Bonsai on the Bayou Houston, TX April 11-14, 2019

[markyscott]

Who's doing the demo?

We haven’t yet assigned the demo trees to the artists yet, but it will be one of the three featured artists. There will be a normal demo in the evening, but there will also be a couple “Artist spotlights” by Boon and Ryan - essentially a lecture/demo in a more intimate setting that will hopefully allow for better engagement with a smaller audience.

S

 

[JRDillWFM]

We haven’t yet assigned the demo trees to the artists yet, but it will be one of the three featured artists. There will be a normal demo in the evening, but there will also be a couple “Artist spotlights” by Boon and Ryan - essentially a lecture/demo in a more intimate setting that will hopefully allow for better engagement with a smaller audience.

S

The way Ryan talks about bald cypress, I'd love to see him work on it (or anything, really).

 

[markyscott]

We’re trying out a couple of new concepts at the 2019 convention. The first is that there will be a number of workshops available that are led by vendor/artists. We recognize that many of the vendors coming to the convention are fantastic artists in their own right (Brussel Martin, Dave Kreutz and Clark Long to name a few). For a nominal fee you‘ll be able to register for the workshop led by the vendor/artist and then make your own choice of material from the selection available at the artists vendor table. What that means to you is that you’ll have a lot of control over your own price point for the workshop and that there is no random selection of trees from a limited pool of workshop material. Instead, you’ll be able to pick out whatever you like from a large selection available from the vendor. We hope that you’re as excited about the vendor/artist workshop concept as we are.

 

[JRDillWFM]

We’re trying out a couple of new concepts at the 2019 convention. The first is that there will be a number of workshops available that are led by vendor/artists. We recognize that many of the vendors coming to the convention are fantastic artists in their own right (Brussel Martin, Dave Kreutz and Clark Long to name a few). For a nominal fee you‘ll be able to register for the workshop led by the vendor/artist and then make your own choice of material from the selection available at the artists vendor table. What that means to you is that you’ll have a lot of control over your own price point for the workshop and that there is no random selection of trees from a limited pool of workshop material. Instead, you’ll be able to pick out whatever you like from a large selection available from the vendor. We hope that you’re as excited about the vendor/artist workshop concept as we are.

That sounds amazing! I love the idea of having control over what I’m working on. Man that’s exciting.

 

[BillsBayou]

Byron Myrick's workshop is pretty good. Here are the slab pots I created at a recent workshop in New Orleans. These are slab pots, so no pottery wheel skills are necessary. He will teach you the techniques necessary to create these types of pots. As it turns out, it's not "Lick and Stick". Learned that the hard way.

Byron has a selection of glaze samples you can choose for your pots. The pots are taken back to his studio where he bisque fires, glazes them to your selection, and fires them at a high temp. Pots arrive at your address within a couple of weeks.

Here is my rectangular pot. We could choose from several different templates with varying wall counts.


Before working on the pot, I had fun with his texture tools to create my own style of feet.


There is a technique for drawing an oval using two pushpins and a loop of string. I used it to shape the walls of the next pot. Byron does not teach you how to make an oval using the materials he provides. Ovals should typically be made with a pottery wheel. For an uneducated attempt, I think it came out very well. I used my own texture tool (flat end of a dental pick) to create the bald cypress leaves.


Bald cypress leaves or ancient multi-legged fossil? I'm not so sure, myself.

 

[markyscott]

Byron Myrick's workshop is pretty good. Here are the slab pots I created at a recent workshop in New Orleans.These are slab pots, so no pottery wheel skills are necessary. He will teach you the techniques necessary to create these. The pots are taken back to his studio where he glazes them to your selection and fires them at a high temp. Pots arrive at your address within a couple of weeks.

Here is my rectangular pot. We could choose from several different templates with varying wall counts.
View attachment 203388View attachment 203389View attachment 203390View attachment 203391

Thanks for posting the pictures Bill. We’re excited about hosting his workshop at the convention.

S

 

[BillsBayou]

Thanks for posting the pictures Bill. We’re excited about hosting his workshop at the convention.

S

I forgot to mention that Byron did a demonstration of throwing pots using his potter's wheel. He's quick and the pots he threw were fantastic. After the demo, I asked if I could attempt throwing a pot. I had never tried before. I suck.

I've known Byron for... (counting) ... wow, more than 15 years, now. He and his wife are good people. He's very serious about his craft. She's very serious about making me clean up the mess I made with Byron's pottery wheel.

In the process of throwing and cleaning, one of my buddies in the club decided to throw some shade my way. Then he turned his back on a guy with wet clay on his hands. He took it in stride and good humor, while also being pissed, but that's us.

Here is my favorite photo of the night taken by another buddy, Dennis. Jim is the only one in the room who wasn't smiling. In the background, you can see me waving and wearing one of my "Midnight Bonsai Society" t-shirts.


Speaking of MidBonSoc shirts, I need to create some new designs. One I've been throwing around in my head is for the "Swamp Extraction Unit". I'd call it the "Swamp Squadron", but I have trouble saying those words three times fast.

