Hi everybody,
here is a impression of my long weekend at the “JOY OF BONSAI 2010″ event and the two day demo I did in the beautiful town of Bath ( U.K) .
Having mist out on so many events this past year, because of my worsening back problems, I wanted to make sure that I would make it to this lovely event. Because I hold so many great memories of my two earlier appearances, I even postponed my inevitable second back operation, just to be able to come again! I left my home early on the Friday and after just a short one hour flight I was picked up from the Bristol airport to be dropped off at Dan and Cecilia Barton house. And from the minute I walked in to that door, until the moment that I walked out again on the Monday, I was pampered in the most wonderful way that I had ever experienced! Ci, Jan and Mary T. made my stay their feel like a long warm bath. I bow my head deeply in gratitude to these 3 gorgeous angels!
And what can I say about Dan Barton: well, I got to know him a lot better during this weekend. As a great artist, potter and philosopher. But most of all I got to know his great sense of humor and his love of live! The long talk we had about the arts and live will sipping on his best whiskey, deep into the night, was a true highlight of this trip! His stories of his times with his great friend John Naka were all inspiring and soooo funny! In today’s bonsai world, were so many think they are God’s gift to Bonsai and were others are only in it to make a fast big buck, it is nice to know that there are still people out there like Dan Barton! He turned my nose in to the right direction again!
Above: Just look at the ramification on this sweet bonsai that Dan is training for many years!
Above: On of Dan Barton’s sculptures in his garden Koi pond.
The event was staged again in the “Pavilion” in the old town of “Bath”. This is a beautiful old town that is heavily influenced by the “Romans”. There are endless beautiful buildings and places to see. So real early on the very sunny Sunday morning, before the second day of hard work would start there, I sneaked out to take some pictures with my new camera. The town was mostly still a sleep, so it was a wonderful experience to walk true these old streets that hold so much history.
Below: My Saturday demonstration tree. A wonderful Pinus Sylvestris from Terry Foster.
Above picture is on loan from Mark and Ritta (bonsaikichi), but I am sure they dont mind! 
After the work was finished all demonstrators discussed there work to the eager public.
Above: This is the stunning Yamadori Juniper of the young talent from Belgium, Yannick Kiggen. This poor picture shows his Juniper after the first day of cleaning and partly wiring the tree. Sadly I have no pictures of the lovely end result he created, so I hope some one can mail one to me! But any way, this Yannick is a great guy, who is made of the right Bonsai material and a real promise to the European Bonsai scene. He made a great first impression!!
Above: This close up nicely shows Yannick’s knowledge of advanced Techniques and his braveness to use them to creat his vision. To make it posible to bend this branch and bring the foliage closer to the trunk, Yannick had to separate the deadwood (left part) from the life vain (right part).
Above: TADAAA!!! A great picture of Yannick’s finished tree. Thanks again for sending me this picture Mark!
Above: Mister Tickle doing his lecture on virtual Bonsai design.
Below: My Sunday demonstration tree. This wonderful old Yamadori Yew was also provided for me to style, by my dear friend Terry Foster.
Above: All the foliage grew on the opposite left side from were I needed it to be, the right side. To creat my new top, I had to try and bend this pinkie thick old branch to the right and upwards (green arrow). The problem was, that there was a Shari running along this branch, just at the point were I needed it to bend. So at the yellow arrow, I removed about half a inch of the deadwood and than I hollowed it out as much as was safe.
Above: Than 3 layers of raffia and 1 layer of tape were tightly applied to protect the branch from breaking at that point.
Above: Cleaning the deadwood. Because this tree was a bid lose in it’s pot, I secured it as good as posible to the table. But even so, the cleaning work was kept to a minimum to prevent any damage to the roots!
Above: It is not the best picture in the world, but it is the only on I got for now! After I finished the tree, it was brought to this stage, were I was able to tell the people what I had don and why! So during the way up on this. to high table, the lower left branch was unfortunately pushed upward. The tree should be seen from higher up, more looking down on the foliage. And more turned to the right. But as long as you got the impression and idea of my styling, its good enough for me!
Above: And here is a much better one. Thanks Mark and Ritta for mailing them to me!
The movement and deadwood on this old Yew are truly amazing. I tried to style the foliage in such a way that it would high light these lines. Keeping in mind the story that this battered cascading Yew is telling to us all! This pre bonsai will look lovely in a couple of years. Thanks Terry for the change to work on this wonderful tree! I hope you like the result of my work?
Above: This big masterpiece was a real crowd pleaser.
Above: Serge demo Pine after the first day of work.
Above: My friend Serge Clemence and his beautiful styled 2 day demo Pine and the drawing he made for it.
Above: Steve Tolley’s demo tree. Picture by Will Baddeley.
So here ends my impression of yet a other great “JOY OF BONSAI” event! Although it was sometimes hard, I would not have mist it for the world! ABBA and all its volunteers staged a truly inspiring show! And I am proud that I was able to play my little part in it!
Hans van Meer.
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