Jan 29 2013

The road To Willowbog…

Ok, ready to start adding my photos from the weekend. Spent a good bit of time today recovering, but also thinking about what I saw and heard this past weekend. I have been sorting out my photos and trying to decide the best way to add them here. I have opted for a chronological order but with one or two aspects left out, but to be mentioned later. It’ll take a few days to get them all together so keep stopping by for a look. It will be photo heavy as usual. With bonsai, photos always say more.

First up is the road trip. Phil Ben and I set out early on Friday morning for what proved to be a challenge in getting to Willowbog Bonsai. The ferry crossing was straightforward but as we approached our destination the snowy conditions steadily got worse. Along the road I managed to snap a few photos of interesting landscape features and trees. here is a gallery showing a step by step of the journey.

Travel buddies Phil and Ben

First signs of fresh snow fall

One of many interesting trees in the landscape

Old Scottie with wind blown snow

BBrr!

Military Road along Hadrians wall still clear

The movie tree from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves.

Closer

A stand of Scotties

Nice group

Hawthorn

getting closer

Hadrians wall under the snow somewhere

3 great pine images

Winter image

feeding time

nearly there

old old tree

can almost smell Jean’s cooking now.

Roads get harder to drive on

hawthorn

passing point

last stretch is by far the worst.

Willowbog Farm sighted from the road with the workshop lights blazing.

Jan 28 2013

Back Home….

…After an amazing weekend. I’ve plenty of photos and such like to keep me busy here for the week.

I have had numerous requests for the video footage from the demo from those who were there. that tells you all you need to know. This will be edited once my software issues are resolved.

I’m shattered and am going to get an early night but check back for a full run down of a fantastic weekend.

I must finish by saying a massive thank you to Peter and Jean for having three of us as house guests at the same time as Peter Warren, Ryan Neil and David Jones. You are truly special friends.

Jan 26 2013

Demo Day

Anybody who was at the Ryan Neil demo today will no doubt back me up when I say just how enjoyable and educational a day it was.

Ryan certainly is every bit as good as the greater bonsai public say he is. I will be adding many of the 100’s of photos I have taken so far during this coming week. Just not possible to do it now with this internet connection. I will however share the before and after shots of the Taxus Cuspidata that Ryan worked on today. No easy option for Ryan, he wanted the best possible outcome for this year which involved seperating the live vein from the deadwood to allow the image to be compacted more bring the green bits closer to the wonderful deadwood.

Compare where the foliage in in the before photo to were it is in the after. Use the deadwood as a reference. As usual a photo does not do this tree justice.

Workshop tomorrow, after more red wine tonight 🙂

Jan 24 2013

Drama! and We Haven’t Even Left Yet!!

Popped over to Phil’s place today to drop off my tree for the weekend and give him a hand lifting out his rather larger one. We are travelling in Phil’s van which he had unbelievably cleared of all the usual crap he carries about in it 🙂

His tree had to be secured at an angle to get it to fit and he spend a little time screwing wood around both trees to stop any movement.

Here’s a few photos.

We managed to get all this done and the van fully filled and I drove off to leave him to pop home. About a half hour later I got a call to say the van was dead and we were now stuck for transport. This started a frantic session of phone calls to the AA [That’s Automobile Assoc not Alcoholics Anon :-)] Stenna and a van hire company, to try and cover all options. We had a 5pm deadline to get things sorted one way or another. At 4,30pm after changing the boat time from first thing in the morning just in case, the AA guy found the fault and has made a temporary fix. No part available in Northern Ireland but we hope to make it as far as Carlisle tomorrow before it quits. The part awaits us there!

All very dramatic, lets hope it starts in the morning. A £27.50 part was better than a £300 van hire!!

Next Stop Willowbog Bonsai, fingers crossed everyone 😀

Jan 9 2013

Boat Booked!

That’s the boat booked for our trip over to Willowbog Bonsai on 25th January for the Ryan Neil Demo and Workshop.

Looking forward to getting over there and seeing some old friends and a few new ones to boot. Funny this internet carry on. I chat with folk every day who I’ve never met. It’s always interesting to actually meet them in the flesh and see if they match up with who you thought they were 🙂

I have my driver lined up, Phil is taking his van over as both our workshop trees are rather on the large side, however they might not be on the way back. If you follow this blog, you all know Phil ‘The Fingers’ Donnelly.

Joining us as a passenger on his first trip to Willowbog is Ben. I’m not sure he’s wise getting into a van for a long drive with Phil as these two constantly banter when together. I think I’ll have to sit in the middle 🙂

Ben will be gutted when he realizes that the chance of getting a mobile phone reception at Willowbog is practically zero! I think his expression will be similar to this 🙂

Or this 🙂

The children playing together 🙂

Enough about that pair, what I’m looking forward to is a good walk around Peter’s benches to get another look at some great bonsai.Here’s a gallery showing my last visit.

Dec 3 2012

Escallonia Step by Step

I did a little more work on the Escallonia in November.

Peter Warren had suggested back in October that I remove a front branch. I did this and now this stump needed added to the deadwood on the tree.

When Mr Snart was here a few weeks back we had a look at it. Peter has excellent carving skills and I wanted his advice about opening up the trunk to allow me to reach the hollow centre. It had rotted at the base and was hollow inside, but I couldn’t reach this area to add wood hardener. Peter kindly offered to do a little carving on the tree to add the extra deadwood at the front and also open up the trunk to allow me to gain access.

This was the tree before removal of the front branch.

and after branch removal

Here is Peter doing a little carving.

On Friday I spent a little time washing out the remains of the sawdust and rotted wood. I did a little more carving and cleaning of the original deadwood to remove some algae. As you can see below there are now 3 opening added by Peter into the centre of the trunk that I can now access and apply hardener. The opening are small visually but allow room for a toothbrush to enter. The remaining heartwood is all solid and rotting seemed to have been limited.

I plan to treat the wood this week and apply a fresh coat of lime sulphur to the outside, perhaps darkened down a tad. I’ll keep you posted.

Nov 20 2012

Bonsai Workshop Sunday

A few more shots from the weekend, this time it’s the workshop on the Sunday. I haven’t been able to alter the photos with photoshop to improve the indoor shots but at least these will give you a feel for the day. Some shots of a few trees in the workshop before and after. For some of the participants, this was their first workshop.

Nov 19 2012

Bonsai School Saturday

It’s been hard to post this week! Between my computer deciding that it no longer wants to talk to anything via usb, including my camera, and my hosting of a club event, I have been frustrated.

So, here I sit on my laptop, which I hate using, trying to add some photos for your viewing. Only a few snaps from the school, plenty of video recorded but I’m unable to transfer it at the moment. Here are some shots of my garage and driveway full of club folk soaking up the bonsai vibe. Peter Snart is also captured in full flow, and dear love him he struggled through two days with a nasty cough and splutter.