DELAVNICA

Last time I mentioned a workshop for three students that I want to organize in near future. I didn't even publish a date when all free spots were already taken! Because of huge interest I'll organize more workshops in the future. Thank you all who trust our school, it is a great pleasure working with you!

If you feel pleasant restlessness and expectations in the morning then you gonna do what you like doing. Joze, Roland, Jan and Miha probably feel the same this time. After some basic workshops it was a pleasure to work on good material from experienced bonsaists. All four of them worked on broadleaved trees, Acer campestre, Acer palmatum, Carpinus betulus and Fagus sylvatica were the species we worked on.    

Zadnjič sem zgolj omenil, da bom ob prvi priložnosti organiziral delavnico in da bo prostora za tri učence. Še datuma nisem utegnil objaviti, ko so bila mesta že zasedena! Zanimanje je tolikšno, da delavnic tudi v prihodnje ne bo manjkalo! Hvala vsem, ki šoli TORA izkazujete zaupanje, užitek je delati z vami.

Če zjutraj pred delavnico čutiš prijeten nemir in pričakovanje, potem gotovo delaš to, kar te veseli. In isto so najbrž občutili tudi Jože, Roland, Jan in Miha, ki so tokrat prišli v šolo; po nekaj začetnih tečajih je bilo užitek delati na kvalitetnem materijalu bonsajistov, ki že obvladajo osnovne veščine. Vsi štirje so delali na listavcih, poljski in japonski javor, gaber in bukev so vrste, ki smo jih obdelali.

Jan and Joze working

Miha was working on great Acer campestre

Some "special" techniques

Joze concentrating

Only in TORA you can work in T-shirt with snowy mountains for background

In the school we never rush, we never cut a shortcut because that could harm the tree. All of them did a great step forward today, towards final goal - bonsai. Far from being "finished", only with thoughts how to go on. With broadleaved trees this is the only possible way. 

V šoli ne hitimo do končnega rezultata, ne ubiramo bližnjic, ker bi to pomenilo škodo za drevesa. Vsa so danes napravila velik korak naprej h končnemu cilju - bonsaju; daleč od tega pa, da bi bila "dokončana", le z mislijo na naslednje korake. Pri listavcih je takšen način dela pravzaprav edini možen.

The final touch ...

Before ...

After first step

Before

After ...

Every student learned something new today. That is the purpose of such workshops - to improve bonsai-skills, to get the right feeling for different species and for shaping. A little detail with wiring, special work on deadwood or protection of it ... Bonsai-knowledge is endless. Interesting is that sometimes you need just a little hint and everything is then logic and clear. And this is school for. See you next time!

Vsak med študenti se je danes naučil nekaj novega in to je tudi namen takšnih srečanj - piljenje bonsajskih veščin, pridobivanje občutka za posamezne vrste in oblikovanje. Podrobnost pri žičenju, posebna obdelava in zaščita suhega lesa ... Bonsajsko znanje se zdi neskončno globok vodnjak; zanimivo pa je, kako včasih rabiš le majhen namig in vse ti postane logično in kristalno jasno. In tudi temu je namenjeno šolanje. Se vidimo naslednjič! 

MATER

Grey winter morning developed into full-filed day. Even sun break trough clouds. After some clicks on FB we, Roland and me, were on our way to yamadori hunting. Red pines are my obsession for quite some time now, beside junipers they are my favorite species. So we went to explore new habitat, which not turn out so good. After an hour of walking we went back to our car and drove to my old hunting ground - a real paradise for red pines. (Well for quite some time this is not only "mine", isn't so Janez O. ;-) ) Even though I was there for many times the ground is so waste and there is so much material, that you can always find something new. Even this time I was not disappointed.

Sivo zimsko jutro se je razvilo v izpolnjen dan. Pa še sonce je posijalo. Z Rolandom sva se po nekaj klikih na FB-ju hitro dogovorila za lov na jamadorije. Že nekaj časa so rdeči bori moja obsesija, saj so poleg kitajskih brinov moja najbolj priljubljena bonsajska vrsta. In sva se najprej odpravila raziskovat novo lovišče, ki pa se ni izkazalo za preveč obetavno. Zato sva po slabi urici hoje odšla nazaj do avta in se odpeljala do mojega starega lovišča, pravega raja za rdeče bore. (Že dolgo to ni več samo "moje", a ne Janez O. ;-) ) Čeprav sem bil tam že nevemkolikokrat pa je območje tako veliko in materijal tako številčen, da se vedno najde kaj novega. Tudi tokrat nisem bil razočaran.

