JESEN

With my son Jakob we take advantage of beautiful day and we went in mountains. Larches are gold, beeches are red, the sky is blue and wide. We admired sights and enjoyed our time. And in the end we returned home with beautiful beech which enriched my collection of yamadoris. Day was fulfilled again!

Z Jakobom sva izkoristila lep dan in se odpravila v naravo. Macesni rumenijo, bukve so rdeče, nebo modro in širno. Občudovala sva razglede in uživala. In na koncu sva se domov vrnila z lepo bukvijo, ki je obogatila zbirko jamadorijev. Ponovno izpolnjen dan!

METZ

This weekend I traveled to Metz, France. Cathedral from 13th century is something special – it is a classical cathedrale with the largest glass area in Europe (and probably in the world), incredible 6500 m^2 of vitraux is extraordinary heritage. (This would be something for you Andrej!) In the mighty ship of gigantic dimesions surreal light is coming thru windows. Man can easily enter a different world by admiring this outstanding art.

Ta konec tedna sem bil v Metzu v Franciji. Katedrala iz 13. stoletja je nekaj posebnega – je klasična katedrala z največjo stekleno površino v Evropi (s tem najbrž tudi na svetu), neverjetnih 6500 m^2 vitražev je neprecenljiva dediščina. (To bi bilo nekaj zate Andrej!) V mogočni ladji gigantskih dimenzij se skozi okna preliva nadzemeljska svetloba. Človek ob občudovanju izjemne umetnine stopi v drug svet.

But my intention was to write about something else. About new bonsai friends I met here. Bonsai club de Lorraine from Metz is even the oldest bonsai club in France. In Friday afternoon I was in Max Kozak's shop. Max is selling Asian, mostly Japan art. Here you can find even a antic bonsai pots, painting scrolls, bonsai books and many other things. What a shop! On his web page http://www.sui-gallery.com/ you can see only a fragment of his offers. Max, thank you again for your hospitality.

Ampak v bistvu sem hotel pisati o nečem drugem. O novih bonsajskih prijateljih, ki sem jih tu srečal. Bonsai club de Lorraine iz Metza je celo najstarejši francoski klub. Petkovo popoldne sem preživel v trgovinici Maxa Kozaka, ki se ukvarja s prodajo azijskih, predvsem pa japonskih umetniških izdelkov. Tudi antične bonsajske posode, slikarske zvitke, bonsajske knjige in še kaj. Paša za oči! Na njegovi internetni strani http://www.sui-gallery.com/ boste za zdaj našli le drobec njegove ponudbe. Max, hvala za gostoljubje.

In Saturday morning I was a guest of Patrick Gronwald and his family. With his wife and three sons he live at a country side near Metz – he is an artist by soul and profession. But now he is more interested in bonsai (mostly shohin) then in his sculptures which you can find on his web page http://gronwald.site.voila.fr/ (still under construction). And I saw some really beautiful shohin trees. Beside that, Patrick is also making bonsai stands (some of them you can find in Max's shop) and pots. Something special are small pots from stainless still. Sorry, but this time I forget my camera, so I was helping myself with cell phone …

V soboto dopoldne pa me je v svoj krog družine sprejel Patrick Gronnwald. Z ženo in tremi sinovi živi na podeželju blizu Metza – umetnik po duši in poklicu. Zdaj ga bolj kot skulpture, ki jih najdete tudi na njegovi spletni strani http://gronwald.site.voila.fr/ (še v izgradnji), zanimajo bonsaji. Predvsem šohin velikosti. In videl sem nekaj zelo lepih primerkov. Poleg tega Patrick izdeluje tudi bonsajske podstavke (nekaj jih je tudi v Maxovi trgovini) in posode. Nekaj posebnega so posodice za spremljevalne rastline ulite iz nerjavečega jekla. Žal sem tokrat pozabil fotoaparat, tako da sem si moral pomagati s telefonom ...

Patrick is working on his Carpinus (the largest one!)

Patrick dela na gabru (največjem v zbirki!)

Wonderful shohin Acer

Čudovit shohin javor

I spent a wonderful morning with his family; Patrick tell your wife that lunch was really good!

V krogu njegove družine sem preživel čudovito dopoldne; Patrick, povej ženi, da je bilo kosilo izvrstno!

