The Girl is Mine

Today is an odd but special day. Although Sally & I always remember the first time that we became a “couple” this special date now takes a different meaning as it now means that we have spent 19 years together – more than the time she spent with her parents! It might seem “odd” to commemorate this anomaly but for me it’s a milestone in our journey through life. Poor Ole Sal ahs had to put up with many of my faults and hobbies (golf, bonsai, model making) but she’s always been there for me and I’d like to say a heat felt “Thank You”. Here’s an early picture of Sally and her cradle snatcher!!

Love, Peace & Bananas,

Doug (You’ll have to ask her for the answer to this one!)

Happy New Year to One & All!

I would like to wish all the people that take have taken to the time to read my Blog over the last year (OK, Andy P & Ian Y!). 2011 was a very difficult year and although it had some highs (including the launch of SUTEKI Accent pots) it did unfortunately have some very low points. Although I’m not saying that due to a change in digit things will suddenly be OK, I am approaching the New Year with a sense of optimism. 

Even though I’m unable to attend Noelanders this year there are plenty of things on the horizon. Thanks to the generosity of Andy P (aka Stone Monkey Ceramics) and the Swindon Club I will be selling my pots at this excellent Show along with exhibiting a small Shohin display. In March it will be my annual trip to the BSA Show at Willowbog to hopefully show a couple of compositions followed by my first ever Bonsai Club talk at the Middlesex Club later in the month. Add this to the organisation of the Celebrating Kent Bonsai Show in May I’m gunna be a busy boy!

It’s not all Bonsai though. I’m in the process of producing an exciting model car montage that I hope to have completed in time for the British GP (notice I didn’t say which year!) and I will post my progress as I go. As you may be aware I love my motorsport and have also been lucky enough to make some models for current F1 driver Mark Webber and below is the group of figures that I made for him last Christmas. Each of the figures is no larger than a matchbox and hand painted. Quite a few hours work but well worth it – well, it made Mark’s New Years Eve when I prestented it to him last year!

Well that’s me for now, just gunna kick back and listen to some Jaguar Skills and polish of this bottle of Merlot. Best wishes to one and all and let’s hope that I keep the Blog a bit more up to date than last year!!

Clay Crusader!

I’ve got a friend called Andy. By day he’s a mild mannered man ensuring the safety of commuters on London Underground but by night he is an Oxide Crazed Ceramics Freak! Last night Sally and I attended a Private Viewing of the 2011 London Potters Show at Morley Gallery.

Rammed to the rafters with ceramics, artists and putters alike we had a lovely time – even if we didn’t get to see too much due to the numbers there. This was Andy’s debut (although he does have his ceramics at the Singing Soul Gallery in Cranbrook) and we were pleased to be able to support him.

So if, at the dead of night you think you see a shadowy figure lurking in the moonlight it could well be our one and only Clay Crusader creating fine art in his own unique way!!

Time to talk with Mr Tickle

I’ve been really lucky over the past few years to meet some fantastic people in Bonsai and none more fun than Tony Tickle. Tony has been there, read the book, worn the T-Shirt and unfortunately sometimes killed the cast in Bonsai and I’m honoured to call him my friend (not too sure what he thinks about that though!). A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of his company for the evening, whilst he split his outward journey to Saulieu in France, at Chez Monkey.

We, my family included, had a super time with a man with an infectious enthusiasm, witty humour and boundless stupidity. For a Bonsai contact topics of conversation covered subjects from canoeing to Charles Rene Macintosh, Yamadori to You Tube, Bonsai talent past and up and coming (that doesn’t include me BTW) and, it seemed everything else in between. I couldn’t have asked for a more entertaining and forthright guest.

I know when it comes to discussing all things Bonsai I can be a bit intense (OK, a right royal pain in the arse) but my enquiries were met with good humour and, at times, bluntness but I now feel that I’m at the stage where I need this. Tony kindly let me know roughly where I am and, more importantly, where I need to go to improve my trees and understanding of the art. Some people I know would blow smoke up your arse or tell you what you wanted to hear not always what you needed to hear (for good or ill) which I found refreshingly honest.