Just for the Houston Convention, perhaps I'll create one for the "Bayou Battalion". And since "bayou" is a Cajun word, I can have shirts reading "Société de Bonsaï de Minuit" with "L'équipe d'extraction de Bayou" below the division's seal. Hmmm... I've got some designing to do.

 

[markyscott]

I forgot to mention that Byron did a demonstration of throwing pots using his potter's wheel. He's quick and the pots he threw were fantastic. After the demo, I asked if I could attempt throwing a pot. I had never tried before. I suck.

I've known Byron for... (counting) ... wow, more than 15 years, now. He and his wife are good people. He's very serious about his craft. She's very serious about making me clean up the mess I made with Byron's pottery wheel.

In the process of throwing and cleaning, one of my buddies in the club decided to throw some shade my way. Then he turned his back on a guy with wet clay on his hands. He took it in stride and good humor, while also being pissed, but that's us.

Here is my favorite photo of the night taken by another buddy, Dennis. Jim is the only one in the room who wasn't smiling. In the background, you can see me waving and wearing one of my "Midnight Bonsai Society" t-shirts.
View attachment 203394

Speaking of MidBonSoc shirts, I need to create some new designs. One I've been throwing around in my head is for the "Swamp Extraction Unit". I'd call it the "Swamp Squadron", but I have trouble saying those words three times fast.

Just for the Houston Convention, perhaps I'll create one for the "Bayou Battalion". And since "bayou" is a Cajun word, I can have shirts reading "Société de Bonsaï de Minuit" with "L'équipe d'extraction de Bayou" below the division's seal. Hmmm... I've got some designing to do.

Look forward to meeting you in the Bayou City, Bill. We have a pub committee meeting every night - it’s very exclusive, but I’m going to offer you an honorary membership.

S

 

[markyscott]

Another surprise. Mark and Racie Rhyne will be vendors at the show and each of them will lead a seminar at the convention. All seminars will be free to attend and I’m really looking forward to hearing what Mark and Racie have to say.

Mark Rhyne says woodworking is his passion. He creates bonsai stands, drawing on more than 20 years of experience and skill. His philosophy in designing and building bonsai stands is not to copy Chinese and Japanese styles but to springboard from those designs to create contemporary stands with Asian influence but represent western design ideas. He builds custom stands to compliment the tree's style, color, and shape using domestics and exotic woods. Construction utilizes mortise and tenon joints, and reinforced miter joints ensuring the stand’s strength and durability. The wood can be left natural color or stained to the client’s specifications. Stands are finished with hard urethane that brings out the beauty of the wood and preserves it for years to come.

Mark’s seminar will be about stand construction and design and he’ll discuss some of the innovative techniques and materials he brings to his work. I own a couple of his stands and they are beautiful.



Scott

 

[markyscott]

Racie Rhyne creates viewing stones. Her unique stone choices and creative bases invite the viewer into her contemporary interpretation of what a viewing stone is or could be. The stone is the star, the base completes the artistry. Racie specializing in small stones that are versatile as companions for bonsai displays, Netsuke miniatures and decorative artwork. Racie’s bases are created from a mixture of clay, wood, fossils, organic and found items. The combination of stone and base become her creation for a fresh view of viewing stones. Larger stone creations are made through a collaborate with Mark Rhyne who crafts a base using his extensive woodworking expertise.



More information about Mark and Racie can be found at their website: http://www.standsandstones.com

 

[JRDillWFM]

Byron Myrick's workshop is pretty good. Here are the slab pots I created at a recent workshop in New Orleans. These are slab pots, so no pottery wheel skills are necessary. He will teach you the techniques necessary to create these types of pots. As it turns out, it's not "Lick and Stick". Learned that the hard way.

Byron has a selection of glaze samples you can choose for your pots. The pots are taken back to his studio where he bisque fires, glazes them to your selection, and fires them at a high temp. Pots arrive at your address within a couple of weeks.

Here is my rectangular pot. We could choose from several different templates with varying wall counts.
View attachment 203388

Before working on the pot, I had fun with his texture tools to create my own style of feet.
View attachment 203389

There is a technique for drawing an oval using two pushpins and a loop of string. I used it to shape the walls of the next pot. Byron does not teach you how to make an oval using the materials he provides. Ovals should typically be made with a pottery wheel. For an uneducated attempt, I think it came out very well. I used my own texture tool (flat end of a dental pick) to create the bald cypress leaves.
View attachment 203390

Bald cypress leaves or ancient multi-legged fossil? I'm not so sure, myself.
View attachment 203391

That looks awesome! I'm really looking forward to this!

 

[markyscott]

There is a lot to be excited about for Bonsai on the Bayou 2019! I’m proud to announce that Clark Long will be one of our artist/vendors and will lead a workshop on collected bald cypress. Clark assures me that he has a lot of bald cypress material available at all sorts of price points. I can’t wait. Here’s a little about Clark Long.

