Winter Bonsai 2024, Kannapolis, NC (outside of Charlotte) December 7 & 8, 2024

[DogwoodApprentice]

What a great weekend! It started when I got to meet @JudyB in person

Then:
Talking shop and having dinner with @Pitoon and getting schooled on ume care
Checking out all of @penumbra's new wares
Buying another pot from @ForrestW and telling him to build a larger kiln
Catching up with @WavyGaby and checking out all of his trees
Meeting @BJJ&Bonsai at Tyler's booth and talking about high-end pots
Sharing fox photos and talking about cousins with Mark Arpag (I don't know that he is a member here?)
Receiving some cool pots as gifts from @Millard B. (thanks to his brother, Phil!)
Walking the floor and talking about @kingsville grower's trees with @SouthernMaple
Got to briefly meet @CaptColin as he was passing through
Hanging out with @arjun and @Adair M and making up rules about how frequently you can display a tree
Meeting @MACH5, talking about his garden, and sharing a couple beers
Chatting with @digger714 about aggregate and pool tables - and when we are getting together to shoot some cue
Congratulating @JGsJapaneseMaple on his new daughter, and trying to convince him to place a large wholesale order for Iseli trees

The great thing about this site is that I met almost all of the above here!

I was thrilled to finally put a face to the Bonsai Nut!

 

[MACH5]

Brad Russell and/or Bryan Mercer? (Bonsai Learning Center)

Although not exactly my taste, these guys had an outstanding Chuhin trident. By far one of the top deciduous at the show.

 

[WavyGaby]

Although not exactly my taste, these guys had an outstanding Chuhin trident. By far one of the top deciduous at the show.

View attachment 576799

I really liked this one. It had the best nebari and taper that I've seen in person. No scars that I recall.

It was nice to meet you!

 

[MACH5]

I really liked this one. It had the best nebari and taper that I've seen in person. No scars that I recall.

It was nice to meet you!

Great meeting you as well!

This tree was definitely a contender for best deciduous. If I recall, the critique from the judges centered around the fact that the pot was too large. In any case excellent tree.

 

[arjun]

Although not exactly my taste, these guys had an outstanding Chuhin trident. By far one of the top deciduous at the show.

View attachment 576799

Very nice tree! Definitely needs a better pot and stand. Also, a few more root grafts and it ll have a perfect nebari.

 

[Shogun610]

Imma bite my tongue on a few things in this thread .. but looks like it was a great show.

 

[Gabler]

Imma bite my tongue ...

Sounds painful.

 

[penumbra]

Like many of us here, the naturalistic style is my preference but does not preclude the reverence of the more aesthetic traditional Japanese styles. I was there very early with Steve a while before the doors opened even for the exhibitors and vendors. This was by fortuitous circumstance and not by any special 'knowing'. I had an opportunity to see a rather extraordinary event when the sun came through the door and lit up the grove of Harlandi boxwood. It was quite a sight and one that will be with me as long as memory serves.
But my point to this post is to say that my favorite bonsai of all exhibited was Steve's Raft style elm forest. I consider a raft composition to be one of the hardest to convincingly accomplish, and this one nailed it. I may have been picking up a little of Steve's vibes, but I did study this composition before I shared my thoughts with Steve.
I had a deep appreciation for every bonsai exhibited regardless of accolades received or not. The one thing that was missing for me was the Princess Persimmons, which last year were exhibited aplenty.

 

[johng]

This was by fortuitous circumstance and not by any special 'knowing'. I had an opportunity to see a rather extraordinary event when the sun came through the door and lit up the grove of Harlandi boxwood. It was quite a sight and one that will be with me as long as memory serves.

Someone else mentioned this to me as well... I wish you would have taken a couple pics

 

[penumbra]

Someone else mentioned this to me as well... I wish you would have taken a couple pics

I did take a few low quality pictures with my cell phone, but being technologically challenged, I am waiting for my wife to show me what to do with them.
Please, no one advise me on this as I will only become frustrated and confused.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

If I recall, the critique from the judges centered around the fact that the pot was too large. In any case excellent tree.

