Anyone hear of or use the "Van Meer"technique

[Cadillactaste]

Something I found interesting...what he did with unnatural roots cut severely...intriguing.

http://ofbonsai.org/techniques/styles-and-styling/the-van-meer-technique

 

[berobinson82]

nope:

http://bonsainut.com/forums/showthread.php?12505-The-Van-Meer-Technique

 

[Cadillactaste]

Face palm! Was so intrigued...I forgot to do a search.

 

[Lee Brindley]

Yes! I was fortunate enough to watch Hans give a presentation on this technique last year. Great artist, great technique.

 

[ChrisV]

Funny to see Hans made it all the way across the ocean with this. Haha no bad words about him by the way he's one of the best we have in europe. And hopefully soon to be my teacher

 

[edprocoat]

I have used this particular "technique" for over 40 years, as a matter of fact I bought an old Bonsai book called Sunset Bonsai I believe sold by Sunset publishing that was published in 1976 that I bought in a second hand book store in the mid eighties that showed the technique for using part of the branch fastened down with either a pin or hemp twine to allow it to heal over, I remember this as the old man who originally got me interested in Bonsai as a child used this method. This is not a new discovery nor was it discovered by Van Meer originally, whats the old saying " theres nothing new under the sun". It does work well as if it takes the wound is mostly healed over in one season, if it does not take the wound has been covered without cut paste and has started to callous around the edges by the time the piece has dried out enough to fall off, usually around a years time.

ed

 

[rps]

a similar process is also documented in mr. naka's first book.

in hans' defence he did not coin the name, is quick to point that out & gives credit where it is due. he has also refined it through practice, brought it to the attention of the contemporary community and managed, with those clear simple drawings, to make it accessible to anyone with a steady hand and a bit of nerve.

i used the technique on two large ficus cuts earlier this year & plan to do so again with some tamarack come spring. the jury is still out on my results, but if things fail I'll be inclined to blame my application of the technique rather than the technique itself.
i've followed hans' work through the progressions on his blog for some time. it speaks for itself & compels me to pay attention when he's willing to share his knowledge.

 

[edprocoat]

a similar process is also documented in mr. naka's first book.

in hans' defence he did not coin the name, is quick to point that out & gives credit where it is due. he has also refined it through practice, brought it to the attention of the contemporary community and managed, with those clear simple drawings, to make it accessible to anyone with a steady hand and a bit of nerve.

i used the technique on two large ficus cuts earlier this year & plan to do so again with some tamarack come spring. the jury is still out on my results, but if things fail I'll be inclined to blame my application of the technique rather than the technique itself.
i've followed hans' work through the progressions on his blog for some time. it speaks for itself & compels me to pay attention when he's willing to share his knowledge.

First off let me say Hans does not need defended, its good that things like this come to light through whatever method. I did not mean to sound like I was bashing Mr. Van Meer either, I was just pointing out something I already knew. I did see him give credit for his inspiration and where the name came from. The book I referenced probably is not even in print and I would have never thought to have posted that as I would have thought everyone knew of it, as a matter of fact Al (Smoke) has a thread in here I read a year or so ago using the same method on one of his trees.

ed

 

[ChrisV]

I talked to hans today about it and he said he started using the idea after seeing a german bonsaika doing a similair technique. He just refined and tweaked it over the past decades and after a published article in bonsai focus magazine and on some internet forums people called it the van Meer technique. He didn't put this name on it himself and he just took an idea and made it better.
Like what happens to everything that's invented in the world. And like what the Japanese did with bonsai when they took the idea of growing miniature trees in pots invented by the chinese.

 

[rps]

First off let me say Hans does not need defended, its good that things like this come to light through whatever method. I did not mean to sound like I was bashing Mr. Van Meer either, I was just pointing out something I already knew.
ed

I didn't read your post as Hans bashing; although, re-reading my own I can see where you got the impression I did ---and for that I apologize. The bad, or at the least lack of clarity, is on me.
That said, I think we agree that it's great for the community at large when forgotten, obscure and/or little used techniques are brought back to the fore --- especially when they're championed by someone as respected as Hans.

I'm pretty sure there's a beat up copy of that old Sunset volume collecting dust in our public library --- seems it could be worthwhile to read through it again and see what else I failed to notice when I first looked at it I can't remember how many years ago.

Something worth noting: I probably wouldn't have been inspired to try the method without Hans endorsement (and crystal clear drawings) --- just re-reading it in Mr. Naka's book (or the Sunset edition) probably wouldn't have prompted me to get out the gouges and chisels.