BARBARA

For a long time Barbara wanted to learn bonsai. Now she did it - she came to TORA school, learned basic technique and created her first bonsai. Now she has all winter time to think about her ambitions in bonsai art. If she'll want to improved her skills, then we'll meet again for sure!

V Barbari je želja spoznati bonsajizem tlela že dolgo. Zdaj je željo uresničila - v šoli TORA je spoznala osnove in ustvarila svoj prvi bonsaj. Zdaj ima vso zimo časa, da razmišlja o svojih ambicijah v tej umetnosti. Če bo hotela napredovati, potem se bomo gotovo še srečali!

P.S.: Now we already counting days - our moving to new place is close!

P.S.: Zdaj pa res že odštevamo dneve do selitve!

JASTREBARSKO

Croatian branch of TORA moved from Samobor to Jastrebarsko, to Croatian forest institute. Facilities are more then good for work, restless organizer Dean, who would be welcomed in every club, has provided everything else.   

Hrvaška podružnica TORA se je iz Samobora preselila v Jastrebarsko, v hrvaški gozdarski inštitut. Okolje je za delo več kot primerno, neutrudni organizator Dean, ki bi si ga želel vsak klub, je spet poskrbel za vse ostalo.

Dean working on cute mugo pine

This time Roland was helping me, he met a small but hungry-for-knowledge group, which is already improved it's skills. The wire and better material are still a problem, but technique and knowledge about bonsai increase from workshop to workshop.

Tokrat je bil z mano Rland, ki je spoznal majhno a znanja željno skupino, ki se ji že pozna napredek. Še vedno ostaja težava žica in pa boljši materijal, vendar pa tehnika in znanje o bonsajih nasploh iz srečanja v srečanje napreduje.

Roland helping Nikolaj with his juniper

When they'll get a good material they'll be ready and in short time they'll put a good bonsai trees on the exhibition shelves. See you in the spring, when we'll start with second year at higher level!

Ko bodo prišli do dobrega materijala bodo pripravljeni in v kratkem času bodo na policah imeli vrhunske bonsaje. Se vidimo spomladi, ko začnemo z drugim letnikom na višjem nivoju!

BRIN NA BRIN

Tomaž finally can work on his junipers which are mature now, and he has more then enough work. Today's juniper wasn't the best material, long branches with green mass only far away on the tips didn't look promising. After analyzing it carefully we decided to work on line of the trunk with only minimalistic crown on the top of it.

Tomaž je dočakal zrelost svojih brinov in zdaj ima materijala za delo čez glavo dovolj. Današnji primerek ni bil najboljše izhodišče, razpotegnjene veje z zelenjem daleč na koncu niso obljubljale veliko. Po podrobnejši analizi sva se odločila za poudarjanje linije debla z minimalistično krošnjo.

The problem is upper part of the trunk - it is too straight. This will be solved with shari and live vein, which will give visual movement. But for now this is it: contour of future bonsai which will be "finished" in two seasons if everything will go according to the plan. Meanwhile, during this winter, we'll work on many other Tomaž's junipers .   

Težava linije je zgornji del debla, ki je preveč raven. To bo v prihodnosti rešeno z šarijem in živo veno, ki bo razgibala sicer ravno deblo. Za zdaj pa je to to: obris bodočega bonsaja, ki bo nared čez dve rastni sezoni, če bo šlo vse po načrtih. Sicer pa bova s Tomažem čez zimo oblikovala še kar nekaj njegovih brinov.

P.S.: There is still more than enough green mass on the tree, but it is invisible on the photo because we hid it. So the survival of the tree is not compromised ...

P.S.: Zelenja je na drevesu še več kot dovolj, vendar ga na fotki ni videti, ker sva ga zakrila. Tako da preživetje ni ogroženo ...

DAMJAN

Damjan is working on this juniper for a year and a half now, and in this time the tree improved a lot. It is developing nicely and it is getting a planned shape. Today we cut some green mass and wired it again. The branches are positioned, Damjan must keep it compact during the growing season by constant pinching.

Damjan na tem brinu dela že leto in pol in v tem času je brin prehodil dolgo pot. Dobro se razvija in počasi dobiva načrtovano obliko. Danes sva ga razredčila in na novo ožičila. Veje so zdaj postavljene, na Damjanu pa je, da ga z vršičkanjem v rastni sezoni ohranja kompaktnega in stabilnega.

This kind of juniper has a problem with long an cosy growth which doesn't look good. But with constant pinching we can improved that, and this juniper already shows some sign of maturity, because the needles are much shorter and harder then a year before. Meanwhile the tree was transplanted into first bonsai-pot, so it is on a good way to became a nice literati!

Težava pri tej vrsti brinov je namreč dolga in mlahava rast, ki daje videz skuštranosti. A z vztrajnim vršičkanjem se da iglice zelo izboljšati in ta brin že kaže prve znake staranja, saj so iglice že veliko krajše in trše kot so bile pred letom dni. Vmes je drevo odbilo tudi svojo prvo posodo, skratka je na dobri poti, da se razvije v lep literati!

March 2010

November 2011

PF II

This weekend we started a new PF year in TORA, led by Enrico Savini. This time we learned at higher level; first some theoretical knowledge about matter, Enrico revealed some secret about pine-growing, and then practical work on trees. 

Ta konec tedna smo v TORA začeli z drugim letnikom PF pod vodstvom Enrica Savinija. Tokrat je šlo za učenje na višjem nivoju; najprej teoretično spoznavanje materije, mimogrede je Enrico razkril nekaj skrivnosti gojenja borov, potem pa praktično delo na drevesih. 

New material in school is better and better, trees from first year are getting into refining stage.

Nov materijal v šoli je vedno boljši, drevesa iz prvega letnika dobivajo vedno bolj dodelano podobo. 

Great weekend is over, a new dose of knowledge is here, we'll continue in February. If someone is interested, there is still a room for two new students. Just contact me! 

Odličen konec tedna je za nami, nova doza znanja je tu, nadaljujemo februarja. V letniku sta še dve prosti mesti, če koga zanima, naj sporoči!