What started out as an interesting hobby back in 1983 has become a passion. Hello, I am Clark Marshal Long. I can recall being fascinated by the first Bonsai that was a gift from my sister June. The tree is gone now, but I have hung on to the pot for all these years. When Bonsai became a part of my life I had no idea of the admiration that I would develop over the years. I have always had an interest in art dating back to high school. I feel that Bonsai is a very creative art form along with another of my favorites interest horticultural. Bonsai is a way of life for me today. I love it! I enjoy spending time on my collection daily, I really do enjoy the time I spend in nature searching for the right trees to add to the collection.

Nature is the best teacher out there when it comes to inspiration and design, Its all in what you put into it to achieve great results, attention to details is such a huge part of the art of growing Bonsai.

Bonsai cultivation is a globally communicated art form, I am very thankful and appreciative for my good friend Alan Walker for taking me under his care back in the early 80’s, showing me the basics, allowing me to have full access to his wonderful library of great Bonsai books. I am also very thankful for the teachings/workshop I received from Vaughn Banting, David Degroot, Guy Guidry, Mas Ishi, Masahiko Kimura, Jim Barrett.I consider myself to be a self-taught artist.I feel very blessed to have gained and gathered so much knowledge over the years!

 

[markyscott]

Workshop material is starting to roll in. This one is for Danny Coffey’s workshop on twisted trunk shimpaku juniper.



Scott

 

[markyscott]

Countdown has started. We’ll be going live with registration this September! Watch the Bonsai on the Bayou Facebook page for all the latest registration and workshop information.

 

[JRDillWFM]

Awesome! Can't wait.

And thanks for the help with my foemina juniper yesterday @markyscott !

 

[markyscott]

One of the best native elms in the US to work with are Ulmus crassifolia - Texas’ own native Cedar elms. They have wonderful bark, produce good fall color, ramify readily and the leaves reduce very nicely. They are, by far, my favorite elm to work with. We have a great selection of this wonderful material to work on - a selection of collected multi-trunk Cedar elm with good movement for a workshop with one of our headline artists, Boon Manakitivipart. Boon has worked on these material for years and can help you make the most of this great material. These are two years out of the ground and collected by yours truly. Material costs are the biggest single expense for workshops - as these were collected, we’ll get to pass those savings on to you. Not only that, they’ll look great on your bench.



Scott

 

[BillsBayou]

I have a Texas cedar elm I got as a cutting in the mid-90s. Over the years, I've killed it, regrew it, air-layered it, and never came up with something nice. Well, the base is absolutely fantastic, so there's that.

This past February/March (can't remember) I got advice on the latest crappy style it was in. The advice was "Start over on the broom style." I went home and cut the top off with a "V" at the top of the trunk. Nothing happened. I kept watering it hoping something would happen. When I got home from vacation in mid-July, there was a profusion of growth a the bottom of one side of the "V"! I'll have to see where this damned thing takes me next.

 

[JRDillWFM]

One of the best native elms in the US to work with are Ulmus crassifolia - Texas’ own native Cedar elms. They have wonderful bark, produce good fall color, ramify readily and the leaves reduce very nicely. They are, by far, my favorite elm to work with. We have a great selection of this wonderful material to work on - a selection of collected multi-trunk Cedar elm with good movement for a workshop with one of our headline artists, Boon Manakitivipart. Boon has worked on these material for years and can help you make the most of this great material. These are two years out of the ground and collected by yours truly. Material costs are the biggest single expense for workshops - as these were collected, we’ll get to pass those savings on to you. Not only that, they’ll look great on your bench.

View attachment 204720

Scott

...You need to slow down with all the good stuff. My wallet is weeping and it's not even 2019 yet.

Since this will be my first convention of any sort, will there be some general information released as far as pricing for workshops, how the workshops work, etc?

 

[markyscott]

...You need to slow down with all the good stuff. My wallet is weeping and it's not even 2019 yet.

Since this will be my first convention of any sort, will there be some general information released as far as pricing for workshops, how the workshops work, etc?

Certainly - there will be descriptions of all the workshops in the registration material. You'll be able to register for the convention online or by mail - in both locations there will be a complete schedule of events with pricing and loads of other information. I'll post it here, on the facebook page, on the HBS website, on the ABS website and the ABS facebook page in advance of the registration opening. There will be options to register for the weekend or for individual days. Once registered, you'll be able to sign up for as many or as few of the workshops as you'd like. There's a load of free content as well, all open to registrants - a total of 12 seminars will be offered, all free. We plan on setting the bar high for conventions in Texas State - I hope you love it. The entire schedule is set - we're just dotting the i's and crossing the t's. You'll see the whole schedule posted here very soon.

S

 

[markyscott]

...You need to slow down with all the good stuff. My wallet is weeping and it's not even 2019 yet.

Since this will be my first convention of any sort, will there be some general information released as far as pricing for workshops, how the workshops work, etc?

Oh - and you ain't seen nothing yet

S