A Bonsai Beginners Dream Come True

Godschick

Mame
Messages
180
Reaction score
365
Location
Fresno CA
USDA Zone
9b
Just getting into bonsai and new to the Fresno area, I signed up and started my Docent/tree tender work today at the Shinzen Japanese Garden, Clark Bonsai Collection. It is one of the largest bonsai collections in America, with over 100 trees! I find it a rare opportunity and I’m humbled to be able work side by side with some amazing bonsai masters and those who are so passionate about the art. I took quit a few pictures and thought I would share a couple. Some are over 100 years old with incredible historical journeys. Towards the end of my work today, my teacher looked at me and said, “these trees are part of your trees now.” Im a little more than excited!
 

Attachments

  • 4182C8D7-0B58-4A6A-B300-4F48C676FD38.jpeg
    4182C8D7-0B58-4A6A-B300-4F48C676FD38.jpeg
    322.1 KB · Views: 133
  • C5E40B14-8887-4539-BFCD-10399A3B491F.jpeg
    C5E40B14-8887-4539-BFCD-10399A3B491F.jpeg
    377 KB · Views: 131
  • 760F6927-A8F7-4424-8C9D-C814EECF8DED.jpeg
    760F6927-A8F7-4424-8C9D-C814EECF8DED.jpeg
    335.5 KB · Views: 128
  • 2C1F2433-80A5-48D1-9EE4-9DDABDE6DA99.jpeg
    2C1F2433-80A5-48D1-9EE4-9DDABDE6DA99.jpeg
    379.4 KB · Views: 124
  • 96F246B4-4DA9-42CF-9604-5766F38D7032.jpeg
    96F246B4-4DA9-42CF-9604-5766F38D7032.jpeg
    349.7 KB · Views: 121
  • 88B1FC54-9A9C-446B-AE44-26CB6135C7FD.jpeg
    88B1FC54-9A9C-446B-AE44-26CB6135C7FD.jpeg
    360.1 KB · Views: 117
  • 9551CE98-38FA-4FA3-BFE4-C818FEAA8099.jpeg
    9551CE98-38FA-4FA3-BFE4-C818FEAA8099.jpeg
    300.2 KB · Views: 118
  • 24F391DD-7309-46D8-A7AF-4702C2EF706F.jpeg
    24F391DD-7309-46D8-A7AF-4702C2EF706F.jpeg
    392.7 KB · Views: 113
  • 699E3A00-DD34-4BEB-BD99-3642FEF49779.jpeg
    699E3A00-DD34-4BEB-BD99-3642FEF49779.jpeg
    317.3 KB · Views: 113
  • BED158EE-CD57-411E-98E8-0F990F4A86DE.jpeg
    BED158EE-CD57-411E-98E8-0F990F4A86DE.jpeg
    300.5 KB · Views: 124
I find it curious but understandable that extremely nice bonsai look so little like a tree in the wild.
Art takes some liberties in its expression.
That's a common misconception. Bonsai ARE NOT made, and never have been made, to replicate trees in the wild. Like other artforms, bonsai is the product of human imagination and express human emotions and perceptions. Simply aiming to make a tree that replicates big trees misses the point.
 
That's a common misconception. Bonsai ARE NOT made, and never have been made, to replicate trees in the wild. Like other artforms, bonsai is the product of human imagination and express human emotions and perceptions. Simply aiming to make a tree that replicates big trees misses the point.
And that is one of the reasons I have absolutely fallen in love with this art! The imagination, perceptions and emotions involved in the creation. Our heart and souls spill out into these little trees.
 
Last edited:
That's a common misconception. Bonsai ARE NOT made, and never have been made, to replicate trees in the wild. Like other artforms, bonsai is the product of human imagination and express human emotions and perceptions. Simply aiming to make a tree that replicates big trees misses the point.
I agree with the premise, but I never say never. There are those who do endeavor to replicate natural wild trees. It may miss the point generally, but that is the point.
 
I do think that many of the best bonsai (in my eye) do replicate real trees. Not by having the same shape and ratios but by giving the same impression.
An example is taper, bonsai have much more taper than normal trees but this does create a feeling of depth and size. So it strengthens the impression of a small "big tree".

This is not unlike Monet's waterlilies not looking like (a photo of) a pond with waterlilies but does replicate the impression and feeling of the waterlilies.
 
Just getting into bonsai and new to the Fresno area, I signed up and started my Docent/tree tender work today at the Shinzen Japanese Garden, Clark Bonsai Collection. It is one of the largest bonsai collections in America, with over 100 trees! I find it a rare opportunity and I’m humbled to be able work side by side with some amazing bonsai masters and those who are so passionate about the art. I took quit a few pictures and thought I would share a couple. Some are over 100 years old with incredible historical journeys. Towards the end of my work today, my teacher looked at me and said, “these trees are part of your trees now.” Im a little more than excited!
Great way to get free training!
 
I do think that many of the best bonsai (in my eye) do replicate real trees. Not by having the same shape and ratios but by giving the same impression.
An example is taper, bonsai have much more taper than normal trees but this does create a feeling of depth and size. So it strengthens the impression of a small "big tree".

This is not unlike Monet's waterlilies not looking like (a photo of) a pond with waterlilies but does replicate the impression and feeling of the waterlilies.
Interesting note about Monet. Those waterlily paintings are his best known works, yet he was nearly blind when he painted them.
 
FWIW, you may think you're not injecting your perspective and artistic sense into a tree and you're only making a replica. None of that is really true. YOU certainly decide to remove 'extraneous' branches, adjust roots, etc. and make artistic adjustments according TO YOUR TASTE. You decide what shape to mold the tree into, or to represent (upright, windswept, etc). "Natural" features on trees in the wild are more often than not, mostly ugly, non-sensical or both. There are no perfectly arranged natural trees.
 
That's a common misconception. Bonsai ARE NOT made, and never have been made, to replicate trees in the wild. Like other artforms, bonsai is the product of human imagination and express human emotions and perceptions. Simply aiming to make a tree that replicates big trees misses the point.
That's why I put "understandable" in the OP.
 
That's a common misconception. Bonsai ARE NOT made, and never have been made, to replicate trees in the wild. Like other artforms, bonsai is the product of human imagination and express human emotions and perceptions. Simply aiming to make a tree that replicates big trees misses the point.
True but there are trees who have had the help of being shaped and aged by the natural environment they come from if they’re collected, but yes we build the rest.
 
Last edited:
Congratulations on the opportunity, you will find that being able to work , learn and gain experience on how to care for those trees will end up exponentially improving your skill sets and creative approaches , and will be a catalyst for how much faster you’ll be able to translate that into your own collected
 
True but there are trees who have had the hell of being shaped and aged by the natural environment they come from if they’re collected, but yes we build the rest.
Yeah, even those tree require some human intervention (sometimes quite a bit of intervention). I have more collected trees than "regular" trees. The collected trees sometimes require MORE work and interpretation...
 
Back
Top Bottom