Feeling like I am not progressing

[Paradox]

Get together with a small group (5-6 seems to work well) of folks in your area on a regular basis. The main purpose is to work on trees with the added insight and skills of the other members. When your group is ready, invite a teacher to come spend a day... If you have a group of 5-6 it will typically cost somewhere between $100-150 per person plus travel...very affordable for a full day of instruction. To save on travel...Talk to your expert, see if they are going to be in your area and coordinate your visit and that should save you plenty on travel.

Funny you say this, but this is exactly what, my club did last year. There are about 15 people in the club so it isnt big with a good amount of funds. This year, the president said we couldnt afford speakers. Even with piggybacking with the other club to save money (our meeting is on Tues, theirs is on Monday) we still couldnt afford more than 1 or 2 and one of those had to cancel. The prices quoted were much higher than $100-$150.

In any case, Ive already decided to join the larger club next year so I can take advantage of their ability to do more. It is an hour further away from my house but it will be worth it to get some better opportunities to learn.

 

[jk_lewis]

Do you have a copy of Bill's personal schedule or anyone else for that matter to know where they will be and when? I sure dont.

An e-mail will get it -- from anyone. You can reach him thru Internationalbonsai.com

What events were these? I club event or a larger show of some kind?

One was celebrating his 50th year in bonsai; an earlier one was a regular September bash he had scheduled -- NOT the national show.

I dont keep track of all the bonsai shows held everywhere to know who is where and when.

If you really want to learn, maybe you should. Check the IBC's Announcements page (tho, the IBC is pretty International and I doubt you'd want to fork out the dough to go to Europe, or down under. B-Nut has one, too, but seldom does anyone give sufficient advance notice, as far as I can see. ABS magazine has a regular "Coming Events" column/page. Clubs that give large shows and state associations that have annual get-togethers all advertise in ABS and International Bonsai (and other) magazines. There's lots of ways and places to find that out, with a bit of forethought.

 

[Skinnygoomba]

I think doing hobbies in solitude can wear on the enthusiasm at some point. For me, at the beginning stages I can keep myself interested just by soaking up knowledge on the topic, but at some point it really progresses through to be the people who keep you interested.

For me, in woodworking, I have a good many local friends who I can bounce ideas off of and keep me interested in what I'm doing that way.

A tight local knit group can help to create progress in your development.

Other than that I think it's just kind of powering through the stage at which the regular rotation of topics is no longer all that interesting.

 

[FrankP999]

I feel the same way about progressing through club meetings. I have hired one of the more advanced members to come to my house several times a year for a "private" day at my home.

Some members of my club hire the visiting pro for a day or two of privates. I know that Kathy Shaner does that with members of the Atlanta club. If she is teaching on Saturday for example, they will get her to fly in on Wed, and do private at their home Thur and Fri.

Frank

 

[benw3790]

I am right there with you Paradox! I might not be as educated as you are but i also feel like i am "stuck" so to speak at a plato of progression. Ive watched all the videos, read books, learned from forums and websites.. I have found that the best way to learn is by actually working with my trees and doing hands on projects with them. The problem i have is a money issue.. My local club has the money and resources as of right now to bring in highly sought after bonsai masters and i simply cant afford classes!! i definetley cant afford to travel cross country to boons or anywhere else! Even the beginner classes are way too expensive in my opinion. Especially if you bring your own material trees, pots, wire, etc.. just cant afford it!! i cant even save up for stuff like that cause the prices of bonsai classes and demos are just ridiculous.. My club has had borjn come like 3 times this year and i have a few trees that i feel could really benefit from his touch. i have them looking as good as they are gonna get from someone like me but have trees that i feel like could be taken to the next level with a class or something and once i could see hands on how a bonsai master would change my tree or help me to make it better i feel like i would finally advance and progress!!

 

[tmmason10]

I haven't read all of the responses, but I think you and I are in the same point in the hobby and I commiserate with your feelings about not progressing. I felt the same way this year and last, and will probably continue to feel this way for a few years. I think what is causing it for me is the level of trees purchased to work on. They are 5-10 year projects, so clearly I will feel like they are not progressing quickly even though they are probably progressing more than I give myself credit for. I have wired my shimpaku twice in three years, and probably will need at least three more cutback, and wirings before it starts to look presentable.

