Nick Lenz RIP

[HorseloverFat]

His work and influence IS (not was) a HUGE inspiration and ROLLING influence in North American TinyTree Culture.. His work has pioneered the channels for, overall, what SOME of us are "DOING here"

He will be missed.. but won't HAVE to be... He was integral in the Uterine development of any North American-specific Miniaturized Trees/Landscape Amalgams, which will be persisting long beyond even MY years.




(A word to the eager and inquisitive....

Sometimes, this eager (most times good-hearted) inquiry of clarification, can come off/be perceived, as morbid curiosity to friends and families of the departed... My rule, has always remained, "I've already heard all the details that I was CLOSE enough to hear..."

 

[leatherback]

…best thing I could think of in tribute and memoriam was to perhaps post a bit of his work I admire…

I have done the same. I was at the big show in Washington in 2019, and took many pictures. Also, I know one of his dear friends who kindly shared a range of pictures. I put them together in a speechless video in his memory, to celebrate the amazing work he did. The clip is online on my YT channel.

 

[bonhe]

I never met Nick Lenz! I like to do this painting based on the picture of Walter Pall, to honor Nick Lenz in all he did for bonsai community!
R.I.P. Mr. Nick Lenz

Thụ Thoại

 

[rockm]

I read about Nick's passing this in a friend's Facebook post on Friday night. We lost another key American bonsai pioneer along the same lines as John Naka, Ben Oki, and Yuji Yoshimura. Nick Lenz' influence was broad and deep in North American bonsai and beyond.

Nick Lenz’s Once-in-a-Lifetime Whimsical Bonsai and Ceramics Display at The National Bonsai & Penjing Museum — National Bonsai Foundation

Traditional bonsai are beautiful and captivating on their own, but have you ever wondered what might happen if you introduced an air of eccentricity to the classic presentation? Enter: Nick Lenz. Lenz is an American bonsai artist well known for his provocative styling of trees collected from fore

www.bonsai-nbf.org

 

[Michael P]

I have done the same. I was at the big show in Washington in 2019, and took many pictures. Also, I know one of his dear friends who kindly shared a range of pictures. I put them together in a speechless video in his memory, to celebrate the amazing work he did. The clip is online on my YT channel.

View attachment 429519

Leatherback, please post a link to the video. Thanks!

 

[Kid]

I got this from Abel Lenz, Nick's son. He asked me to share it with anyone who knew Nick. There may be some.

 

[Deep Sea Diver]

Just some final images. A couple of Nick’s trees I am lucky enough to work with and on.





Thanks Nick!
DSD sends

 

[SC1989]

His spirit and influence shall live on through countless souls, human and tree alike!

 

[vancehanna]

A legend...

 

[leatherback]

Leatherback, please post a link to the video. Thanks!

Sorry, missed this earlier, and did not want to spam the thread. Here:

 

[Linn01]

Aufrichtiges Beileid Herr Pall.

 

[sorce]

A legend...

Takes one to know one!

I was just talking "using junk" with my clay guy last night, made me think of Nick.

So many nice things in this thread!

Sorce

 

[Michael P]

Sorry, missed this earlier, and did not want to spam the thread. Here:

Beautiful video, I could watch for hours.

 

[leatherback]

Beautiful video, I could watch for hours.

Thx!

feel free to do just that
While at it, do share widely

 

[Zerobear]

My dear brother in spirit. You were a real special person -a titan in bonsai history. Strong memories will stay.View attachment 429313View attachment 429314View attachment 429315View attachment 429316View attachment 429317

Sorry to see this. RIP

 

[SouthernMaple]

I have only seen with my own eyes two of his works, one happens to be at the NC Arboretum and will be on display when the bonsai garden opens may 14th, the other was in kannapolis

The Ogre(northern white cedar)


The Bear(korean hornbeam)



My favorite work of his is Persephone, maybe one day I'll get a picture of it. Rest in Peace and hopefully we will meet in the afterlife.

 

[SouthernMaple]

As the program director for the club I work for do you think a build your own Nick Lenz inspired workshop would be fun for club members? Or do you think having a professional style a tree in the vein of a Nick Lenz work of art would be better? I really want to honor Nick Lenz but also give my members a fun and unique experience that will encourage them to push the art of bonsai in unique ways like Nick did.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

As the program director for the club I work for do you think a build your own Nick Lenz inspired workshop would be fun for club members? Or do you think having a professional style a tree in the vein of a Nick Lenz work of art would be better? I really want to honor Nick Lenz but also give my members a fun and unique experience that will encourage them to push the art of bonsai in unique ways like Nick did.

Kind of like asking a group of business people to pretend they are the cast of "Saturday Night Live", "okay everybody, 1, 2, 3, let's create". Chances are fair it will fall flat.

But it might work if you have a big "toy box" full of found items, Nick was fond of dolls, and parts of dolls, especially dolls heads. Farm implements, discarded hand tools, old pieces of harrows, Tonka trucks, copper tubing, trumpets, rocks, bricks, model tanks, household appliances, and various odd stuff. Items that at one time were designed, and now no longer served a purpose.

I think out of a group of 18, maybe 10 will say they understand, and maybe one or two will actually assemble something in the 90 minutes most meetings run. The rest will be trying to come up with something "Nick Lenzian" and end up with a blank canvas, or tree so to speak. They won't have started anything.

And there will be a good percentage that will say heck with the directions, and they will make the same type of "American interpretation of Japanese design" they have already done many times before.

But the one or two that not only understand, but also get inspired, they may come up with the "next Penelope". If you can have a slide show running of Nick Lenz creations, and possibly David Crust creations (David is one of Nick's students), the slide show might help with inspiration.

 

[ShadyStump]

@Leo in N E Illinois I don't think you're giving people enough credit for creativity and whimsy. Not that I necessarily disagree with your suggested numbers and results, just the reasoning behind them. Nick Lenz's style was somewhat controversial after all. Assuming the club members all know the plan and what they're getting into ahead of time, I think you'd be surprised.

I would say ask them all to bring two pieces of raw material, and one random item they know they won't get back to be used in someone's work that day . Make it fun and get everyone in the mood by distributing the items in sort of a white elephant gift exchange manner. Then they can choose what tree they brought best fits whatever item they wind up with, or even trade trees with someone else.
The slide show idea isn't bad, and books or pics printed from the web will suffice in a pinch. If you get the impression that some folks just aren't as in to it, have a swap meet for a meeting down the road.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

@Leo in N E Illinois I don't think you're giving people enough credit for creativity and whimsy. Not that I necessarily disagree with your suggested numbers and results, just the reasoning behind them. Nick Lenz's style was somewhat controversial after all. Assuming the club members all know the plan and what they're getting into ahead of time, I think you'd be surprised.

I would say ask them all to bring two pieces of raw material, and one random item they know they won't get back to be used in someone's work that day . Make it fun and get everyone in the mood by distributing the items in sort of a white elephant gift exchange manner. Then they can choose what tree they brought best fits whatever item they wind up with, or even trade trees with someone else.
The slide show idea isn't bad, and books or pics printed from the web will suffice in a pinch. If you get the impression that some folks just aren't as in to it, have a swap meet for a meeting down the road.

I might be pessimistic today. I'd like to be an optimist on this, your suggestion, or modification of the idea sounds fun. Why not try it? I might even steal the idea myself and suggest it to my club. Jorge? Irene? Ron? any of my Milwaukee buds reading along?