Meanwhile, as he looked at all this wealth, Roland whispered: " oh my God ..." I was in the same mood after exceptional finding, which I called "mother of all red pines" ... Well, probably it isn't so good, but I didn't yet see a red pine with such a movement. World class!

Med tem ko je Roland ob pogledu na vse to bogastvo vzdihoval: "o mater ...", sem bil sam podobnega mnenja ob izjemni najdbi, ki sem se ji čislal s kar: "mater vseh rdečih borov" ... Tako hudo najbrž ni, je pa dejstvo, da rdečega bora s takšnim gibanjem še nisem videl. Svetovna klasa!

To je samo detajl debla ...

This is only a detail of the trunk ...

I'll be back at appropriate time to collect. Now it is a right time for such trips, to locate the trees which will be collected in spring: days are already longer and there is not too much snow in the lower hills.  

Ponj se vrnem ob pravem času; sicer pa je zdaj kar pravi čas za take izlete, za lociranje dreves, ki jih bomo izkopali spomladi: dnevi so že daljši, snega v nižinah tudi ni preveč.

TRENING

The first peak of the season in TORA is coming, February and March are usually the most popular months among students. Today Matej and Henrik came in for basic workshop. Matej cashed voucher he get for a gift, Henrik has take a workshop alone. Both with one goal: to know the secrets of bonsaism. After an hour of theory and breaking some myths, we went to see bonsai trees and collection of first class yamadoris. Then the work on junipers started. This time also Raje joined on work with small trees. More of us, merrier it is! And time passed by ...  

Bliža se prvi vrhunec sezone poučevanja v šoli TORA, februar in marec sta običajno med učenci najbolj popularna meseca. Tokrat sta se na tečaju za začetnike oglasila Matej in Henrik. Matej je izkoristil bon, ki ga je dobil za darilo, Henrik si je tečaj privoščil sam. Oba pa z istim ciljem: spoznati skrivnosti bonsajizma. Po urici teorije in razbijanju običajnih mitov, ogledu zbirke bonsajev in vrhunskih jamadorijev, je sledilo praktično delo na kitajskih brinih. Natančnemu delu na malih drevesih se je v tem delu tokrat priključil tudi Raje. Več nas je, bolj je veselo! In čas je še hitreje minil ...

 

Matej and Henrik showed a lot of enthusiasm, patience and they enjoyed learning. I take work on this junipers as training for new talent contest at EBA convention in Germany this autumn, where I'll be representing Slovenia. In February I am planning a workshop for advanced students; there will be room for three students! 

Matej in Henrik sta pokazala veliko mero intuziazma, potrpežljivosti in z veseljem srkala znanje. Meni delo na teh brinih pride zelo prav kot trening za jesenski nastop na tekmovanju novih telentov v Nemčiji, kjer bom zastopal Slovenijo. V februarju načrtujem delavnico za izkušene bonsajiste, tako kot prejšnjo zimo, bo tudi tu prostora za tri študente!

NOELANDERS TROPHY

You can find so many photos and impressions on the internet already that is almost impossible to add something new about XII. Noelanders Trophy. I got great impressions. At the top level exhibition European yamadoris finally prevailed over the expensive imported trees! The winner also is a typical representative of the Alps - Pinus mugo. That's the way, Europe!

Na internetu je že toliko slik in vtisov o XII. Noelanders Trophyju, da je težko dodati kaj novega. Name je razstava naredila odličen vtis. Končno so na razstavi najvišjega nivoja prevladovali evropski jamadoriji in ne draga uvožena drevesa. Tudi zmagovalec je tipičen predstavnik Alp - ruševje. Tako se dela, Evropa!

SAMOBOR

Opening of new Tora's brunch in Samobor, Croatia, was a success. On invitation of Croatian bonsai club we, me together with Raje, prepared the school program; after a short lecture first session was dedicated to learning basic bonsai techniques. The group is homogeneous and hungry for knowledge, they are great bunch of guys, we look forward to meet them again. Next session will be in March. 

Tora je uspešno odprla svojo podružnico v Samoboru na Hrvaškem. Na povabilo Hrvatskega bonsai kluba sva z Rajetom pripravila program šolanja; prvo srečanje je minilo ob uvodnem predavanju in učenju osnovnih tehnik. Skupina je homogena in lačna znanja, fantje so krasna družba, veselimo se nadaljnega druženja. Na drugi delavnici se bomo srečali že marca.

Most of the students are total beginners, they meet the real bonsai for the first time. And so was the material. Immediately they figured out that you can't learn just from books and internet. Interesting is the fact that total beginners had less problems with learning the right wiring technique then the guys with some experience had. It is hard to explain how to do it to someone who think that he knows how to wire. He must forget his technique and start to learn form the beginning. Total beginners don't have that problem.