New experiences, new friendships. Bonsaism are most of all – people!

Nove izkušnje, nova prijateljstva. Bonsajizem smo tudi in predvsem ljudje!

P.S.: Yes; Krim won that mach!

P.S.: Da, Krimovke so dosegle lepo zmago!

TEČAJ

Yesterday we organized a club workshop for beginners. I did enjoy in learning and unveiling of bonsai secrets. Real interest, concentration and gratitude in the end re-charged my batteries.

Včeraj smo v Križah pri Tržiču organizirali tečaj za začetnike. Spet sem lahko užival v učenju in razkrivanju skrivnosti bonsajizma. Pristno zanimanje, zbranost in na koncu hvaležnost so mi napolnile baterije.

In near future I am planing to do a advanced workshop in Tora. There will be room for three students. We'll study and analyze their material and then we'll style it in best possible way. Welcome!

V bližnji prihodnosti v Tori načrtujem nadaljevalno delavnico. Prostora bo za tri udeležence, s katerimi se bomo povsem posvetili njihovemu materijalu in iz njega skušali potegniti največ. Vabljeni!

ISKANJE

And then it was searching time. I decided to examine how red pines are reacting on autumn digging. Spring digging is not as successful as I want: Pinus sylvestris is one of the most difficult species for successful digging. And off I went. It was extraordinary day after rain; bright light, clear air, wonderful views. Two ravens (Corvus) were dancing above my head. Their mighty wings were whistling in the knife-like sharp air. Even though I almost didn't find my way out of the rocks I saved my self in the end. And I find some beautiful trees. I'll come back some other time, this time I only took one, for experiment ...

In potem je bil čas za iskanje. Odločil sem se preizkusiti odziv rdečih borov na jesensko kopanje. Spomladansko se ni ravno izkazalo, nasploh so rdeči bori ena najproblematičnejših vrst za presajanje iz narave. In sem se odpravil. Izkoristil sem izjemen dan po deževju; močna svetloba, čisto ozračje, čudoviti razgledi. Tik nad mano sta se dva krokarja spustila v divji ples. Njuna mogočna krila so žvižgala v kot britev ostrem zraku. Čeprav sem se skoraj zaplezal sem se na koncu le rešil. In odkril nekaj čudovitih primerkov. Ponje se vrnem drugič, tokrat sem s seboj vzel le enega, za pokušino ...

He also survived - for now ...

Za zdaj je preživel tudi ta ...

Cascade

Kaskada

What is this?

Nagradno vprašanje - kaj je to?

BELGIJEC

In Saturday we organized a club workshop in Tržič. We did find Slovenian new talent - he will be our representative at EBA convention in Switzerland. Because I had a lot of work I did not shape my juniper which I did bring with me. But It was fun anyway! Valter is Slovenian candidate for NTC and I had honour to officially congratulate him and wish him all the best!

V soboto smo v Tržiču izvedli klubsko delavnico in poiskali novega talenta, ki nas bo zastopal prihodnje leto na konvenciji EBA v Švici. Ob obilici dela se nisem utegnil posvetiti brinu, ki sem ga pripeljal s seboj. A je bilo vseeno zabavno. Valter je torej slovenski kandidat za NTC in imel sem čast, da mu uradno čestitam ter zaželim vse najboljše!

Then I dedicated my self to juniper. Two days we were very close to each other. It is a Juniperus chinensis, probably urban yamadori, I bought it in Belgium. In good form it waited for first shaping.  Because there was no enough light the needles in the crown were brown. But now it will be completely different. After two days of wiring here is a new tree with bright bonsai future! I like elegant silhouette a lot, movement, crown. I am satisfied with result.

Potem pa sem se posvetil brinu. Dva dni sva si bila čisto blizu. Gre za kitajski brin, verjetno izkopan na kakem vrtu ali koritu, pripeljan je iz Belgije. Dodobra vkoreninjen v posodi je čakal na prvo obdelavo. Zaradi pomanjkanja svetlobe so iglice v notranjosti rjavele, zdaj pa bo povsem drugače. Po dveh dneh žičenja je tu novo drevo z svetlo bonsajsko prihodnostjo! Zelo mi je všeč elegantna silhueta, gibanje, krošnja. Zadovoljen sem z rezultatom.

