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Turning Heads

My friend Adrian is one of the few disabled bonsai hobbyists that I know.  Like me, he enjoys making things from scratch (mainly, in my case model cars) and he really surprised me, and it seems many within the Bonsai community, with his revolving and tilting workbench.  There are not too many times that things come onto the market that are a “must have” but I feel that what he has produced falls into this bracket.  Seen being used by UK professionals, at the UK New Bonsai Talent contest and now being used in Europe after successful sales at Burrs this little gem is a joy to work with.

Although originally aimed at the Shohin market this stand will hold up to 6kg so also ideal for smaller Chuhin trees.  Here’s what Peter Warren had to say on Adrian’s gadget:-

“I found it to be a great little table, much better than the one I had previously which had a similar design but the ball joint and the clamp was too slack so I never used it.  This one has a very secure and stable feel to it, and especially combined with the turntable it makes for easy work and easy work makes for good work.  They will be for sale at the Shohin UK show next year no doubt, but for any Shohin enthusiast, I would recommend it.”

High praise indeed. 

Adrian is working on a larger floor standing model and I’m sure that it will be as popular as his table top version.  You can order yours by visiting Adrian's new website HERE or keep an eye out for him at a Bonsai Show near you!

Drawing on inspiration

 

Whilst looking back on my personal Bonsai year I spent some time looking at what has inspired me and areas where I need to improve on.  One area that separates the pros form us mere morals is that use of design sketches.   One of my Bonsai heroes, Will Baddeley,* has produced (and encourages us to embrace) some stunning designs for members on his Forum (the European Bonsai Forum) as well as at the many Workshops he attends.  Although “art” might not be everyone’s strong point it’s worth taking the time to give it a go.

Whilst at the Burrs Workshop in November many of the professional artists used this medium to help explain their design “vision” for the material but it also helps the owner to refine the overall design over the following years.  Here’s what I mean………….

I know that myself, along with many other novices, benefit from having a blueprint for future work and it also provides an excellent part of a trees progression, just ask anyone lucky enough to be the owner of an original Slovak or a Baddeley!

*Check out Will’s Blog here

Happy New Year from Suteki!

Apologies for my lack of recent “posts” but this is due to a) I’m totally erratic at posting at the best of times, b) lack of, or extremely intermittent, broadband and c) having to babysit 2 unwell children over the Christmas period.  Not having a landline “jelly-bone” was quite interesting (just goes to show how often it got used!) but the lack of internet did prove frustrating!  Any-ho, I digress!

I’m extremely proud of what I achieved with Suteki Accent Pots during 2012 whether it was the fantastic sales (especially at CKB) or seeing my pots or plantings being used in formal displays.  My thanks go to all my customers and friends that have given me encouragement to continue with what I enjoy.  Thanks again for your support, next stop my pots at a “Top” Show!

Talking of Celebrating Kent Bonsai, I think that that had to be right at the top of my “proud moments of the year” list.  OK, I’m gunna toot my own horn here but I think that the Show was one of the best events this part of the country has ever had.  The feedback was tremendous (no pun intended) and bearing in mind it was my first large scale organisational event I’m very, very pleased with the outcome.  The help and support that I received from Kent’s Club members and traders alike was fantastic and I couldn’t have organised the event without their input, but I’m pleased for me.  Lots of stress, plenty of sleepless nights but an overall feeling of a “job well done” outweighed everything.

So what does 2013 hold for the Fiendish Frog?  Well I’m gunna be continuing to explore new avenues on the pot front, new glazes, designs etc.  My last batch, available here, went down a storm along with a couple of new colours that I managed to “sell” to one of the UK’s best Shohin pot makers – sorry bud could resist it!  Although I’m gunna miss Noelanders I’m really looking forward to the Swindon Winter Image and Shohin UK Shows along with Bonsai World later in the year.  Best of British Bonsai – the jury’s still out for me I’m afraid!  Lastly, but probably most importantly, it’s another year back at school.  2012, plus the trees in my garden, proved to me that although I’m on the right path I still need to improve some of my basic skills.  I’ve mentally planned my curriculum for the year but will have to see how the pennies, and pots, go.