Through the miracle of Photoshop, a minor revision that illustrates what they are talking about (smaller pot, smaller stand). Note how the apex is now centered. In the original composition I felt the tree was planted too far to the right.

 

[johng]

Through the miracle of Photoshop, a minor revision that illustrates what they are talking about (smaller pot, smaller stand)

View attachment 576819

This tree reminds me of something from a scene in Sienfeld. George complaining that his worlds are colliding! Very nice and distinctively Japanese tree in an American container...worlds colliding. I miss the CBE!!

 

[MACH5]

Like many of us here, the naturalistic style is my preference but does not preclude the reverence of the more aesthetic traditional Japanese styles. I was there very early with Steve a while before the doors opened even for the exhibitors and vendors. This was by fortuitous circumstance and not by any special 'knowing'. I had an opportunity to see a rather extraordinary event when the sun came through the door and lit up the grove of Harlandi boxwood. It was quite a sight and one that will be with me as long as memory serves.
But my point to this post is to say that my favorite bonsai of all exhibited was Steve's Raft style elm forest. I consider a raft composition to be one of the hardest to convincingly accomplish, and this one nailed it. I may have been picking up a little of Steve's vibes, but I did study this composition before I shared my thoughts with Steve.
I had a deep appreciation for every bonsai exhibited regardless of accolades received or not. The one thing that was missing for me was the Princess Persimmons, which last year were exhibited aplenty.

 

[Shogun610]

Imma bite my tongue on a few things in this thread it’s very hard for me .. but looks like it was a great show.

View attachment 576824

That is a great deciduous so is M5s and even that very Japanese Trident In the yellow pot .. those are very good. Best ones I’ve seen on this thread

 

[MACH5]

Imma bite my tongue on a few things in this thread it’s very hard for me .. but looks like it was a great show.

That is a great deciduous so is M5s and even that very Japanese Trident In the yellow pot .. those are very good. Best ones I’ve seen on this thread

Here was another favorite of mine. An imported KH. I worked on this tree two years ago. It won best deciduous at Mid-America Bonsai Expo in St Louis this year.

 

[Shogun610]

N

Here was another favorite of mine. An imported KH. I worked on this tree two years ago. It won best deciduous at Mid-America Bonsai Expo in St Louis this year.

View attachment 576860

on that too is excellent

 

[SouthernMaple]

Like many of us here, the naturalistic style is my preference but does not preclude the reverence of the more aesthetic traditional Japanese styles. I was there very early with Steve a while before the doors opened even for the exhibitors and vendors. This was by fortuitous circumstance and not by any special 'knowing'. I had an opportunity to see a rather extraordinary event when the sun came through the door and lit up the grove of Harlandi boxwood. It was quite a sight and one that will be with me as long as memory serves.
But my point to this post is to say that my favorite bonsai of all exhibited was Steve's Raft style elm forest. I consider a raft composition to be one of the hardest to convincingly accomplish, and this one nailed it. I may have been picking up a little of Steve's vibes, but I did study this composition before I shared my thoughts with Steve.
I had a deep appreciation for every bonsai exhibited regardless of accolades received or not. The one thing that was missing for me was the Princess Persimmons, which last year were exhibited aplenty.

Steves tree is very beautiful

 

[MACH5]

View attachment 576824

Ah sorry @penumbra , I thought you meant this one. I now realize you meant Steve Zeisel's elm raft The raft above is also an elm by a guy also named Steve!

 

[Wood]

Steves tree is very beautifulView attachment 576863

I really enjoyed this one. Definitely cool and it really sells the fallen tree image to me, including mushrooms like a forest floor. I missed them the first time, and Steve pointed out them out to me

The display bugged me a bit and leaned into the one-or-two entries thing in my head. A (very dope) hinoki cypress was right next to it, but the two trees were on stands that were identical size and shape, but slightly different colors. I understand making the best display you can, but that seemed pretty glaring

 

[Shogun610]

Oh I can’t hold my tongue anymore lol

Come to think of it Mach5 tree composition was all deciduous which IMO for being someone that likes natives most would have been my best deciduous... .. the best deciduous wasnt even the main tree.