February 23, 2015 - Three Bonsai Artists - Round Table Demonstrations

At our Feb 23 meeting we presentied three artisans who brought you information you will not find elsewhere.  There was a time when teaching bonsai was constrained - you had to be an associate or student to learn its secrets.  This program broke through all those restrictive approaches by providing you access to artists who are experienced and willing to share.

Preparing Your Tree for a Show - The Spring Bonsai Show is an event to celebrate and share your bonsai.  It is fun and a point of pride for all of us.  Vicki Ridgeway outlined the best approach to preparing your tree for the Big Show, helping you to take the stress out of participating.  Vickie showed us two trees from her collection and presented her strategy for getting them show-ready.  From stand to pot to soil surface to foliage, Vickie shared her method for preparing your tree for a show.  One additional item she wanted to share was this - water your trees thoroughly for 3 days before the show.  Moist soil will hold more water than drier soil so the 3 day method will help keep your tree happy and healthy throughout the show.

Pot Antiquing - Learn how to transform a new (and garish) bonsai pot into a beautiful and usable pot. Eric Ridgeway showed us how to apply a product that will remove the outer glaze to reveal a beautiful, subtle glaze beneath and obtain an instant patina.  You spend so much time making your trees beautiful.  Now you can create a pot worthy of them.  Eric demonstrated his technique for taking an inexpensive, glossy new pot and making it into a pot with apparent age to enhance the appearance of your tree.  He brought several examples of excellent pots he created using his method.

Air-Layering - Air-layering gives you tremendous freedom to create a bonsai from an established specimen.  The technique is very effective on deciduous trees and allows you to create a new bonsai by picking a fabulous top or branch as starting material.  This propagative technique generates a new root system for your chosen beauty.  Dan Robinson has been using this technique on collected material and remarkable specimens since the sixties and he will share his experience with you. This knowledge will change the way you look at ALL trees.  AIR-LAYER  IT!  Dan showed us a 6 foot+ tall shishigashira Japanese maple that he had air-layered previously.  He showed us how to girdle the tree, apply sphagnum moss and seal it in to generate new roots and ultimately a new tree.  Add this technique to your repertoire and expand your collection!