Almost Famous!

Earlier this year I was interviewed by Tony Tickle, as part of his Bonsai Potters Showcase, and this has now gone live here.

Tony has been a friend and Bonsai mentor of mine for a quite a while now and I was very surprised to say the least when he asked me to take part.  Although it took part at Willowbog in early 2012 to be posted at all is a great honour indeed considering that he has interviewed some of the best Bonsai potters in Europe.  Kicked off by by my best bud Andy “Stone Monkey” Pearson after Swindon last year this series has grown into an interesting insight into European  Bonsai ceramics.  My latest creations can be found on my website

If you get a chance do checkout some of the previous interviews and please don’t laugh too much at my story.  Still a way to go but “almost famous”!

Burrs- the Trees Pt.1

Will & the Walrus
I decided to work on this tree first as I was also hoping that Capt’n Sawdust would have a look at the deadwood for me and I knew that he would be busy!  So Friday evening Will gave the tree the once over and commented on its good growth so I was well pleased.  Not so when he told me I had to strip all the leaves off as the tree had been stubbornly hanging onto them.  Pluck, pluck, pluck went the fingers but at least I can say that I was the first person to make a big mess at Burrs this year!

My "naked" Elm, with a little help from Mr Merlot!

So, Saturday morning dawned and after bacon butties and lashings of rosy-lea I was ready to rumble.  As anticipated I had to wait my turn before Mr B could cast his eye over my tree.  He kindly showed me where to cut the branch structure back to the primary lines.

The Capt'n hard at work

Some of the Deadwood detail

Finer detail that I need to extend

The bottom left area will be made to look like a old rotten stump

As expected the Capt’n was flat out carving most, if not all, of the weekend but he kindly found the time to make some inroads into the deadwood on the trunk.  He told me that I had “soft wood”* so I’ll have to watch that carefully in the future.  I’d like to think that this tree has a good future and look forward to the next stage – mainly clip’n’grow so I’m told.

 

Finished for now!

 (*not too sure if that’s a trip to Ann Summers or B&Q)

Friday – Let the games commence!

TV is a funny medium.  I dropped off to sleep listening to a report from the US about a murderer who stole a jet plane from an airport to make his getaway (CCTV footage was unreal) and woke to an Aussie bride to be trying to drop umpteen ponds to fit into her dream wedding dress just 6 weeks before the big day.  Silly o’clock TV does make you wonder!

Any-ho, breakfast was to be at Tony’s place at 9.30am but Will and I were on the road by 8.00am which in hindsight proved a bit of a mistake.  Firstly, being half asleep, I nearly lost the parking permit and then got shafted.  Tony asked “Si, can you help with breakfast?”, showed me the kitchen and then promptly disappeared – could sell snow to Eskimos that guy!  So with my trusty Italian “toaster”, the Lovely Rita, we cooked up some rather splendid Suffolk Black Bacon sarnies.

Tony starts work on his Yew - before the heavens opened, as usual!

The general plan for the day was for Tony’s large Yew to be styled.  Well, Han’s Will, Mikey and I “hid” in the greenhouse to escape the cold but ended up stripping a White Pine.  We were regularly visited by Tony Trump-pants (his arse was still no better!) and in the end we finally admitted defeat – the smell was rancid – and sort the safety of the house.

Hans & I give the start of the event the "thumbs up"

Before we knew it we were at the venue greeting our chums along with the new faces.  Whilst everyone went to the Brown Cow for dinner Mikey suggested that we get a curry.  Cracking idea so Will, myself and Mikey ordered one up and shot the breeze until the drunkards returned.  Not to say that we didn’t partake in any of the falling down water but we were in a better state than some!  Some work, but plenty of drinking, was done late into the evening with the “serious” work to start the following morn.  Time for sleep!

Sleep-o-meter – 5.5hrs