any of the previous courses on Bonsai Empire you’ll know that you will always get high quality content filmed to a very high standard and edited well cutting to the chase every single time. Advanced Course 2 Didn’t deviate from this in any way.
Highlights for me were the section on display and I hope this will be taken further in the future. Some great case studies in there too looking back on previous work and bringing us up to date with were these trees are now in their development. This covers both conifers and broadleaf species.
Here’s a preview
What’s next Oscar? 🙂 Keep them coming my friend.
Sign up for Advanced Course 2
Innovation Inspiring Innovation
When asked if I’d give an honest review for PBM’s LAB 2 I was excited to see what was different about it compared to other online content for bonsai out there currently. We already have our Mirai and Empire content both of which cater for all our bonsai addictions. What could LAB offer that these didn’t cover already?
On the night of the live stream I watched the stream from 22.00 GMT until midnight knowing I was up again for a full on day at 04.00 the next morning. I felt that 2 hours would be enough to get a feel for it but by midnight I was gutted that I really had to get to bed. Happily I was able to dip back in 24 hours later and watch the missed content in the replay.
I titled this blog post ‘innovation inspiring Innovation’. Watching a potter, a stand maker and a bonsai artist all pushing the limits of what’s possible, and in turn throwing down that challenge to the others at each progressing LAB session, was a great watch and thought provoking.
In the words of the LAB Project “Rather than starting with a styled tree and asking both the pot and the standmaker to respond to it (as is traditionally practiced), the LAB asks: What if the stand comes first?; or the pot?; Where can these makers take the art of bonsai if they allow themselves to influenced by each other in an entirely new way?”
This actually helps explain the LAB sessions better than words can.
I’m a Mirai Live guy and know what to expect from Ryan’s quality work but what blew me away was Austin and Ron’s content in the stream. Both the pots and stands are on another level and far removed from traditional practices.
I guess if you are a traditionalist then much of this won’t be to your taste, but were would be be in bonsai if no one ever pushes the limits to see just how far we can go. Check out the LAB website here for more information and and watch the trailers for the first few sessions. Next session is August 17th and if the GMT time is right, I really hope to be watching how this has evolved further from LAB 2
LAB Project Part 2
As an avid follower/listener of the Mirai Asymmetry podcast I was already acquainted with the ambitious LAB Project being delivered by the Pacific Bonsai Museum I had been driving and listening to the guys discussing the first session and found myself wanting to pull over just to see what the tree, stand and pot combo actually looked like having missed part one live. When I did manage to get a look on the PBM website I wasn’t disappointed.
I can only say that all these guys are truly nuts!! I couldn’t think of anything harder to achieve in bonsai, three separate elements being created simultaneously by three different artists and expecting it to mesh. A seriously ambitious project from Aaron Packard.
Pacific Bonsai Museum’s LAB (Living Art of Bonsai) is a four-part, multi year-long experiment investigating
1) the influence of inspired architectural settings and
2) the effect of collaboration re sequencing on the art of bonsai. The overall goal of the project is to advance innovation and artistic expression in bonsai.
Here’s the highlights reel from the first session.
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I have a soft spot for PBM having visited the museum back in 2017 and viewed the natives exhibition. Having missed part one of the LAB project I fully intended to live stream the second part. At 2pm PDT this translated to a very view-able 10pm GMT for me. Then to my delight Aaron dropped me an email offering me the opportunity to review the content live in Part two. I just love the bonsai community 🙂
On April 6, 2019, Pacific Bonsai Museum presents The LAB Session 2 // The Site of Bonsai: Focus on the Vessel & Tree-potting //.
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Watch the live action as Ron Lang, Austin Heitzman, Ryan Neil, and Aarin Packard take bonsai where it’s never gone before. Take part in the discussion via chat.
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LIVE STREAM Tickets ON SALE NOW at @pacificbonsaimuseum (link in bio) / http://pacificbonsaimuseum.cleeng.com
Looking forward to being a part of this live experience.
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Bonsai Eejit 