Bonsai is a small business world and there are many egos out there. Tony could well have told me “buy some of MY yamadori – it’s what you need and will be a winner” but he didn’t. Yes, he would like me to attend the Burrs Workshop that he holds but when I could – no pressure. I do understand the longer I delay in clearing out the chaff and getting good tuition and material the further away my ambitions will be but to be believed in by someone I admire is a real tonic.

Thanks Tony for being a mate, teacher and all round good egg –
Bonsai needs people like you!!

Perfect Performer!!

As some of you are aware, my good lady Sally has been using Pole as a means to keep fit. Well the other weekend the company she learns with and a birthday bash for students, partners, hangers on and the like. There were to be poles there for a few demos during the evening so Sally, not to turn down a challenge, choreographed her own routine to perform on the night.

Although I might be biased, she did a fab job and was recognised with an Award for Most Artist Student. Bearing in mind Sally is one of the few students not to either have a pole at home OR go to multiple classes in a week this was a just reward for her hard work and determination.

Well done m’dear and I can’t wait for the video on Facebook!!

Dead & Decomposing – The rebirth of “King C”

I brought this tree from Kaizen Bonsai at Noelanders this year after seeing it in the “Bargain Basement” section. As many of you know I have a bit of a fetish for Cotoneasters and this one was far larger than any I had seen. My original vision for this tree took a bit of a setback for 2 reasons. The first was that my initial front was rotated about 120 degrees to the right and the second, and most importantly, there was a scruffy nebari. It was advised by the “great & good” that I graft some new roots, far too complex for my basic Bonsai skills, but it was worth bearing in mind. Any-ho, the tree grew strongly(ish) and the foliage turned a nice shade of British Racing Green so I was happy with its overall health.

Recently, whilst babysitting whilst my good lady was at a Pole Class, I thought that I would take a poke around at the surface roots to see how the land lied for the following years re-pot. Some of the bark was a bit wet so I had a little rub and the bark came off. I carried on with the scratch, (brown), scratch (brown) until I couldn’t take it anymore. Out came the mini drill and “soft” wire brush – let’s explore!! Before long, and suffering from a bad case of bark dandruff, I realised that there was only one area of live vein and a shed load of additional deadwood to play with (yes I can already hear Will Baddeley’s Makita revving up in the background!) As I’m by no means a Carving God I thought I’d have a go at blending the new with the old existing deadwood to at least give me a better picture of where the tree is going.

As can be seen, I didn’t go to crazy with the block carving as I tried to keep the movement of the old root/trunk but blend it with the centre section. There is a large straight(ish) section to the left that had been carved by Kaizen so I think the next job will be to lighten up the centre section. I have joined the two areas by means of a hole but that probably needs some more refinement.

So the plan for next year – pot up into a larger pot, feed like crazy and it could well be a trip to Suffolk. Watch out Will, were coming to see you!!

Flat-Out Frog Finally Catches Up!!

Where gas the Summer gone?? Last time I wrote we were getting ready to head off to Silverstone and now here we are mid September and staring down the barrel of Autumn. So here’s a short overview of what’s been happening on the Frog’s lily pad.

Silverstone was a real blast, great weather, superb atmosphere with plenty to see & do. To be able to see all the vintage racing cars up so close and have free access to the pit and paddock area (including the new Silverstone “wing”) was fabulous. Being the F1 nerd that I am I had to check out the Red Bull pit from the GP held earlier in the month. Red Bull are one of the few teams to decorate the floor of their pit so it was great to see Mark Webber’s “box” and have our pictures taken. The whole weekend was top notch from the racing to the fun fair, the areo displays to the open air concerts and of course being ferried around on old routemaster buses - Priceless!

With the school summer holidays upon us we shipped the kids off to the outlaws (well for most of the time but that’s a different story!) so Sal & I could get some domestic chores done. I was lucky enough to be left Home Alone for a week which was a perfect opportunity to work on my Accent pot business. SUTEKI Accents was born out of interest and encouragement from my Bonsai and now Pottery mentor Andy. After a toe in the water I dove straight in and got a trade space at the Bonsai World Show in Crawley. I’ll post this story later..............

Well, that about brings me up to date. Still busy on the Bonsai and pot front and I’ll also be babysitting a fellow MBS Members trees (aka The Grown Up Baby!) next month for a few weeks so I’ll have to be uber careful with my watering. I don’t want him to come home to firewood for a dolls house!!