nedelja, 21. december 2014

SMREKA

Spruce is one of the most demanding species in bonsai world. If one want to keep the spruce in order, in right way developing towards perfection - it needs a LOT of work. It is difficult and time-consuming when wiring, it doesn't like to be touched, it needs sharp timing at candle pinching and shoots cutting. Not easy tree huh? But, in the other hand, it has also many good features: it is easy to collect, it has flexible branches, short needles ... So, it is still very good species for bonsai. One just need to find a good starting material. And this weeks we, at TORA international bonsai school, had opportunity to work on a really good one! Miha brought a big, more than 100 yrs old spruce in the studio.  Fantastic tree, with incredible energy, as it accumulated in it in over a century time. This is a mother of all spruces!
 
Smreka je ena zahtevnejših vrst v bonsajskem svetu. Če jo človek hoče obdržati v formi, na pravi poti pri razvoju proti perfekciji - zahteva res ogromno dela. Je zahtevna pri žičenju, zahteva ogromno časa, nima rada dotikanja, natančni moramo biti pri tajmingu vršičkanja in rezanja vršičkov. Težko drevo, kaj? Toda, po drugi strani, ima tudi veliko dobrih lastnosti: lahko jo je izkopati, ima prožne veje, kratke iglice ... Torej, še vedno je to dobra vrsta za bonsaj. Samo dober začetni materijal je treba najti! In v zadnjih tednih smo v šoli TORA imeli priložnost delati na res dobri smreki. Miha je v atelje prinesel veliko, več kot 100 let staro smreko. Fantastično drevo z neverjetno energijo, ki se je v njej nabirala več kot stoletje. To je mati vseh smrek!
 
THE SPRUCE, as arrived to atelier
 
First we thought not to style it, just to open it and let the sun and air in to crown. Prepare it for next year. But further analysis showed that complete first styling is possible and Miha decided to go all the way! And work that lasted for many hours, days and weeks, started!
 
Najprej smo razmišljali o tem, da je ne bi oblikovali, ampak samo odprli in spustili v krošnjo zrak in svetlobo. Jo pripravili za drugo leto. Toda nadaljna analiza je pokazala, da je oblikovanje mogoče in Miha se je odločil, da gremo do konca! Začelo se je dolgotrajno delo, ki je trajalo ure, dneve in tedne!
 
 
 
We went branch by branch, Miha wired one, we styled it, then we moved forward. And along the way we cut all the unneeded branches. Miha turned them in to jins. At one point almost all students of TORA international bonsai school laid hand on it and help to wire a little bit!
 
Lotili smo se je vejo po vejo. Miha jo je ožičil, potem smo jo oblikovali in šli naprej. Spotoma smo odrezali vse nepotrebne veje. Miha jih je oblikoval v džine. Skoraj vsi študentje TORE so tu in tam vsaj malce pomagali pri žičenju!
 
 
 
 
At all times we keep the crown moist, also our hands weren't dry. This is the most important thing at wiring the spruce!
 
Ves čas smo krošnjo vlažili, tudi naše roke niso bile suhe. To je pri žičenju smreke zelo pomembno!
 
 
Miha almost there! Just one branch to go!
 
And then, after weeks of hard work, the first styling was done! Miha did a great job! This is a fantastic spruce with such a great future! If we think that this is only a first styling, we can imagine what a tree this will be with all jins treated and with crown matured! Masterpiece!
 
In potem, po tednih trdega dela, je bilo prvo oblikovanje končano! Miha je naredil odlično delo! To je fantastična smreka z izjemno prihodnostjo. Če samo pomislimo, da je to šele prvo oblikovanje in da morajo biti še vsi džini obdelani in da mora krošnja dozoreti ... Mojstrovina!
 
 
Spraying all the time!
 
The final result after first styling
 

 

četrtek, 4. december 2014

SYLVESTRIS

It is funny how different bonsai material can be: one can be turned in to masterpiece in really short time, the other needs years, maybe even decades. But in every case the preparation is very important. In TORA international bonsai school we prepared this Sašo's pine, Pinus sylvestris, in spring, but now it was already ready for first styling. The pine was collected at local hills two years before it came in to TORA workshop. Great base, then sharp turn, but then a long straight trunk. So, at first workshop, we concentrated on resolving this main problem. The powerful trunk was carefully prepared and then bended for cca 25 degres down. We also cut one unwanted branch and this was all for first intervention. The preparation for atumn styling done.

Zanimivo je, kako se bonsajski materijal razlikuje: enega je moč oblikovati v mojstrovino v relativno kratkem času, drugi za to potrebuje leta, mogoče celo desetletja. V vsakem primeru pa je priprava materijala zelo pomembna. V TORI smo Sašov rdeči bor pripravljali spomladi, zdaj pa je že bil pripravljen na prvo oblikovanje. Bor je bil izkopan v lokalnem hribovju dve leti preden je prišel v TORIN atelje. Odlična baza, potem zanimiv oster zavoj, toda potem dolgo ravno deblo. Na prvi delavnici smo se tako posvetili reševanju tega glavnega problema. Debelo deblo je bilo skrbno pripravljeno in potem skrivljeno za približno 25 stopinj navzdol. Odrezali smo še odvečno vejo in za prvi poseg je bilo dovolj. Priprava na jesensko oblikovanje končana.

Pinus sylvestris, starting material, March 2014

Great base with sharp turn

Bending of trunk in progress, we used combination of tehhnicques (Wet wood, sawing)

Sašo next to pine after first intervention, March 2014

Pine reacted very well. so after 8 months of rest we continued with work. Because there were a lot of branches and they were dence, we desided to go all the way - complete first styling.

Bor je dobro reagiral, tako da smo po osmih mesecih počitka nadaljevali z delom. Ker je na drevesu bilo veliko gostih vej, smo se odločili, da gremo do konca - torej opravimo celotno prvo oblikovanje.

Pinus sylvestris before first styling, December 2014

Sašo working

Final result after first styling, December 2014

Development March 2014-December 2014

If you have in mind the starting material - the result is great. Nice han-kengai with nice future. Next step will be repotting in to proper bonsai pot. The bonsai story never ends ... 

Glede na začetni materijal je rezultat odličen. Lepa pol kaskada z svetlo prihodnostjo. Naslednji korak bo presajanje v primerno bonsajsko posodo. Bonsajska zgodba se nikoli ne konča ...