Another Itoigawa

[Djtommy]

How long will the guy wires be needed you think? I assume 1,2 years?
I think its interesting to see though especially if its done in a nice way.
But i guess for the artisans cup they would think the tree would be better without hence not ready yet.

 

[Adair M]

Brian, I like the pot, too. But it's Japanese. I think there was some bias towards having "American" stuff.

I'll be at the Expo on Sunday. I can't be there on Saturday. Hope to see you there.

 

[Adair M]

How long will the guy wires be needed you think? I assume 1,2 years?
I think its interesting to see though especially if its done in a nice way.
But i guess for the artisans cup they would think the tree would be better without hence not ready yet.

Djtommy, showing a wired tree is acceptable for a show. Not so with guy wires.

 

[Vance Wood]

Depends on who is judging the show.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Brian, I like the pot, too. But it's Japanese. I think there was some bias towards having "American" stuff.

I'll be at the Expo on Sunday. I can't be there on Saturday. Hope to see you there.

I can't pretend to know what the bias was, though very nearly half of the selected trees are overtly non-native, and if you want a quality pot, most likely it traveled across an ocean to get here. Here's what I do know: if it's another Sara Rayner pot-fest just to be American, I'm glad to miss it. She has done some great pots, but enough with the wheel already. Id like see more block carved, mold pressed, or slab built pots with really good glazes. Roy Minarai and Paul Kattich are doing fantastic work in that field. I hope they're well-represented.

 

[Vance Wood]

I know what it's like to be refused for something based on some uncontrollable factor significant to the judge/jury/board/bunch of schmucks. Sadly it does not always boil down to quality of work, and if that's what happened here I would be very sad and disappointed.

 

[MACH5]

Is it true that you can pay ($25?) to know how your tree was judged? Or is it just the ones that got in?

 

[Adair M]

Mach, from what I remember from when I submitted it, they said that for $25, they would send you a critique explaining the faults they found "so that it may be eligible for the next Atrisans Cup".

There was a date they said they would do it. Like a month after the entries were announced.

My JBP was not accepted, but I haven't bothered to get a critique.

 

[MACH5]

Thanks Adair. This is just me, but if I had entered the quality trees that you and Brian submitted, I would probably be very inclined to want to know... whether in the end I agreed or not.

 

[fredtruck]

For something like the Artisan's Cup, it would be nice to know beforehand what the judges are looking for.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Update...

 

[MACH5]

It is a beauty Bri! I love how that trunk twists as it goes up into the apex. A very elegant tree!

 

[GrimLore]

Update...

Thank you! Also please thank your Wife for letting you use the camera My interest in Junipers grows more each time I see this one as well as others. Your detailed history at Nebari Bonsai is a must read I have looked several times on the net for an update on “Hiryu” everywhere - is it possible you have access to that information?

Grimmy

 

[coh]

Beautiful tree...

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Thank you! Also please thank your Wife for letting you use the camera My interest in Junipers grows more each time I see this one as well as others. Your detailed history at Nebari Bonsai is a must read I have looked several times on the net for an update on “Hiryu” everywhere - is it possible you have access to that information?

Grimmy

Thanks for the kind words. Bonsai Focus did a great article on Hiryu in 2013; a 10-pager loaded with pix from the time of collecting, up until it was styled by none other than Masahiko Kimura. Worth the read, but I'm not excited about the final design. I think the apex so far to the left takes away the power of the trunk twists.

 

[wireme]

Really, really looking good!
A couple things I'm curious about, the texture of the lower left deadwood looking like old live veins at some point, has this been carved into the deadwood or it's mostly natural?
Before importing this would have been field grown from a cutting most likely?

 

[JudyB]

The fluidity of the trunk veins is super.

 

[GrimLore]

Thanks for the kind words.

Thank you! You have pretty much the reason I will start over with a blank slate and lots of supplies this Spring. Also thanks for the reference - I will be certain to get my paws on that issue!

Happy and Safe New Year to you and yours -

Grimmy

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Repotted today in a Gyouzan pot. Seems to be a nice fit:

 

[JudyB]

Wowzers! Is this the pot from Kei? It's a killer combo for sure.