The one thing that thankfully has progressed for me is the health of my trees. Though they aren't as healthy as some who post here, I have had great growth the last few years with many less casualties.

Also, just as I felt good about my trees and progression I finally sat down and watched continuum by Bjorn bjorholm. The movie is great, with constant great shots of material in Japan. It's difficult to look at my bench, then look at the bench shots at a nursery such as Kouka-en. Their mediocre or poor material is 10x better than anything I am working on!

 

[coh]

I think this has been discussed before but I couldn't find it. Those of you who have worked with some of the "experts" for a day, such as Ryan Neil, Kathy Shaner, etc - what kind of daily fee are we talking about? Just for the day, not travel or lodging expenses (so this would assume the person was already in the area and their travel expenses were paid through that even/club etc).

Just looking for a ball park figure. $300? $500?

Thanks,

Chris

 

[Adair M]

I can relate... I USED to feel that way until I started the Boon Intensives.

I know, I know... The cost. The Intensive fee is $575. The hotel is $110 per night. Then add airfare. And the cost of getting from the airport to the hotel. BART is cheap.

BUT, you will work on trees of such high quality you will truly understand how to improve trees with a quality wiring job, how to really improve the nebari by repotting properly, etc.

Go read my thread entitled "What's it like to attend an Intensive class".

Not everyone can afford to go three times a year, every year. But, you could do one class a year, each time taking a different one, so it would take you longer.

Even just one Intensive will inspire you to higher goals.

 

[Vin]

RE: Box Store Challenge

Tom,

Not that I'm qualified but I feel your tree (from your blog) looks much better after you did a little more pinching once the BSC was over. In fact, I think if you remove the piece of deadwood that hooks back toward the center of tree you could have won. Just my opinion though. I'm not sure if you included your tree in Neli's critique thread but if you didn't, you should. I would also include a photo of the tree after additional pinching. I like it a lot and I hope it makes it.

Vince

 

[63pmp]

If you feel you are not progressing it's because you have learnt all the craft required for the trees you have access to. If you want to progress then you have to challenge yourself with different trees or re-imagine the trees you already have. You only progress when it's hard.

If you want to get good at bonsai you have to practice, practice will also teach you the art of bonsai. That means lots of trees.

Paul

 

[tmmason10]

Tom,

Not that I'm qualified but I feel your tree (from your blog) looks much better after you did a little more pinching once the BSC was over. In fact, I think if you remove the piece of deadwood that hooks back toward the center of tree you could have won. Just my opinion though. I'm not sure if you included your tree in Neli's critique thread but if you didn't, you should. I would also include a photo of the tree after additional pinching. I like it a lot and I hope it makes it.

Vince

Thanks Vin, I really appreciate it. I agree the Jin needs to be worked down to a stub when I can get around to it. It was a fun challenge and glad I participated.

 

[lordy]

As another post showed, Jim Doyle, or Chase Rosade, or John Romano are all within a few hours drive. Pretty sure all still offer low-density learning opportunities, where material can be had as well. Unless you have a gift of design sense, it pretty much comes down to at least some high-end instruction to help get going in the right direction, then repetition. I dont like the phrase "practice makes perfect". Instead, I prefer "Perfect practice makes perfect". If you dont realize why to do something in particular you may never get it right. And repetitively wiring incorrectly doesnt really get you anywhere either.
Go to a pro, but dont expect them to open your skull and pour in the knowledge. Go into it with specific questions and ask until you understand, then apply that knowledge to your own trees. Then you will see improvement in you, therefore your trees.

 

[Adair M]

Lordy,

You are right about the Perfect Practice thing!

When I went to Boon's I thought I was pretty good at wiring. After all, I had taken workshops from many professionals, including Naka, Valvanis, and several others. And, been doing it for 40 years.

I came to find out if been doing it POORLY for 40 years! Yes, I was better than most, not not up to Japanese Professional standards! Boon had me take off the wire on several fully wired branches and do it over until I "got it right".

You can't get that from a video or book or forum.

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

The one thing you could access with some regularity would be the collection at the BBG. They say they have 350 trees.... so really... it seems they likely have what the Rim has, which is to say a roster of volunteers to work on them. Most collections have people of many experience levels volunteering so doubtlessly you'd fit in. You should call them and find out about being a volunteer. It'll be the best thing you could do for yourself most immediately.

V