Thoughts on Peter Chan? (Herons Bonsai)

He obviously knows 1000 times more than I ever will about bonsai or plants in general. The only thing I noticed is that he's very quick. Bing bang boom and he's done. I think he's got so many trees to deal with, he just doesn't have the time to spend on any individual tree.
 
Paulpash said:
The weeds in the pots and his choice of outdated substrate struck me when I visited Heron's. His practice of "thumbing the hose" resulted in a lot of pots with little substrate remaining.

I took a long look at the maples and many had dieback or uros that were obviously unplanned consequences of hard chops. His prices were very high too for stuff that was obviously assembled quickly, eg Beech hedging whips as groups in cheap trays for £200. I left without buying anything and have no desire to return given the much higher quality Greenwood Bonsai closer to me.
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That's too bad. His Bonsai Masterclass was the first real bonsai book I bought, around when it came out in 1993 or 1994. It got me into bonsai.

I have to wonder if he's gotten into some bad habits over the years from growing and selling so many trees, like not bothering with wound paste/putty on large cuts, and that compost he uses to save money. I think he's capable of working at a higher level but if you don't spend time and care on your trees, why charge so much for them?
 
Decidedly concur that batting around Peter Chan as being a worthy teacher is somewhat futile. But there is something to learn in most threads.

As a long time educator, Peter does a very good job of drawing in his audience, which is to bring newer folks into the fold while making things look simple, keep things calm and personable (love that music), and delicate in teaching and "shaping" styling behaviors. Peter's newer videos build on his older ones at times and he offers a wide range of material for people to watch being worked on.

Peter is an accomplished bonsai artist, long time commercial sales owner and educator and a pillar in his community. How many of us can say all four of those things?

IMHO Peter is a great resource and teacher. Talking down a master, even if you are one yourself, is migthy lame. Our job is to learn what we can from all sources, move on to our work and transfer what we think is the best ideas from each teacher.

Cheers
DSD sends
 
hinmo24t said:
i bet 75% or 3/4 people on this site alone will never have the multitude of quality trees or even a single specimen 'better' than peter has or has had. hed run circles around most of us.
hes earned his behavior. he oozes experience and tenure in the game i think.
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and the rest 25% of the people on this site would be having specimens which Peter does not have or can never have because that requires strong bonsai aesthetics and knowledge of bonsai cultivation.

Peter at best can be put in the category of mediocre bonsai material supplier. Sorry for my words but that's the honest truth.

When we say somebody as a bonsai master, in my mind comes those majestic trees in the renowned bonsai shows. Not something which 75% of the youtube channels shows.
 
LanceMac10 said:
Now that the math portion is decided, care to compare your results to Mr. Chan's?:)
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if somebody can throw random numbers why should I keep myself behind :D ha ha ... its funny... I want to ask the gentlemen/and honorable woman if Peter Chan is their bonsai god, what do they think of Master Kimura, Bjorn, Mauro, Ryan Neil's of the world? .... and if they say that the real masters of the bonsai world are equally good as Peter, I will shut my case on this thread
 
win320 said:
if somebody can throw random numbers why should I keep myself behind :D ha ha ... its funny... I want to ask the gentlemen/and honorable woman if Peter Chan is their bonsai god, what do they think of Master Kimura, Bjorn, Mauro, Ryan Neil's of the world? .... and if they say that the real masters of the bonsai world are equally good as Peter, I will shut my case on this thread
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get laid bud, caring that much or even knowing that many tree people is soft

peter chan has dropped some epic one liners in his videos btw!! had me laughing a few times


not trying to offend the general population here, just saying
 
Orion_metalhead said:
His actual trees which are in Wisely are what should be compared to, not the stock, most of it unworked, that he has in his nursery.

Bonsai Trees | Herons Bonsai Trees Online - Indoor Bonsai and Outdoor Bonsai - UK Next Day Delivery

Britain's Premier Bonsai tree Nursery | Indoor bonsai trees, outdoor bonsai trees, tools, pots, and bonsai accessories | 21 Chelsea Flower Show Gold M...
www.herons.co.uk www.herons.co.uk
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So I have been to wisely in person and also been to all the bonsai shows in europe including Trophy and San show in France. Further been to many bonsai conventions in Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia many times

so I can definitely compare I guess.

by the way what do you think of those trees in other famous exhibitions ?

we all know what it is
 
Wires_Guy_wires said:
I love his freestyle approach.
For noobs, it can be pretty supportive to see a guy like him work. He knows what he's doing but it looks(!) like he's just playing around. That's what a hobby should look like. That's what work should look like. That's what life is all about right?

I see a little Bob Ross in him.
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Exactly
 
win320 said:
So I have been to wisely in person and also been to all the bonsai shows in europe including Trophy and San show in France. Further been to many bonsai conventions in Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia many times

so I can definitely compare I guess.

by the way what do you think of those trees in other famous exhibitions ?

we all know what it is
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I have no idea what you're asking me. What do I think of world class trees? They're great!? So how do you compare his display trees at Wisely to the trees in the shows?
 
Not everyone strives for perfection in their hobbies. Perfectionists don't seem to grasp that one important fact. Absolutely nothing wrong with perfectionism.....it's just not everone's cup of tea. If my trees appeal to me, that's all that matters. Peter Chan is more of a teacher and encourager of starting and moderate bonsai enthusiasts. I can just about guarantee that he has been responsible for more trees getting into the hands bonsai enthusiasts than Ryan Neil will ever have.
 
I have a lot of respect for Mr. Peter Chan, he inspired me to start bonsai and have a future vision of what is possible with the tree's I have. Too many bonsai professionals make it seem so complicated and daunting which really intimidates new enthusiasts.

I'm still learning my fundamentals and while their is definitively more experienced people with their own Youtube channels and workshops I feel they appeal to more advanced students and high-end collectors. That might be "elevating" the bonsai world but it doesn't help people find a starting point and grow their imagination.

One of the great things about Peter I really like is how humble he is and that he recognizes his limitiations or personal interests, he's very transparent and contagious in his enthusiasm. I really love his books and videos, they've helped me grow in this art form and I hope I can get to the point in my life to pass on the torch to the next generation as he has.
 
Joe Dupre' said:
Not everyone strives for perfection in their hobbies. Perfectionists don't seem to grasp that one important fact. Absolutely nothing wrong with perfectionism.....it's just not everone's cup of tea. If my trees appeal to me, that's all that matters. Peter Chan is more of a teacher and encourager of starting and moderate bonsai enthusiasts. I can just about guarantee that he has been responsible for more trees getting into the hands bonsai enthusiasts than Ryan Neil will ever have.
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Mr. Chan has been in bonsai far longer than the combined years of Ryan Neil and Bjorn Bjornholm. That's a lot of trees but that does not nessessarily make his efforts better. Like it or not bonsai is a hobby of perfection and attention to details. If you don't accept that concept you will always produce second rate bonsai.
 
Vance Wood said:
Mr. Chan has been in bonsai far longer than the combined years of Ryan Neil and Bjorn Bjornholm. That's a lot of trees but that does not nessessarily make his efforts better. Like it or not bonsai is a hobby of perfection and attention to details. If you don't accept that concept you will always produce second rate bonsai.
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Attention to details...maybe. Perfection..... maybe not. Second rate in a perfectionist eyes??? That's an opinion........period. You absolutely have a right to your opinion, but so do I . Sorry, mine wins in this case.
 
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