Večina študentov je popolnih začetnikov, ki so se prvič v živo spoznali s pravim bonsajem. In takšen je bil tudi material. Takoj so ugotovili, da se samo iz knjig in interneta res ne da veliko naučiti. Zanimivo je dejstvo, da so popolni začetniki hitreje osvojili pravilno tehniko žičenja, ki smo ji dajali največji poudarek, kot tisti, ki so že imeli nekaj izkušenj z drevesi. Nekomu, ki misli, da žičenje že obvlada, je težko razložiti, kako in kaj, da naj pozabi na svojo tehniko in se loti učenja na novo, med tem ko tisti brez "predznanja" te težave nimajo.

For group in Samobor there is a lot of work still waiting. But now they got the way which can lead them forward with big steps. They have a lot of will and enthusiasm! I am looking forward to meet them again! 

S skupino v Samoboru naju čaka ogromno dela. Toda zdaj imajo pred sabo pot, po kateri lahko napredujejo z velikimi koraki. Volje, zagnanosti in intuziazma jim ne manjka. Se že veselim naslednjega srečanja!

NATAŠA

Natasha is one of my students, she soaks bonsaizm in with her heart and soul. Here is no middle way; when people come to basic workshop there are only two options: they figured out that this is not for them and never come back or they are completely overwhelmed by art. Yes, Natasha is among latest. She wants to learn all about bonsaizm, she wants to know all secrets of this beautiful art. She is also prepared to invest her time and resources into it. And she is in the right way.

Nataša je ena od mojih študentk, ki bonsajizem vpija z srcem in dušo. V bnonsajizmu pravzaprav ni srednje poti; ko pridejo ljudje na tečaj za začetnike ostaneta samo dve možnosti: ali ugotovijo, da to ni zanje in jih ni več na spregled, ali pa jih umetnost popolnoma prevzame. Da, tako je, Nataša je med slednjimi. Bonsajizem hoče spoznati do obisti, se vpeljati v vse skrivnosti te lepe umetnosti in pripravljena je v to vložiti svoj čas in seveda, brez tega ne gre, tudi sredstva. In je na pravi poti.

This time we concentrated on itoigawa juniper, it was cultivated to became a beautiful bonsai someday. Twisted trunk, dense crown, a lot of possibilities. Dead wood, the contrast between white and dark, ying and yang must take the main role here.

Tokrat sva se posvetila delu na itoigavi, od mladosti vzgajanem zato, da nekoč postane lep bonsaj. Zavito deblo, bogata krošnja, veliko možnosti. Mrtev les, kontrast med belim in temnim, jingom in jangom mora tu prevzeti osrednjo vlogo.

Natasha did a step forward. She can prepare a brunch for wiring, she can wire a brunch in right way, she got a new nice experience. And she is now owner of a little tree which will gain on quality from year to year, this was only the first shaping!

Nataša je napravila korak naprej. Samostojno pripravi vejo na žičenje, jo pravilno ožiči, za njo je nova lepa izkušnja. In postala je lastnica drevesca, ki bo z leta v leto pridobival na kvaliteti, kajti to je bilo šele prvo oblikovanje! 

P.S.: Meanwhile Raje is dreaming about winning the Noelanders trophy ... ;-)  His great Camaecyparis will be this year's TORA contribution to the Noelanders Trophy.

P.S.: Med tem Raje sanja o osvojitvi pokala Noelanders ... ;-) Njegova krasna pacipresa je letošni Torin prispevek k Noelanders Trophyju.

LEV

From last night even members of Lions club Ljubljana knows what is real bonsai. Lecture about bonsai art was a success. Their wonder at myth bustering lecture ended in enthusiasm. This is a clear evidence that we must take our job of spreading the knowledge very seriously.

Od sinoči tudi člani Lions kluba Ljubljana vedo, kaj je pravi bonsaj. Predavanje in predstavitev umetnosti članom je povsem uspela; njihovo čudenje ob razbijanju mitov, ki je na koncu prešlo v navdušenje, je jasen dokaz, da moramo nalogo širjenja znanja jemati zelo resno.

Lectures, demonstrations, learning those who want to, even though they are not so prestigious society as last night, gives me a great joy and satisfaction. And calendar is filling out nicely ...

Predavanja, demonstracije, učenje uka željnih, pa čeprav ne gre za tako prestižno družbo, kot je bila sinočnja, mi je vedno bolj v veselje in zadovoljstvo. Koledar pa se lepo polni ...