There will be a lot of dead wood on the trunk in final phase, visible veins will go up towards crown. And the first jin will be a lot smaller, of course. I think I have a right pot for it in my collection ...

Na deblu bo v končni fazi še več suhega lesa, dobro vidne žile bodo napajale krošnjo. Tudi prvi desni džin bo seveda veliko manjši. Zdi se mi, da imam v svoji zbirki posod ravno pravšnjo zanj ...

What I remember the most? It's smell ... When cutting the brunches a lot of etheric oils are released, and as we know - smell is the cradle of memories ...

Česa sem si tokrat najbolj zapomnil? Njegovega vonja ... Ob obrezovanju se seveda sprošča veliko eteričnih olj, vonj pa je, kot vemo, zibelka spomina!

MEGLICE

Something magic is in the mist; landscape is changing from one moment to another, the light is unreal and so are feelings. If you are at the right place of course. And today we were at the right place. Up there the autumn is already in full glory ...

Nekaj čarobnega je v meglicah, ki iz trenutka v trenutek spreminjajo pokrajino, svetlobo in vzdušje. Če si seveda na pravem kraju. In mi smo danes bili. Tam zgoraj je jesen že krepko zavihala rokave ...

Janez was also fascinated by mist ...

Tudi Janeza so meglice očarale ...

This time we were hunting juniperus. We all know how difficult the common juniperus is for growing in pot. It is almost unpossible to dig it out and keep it alive. But there are some sub-species of common juniper which are more suitable for bonsai. Like Juniperus communis Alpina. And we did find some extraordinary ones. But we saved the best for some other time - this is still the experiment.

Tokrat smo bili v lovu za brini. Vsi vemo, kako nehvaležni so navadni brini v posodah. Praktično nemogoče jih je presaditi iz narave in obdržati pri življenju. Toda obstajajo podvrste navadnega brina, ki so bolj pripravne. Navadni brin - alpska podvrsta recimo. In odkrili smo nekaj izjemnih primerkov. A ker gre bolj za poskus z novo vrsto, smo najboljše prihranili za prihodnjič.

I left this close to 200 yrs old friend for another time ...

Tega, več kot 200 let starega prijatelja, sem prihranil za kdaj drugič ...

In the shadow of mighty Triglav

V senci mogočnega Triglava

VARŠAVA IN ČRNI

Between journeys and workshops I am working on my trees. Pinus thumbergii was re-stiled this days. I cut off some weak brunches and bended a strong one on their place instead. Now I am completely satisfied with the design. Next year I'll just work on needles.

V premoru med potovanji in delavnicami se seveda ukvarjam z svojimi drevesi. Tako je bil v preteklih dneh japonski črni bor deležen nekaj manjših posegov; odstranil sem nekaj slabotnejših vej in na njihovo mesto ukrivil primernejšo, močnejšo. Zdaj sem z obliko popolnoma zadovoljen, v prihodnji sezoni se bom ukvarjal zgolj z iglicami.

 

Juniperus chinensis from my demo in Warsaw was also stiled. At that demonstration I left two brunches as a reserve. Now I used one of them for a new crown. The other two brunches are still on the tree but I cut them with photoshop ... If there everything will be OK, then the juniperus will stay as it is in picture below. First picture is material.

Že drugo oblikovanje je doživel tudi brin, na katerem sem imel demonstracijo v Varšavi. Takrat sem na drevesu pustil dve veji za rezervo. Ker z obliko nisem bil povsem zadovoljen, sem zdaj rezervno vejo uporabil za novo krošnjo. Tudi drugi dve veji sta še vedno na drevesu, le da sem ju s fotošopom odstranil. Toda če bo vse v redu, bo brin ostal takšen, kot na spodnji sliki. Zgoraj je začetni material:

On Juniperus we can show our creativity. Here we can not talk about natural look as we often do (maybe too often), here we talk about lines, expression and pure beauty. When the dead wood will be finished and the tree will be transplanted into proper pot next spring - this will be a great bonsai!

Pri kitajskih brinih pride naša kreativnost še posebej do izraza. Tu ni govora o včasih preveč poudarjani naravnosti, ampak o linijah, izpovednosti in čisti lepoti. Ko bo zaživel še suh les in bo spomladi presajen v primerno posodo, bo to krasen bonsaj!