BONSAI SLOVAKIA 2011

It was a wonderful weekend in Nitra, Slovakia. Olena and Vladimir Ondrejčik showed once again how great hosts they are. They organized exhibition Bonsai Slovakia for 14th time and invited bonsaists from all over the world. Bonsai Slovakia is more then ordinary exhibition, it is gathering of friends and exploring tastes. I am glad that I was part of this for second time; me and Raje were demonstrating in Friday.

Za mano je čudovit konec tedna v Nitri na Slovaškem. Olena in Vladimir Ondrejčik sta znova dokazala, da sta izjemna gostitelja. Že 14-ič sta organizirala razstavo Bonsai Slovakia in nanjo povabila bonsajiste z vsega sveta. Bonsai Slovakia je več kot običajna razstava, je druženje prijateljev in raziskovanje okusov. Vesel sem, da sem bil lahko že drugič del te družbe; z Rajetom sva demonstrirala v petek.

Nitra still has some socialistic wounds, but here and there you can find some pearl from the past. Fortified Basilica on the hill in old town is one of them. The interior is beautifully decorated, the true feast for the eyes and soul.

Nitri se še poznajo socialistične rane, toda tu in tam se le najde tudi kakšen biser iz preteklosti. Eden teh je gotovo utrjena bazilika na hribu v starem delu mesta. Notranjost je čudovito okrašena, prava paša za oči in dušo.

Me and Raje were representing Slovenia. There were also bonsaists from Slovakia, Venezuela, Colombia, Poland, Brazilia, Denmark, Lithuania, UK and more. We were on stage in Friday, together with Corin Tomlinson from UK and nice couple from Poland - Jaczek & Marta Pietakiewicz. Interview with Corin, the son of well-known Harry Tomlinson, you have one of his books for sure, will be published in next Literati. We were enjoying the demonstration and we were satisfied with result.

Z Rajetom sva torej na razstavi predstavljala Slovenijo. Tu so bili še bonsajisti iz Slovaške, Venezuele, Kolumbije, Poljske, Brazilije, Danske, Litve, Velike Britanije pa še koga sem najbrž pozabil. Z Rajetom sva si v petek delila oder s Corinom Tomlinsonom iz Velike Britanije in simpatičnim zakonskim parom Jaczek & Marta Pietakiewicz iz Poljske. Intervju s Corinom Tomlinsonom, sinom znanega Harryja Tomlinsona, gotovo imate kakšno od njegovih knjig, bo objavljen v naslednji številki Literata. Midva sva uživala, z rezultatom demonstracije sva bila zadovoljna.

"Are you serious?!"

"Saj ne misliš resno!?"

Many demos are one of the attraction of exhibition in Nitra. You can see many different demonstrators, with many different styles, materials, knowledge. Unfortunately, the audience is a bit too reserved and there is no real interaction. So more time is left for the work! We missed Thursday demonstrations, but here are all others:

Prav številne demonstracije so ena od privlačnosti razstave v Nitri. Na odru se zvrstijo različni demonstratorji z različnimi slogi, materijali, znanjem. Žal je publika nekoliko preveč zadržana in ni prave interakcije. Je pa zato več časa za delo! Žal sva z Rajetom zamudila četrtkove demonstracije, zato pa so tu ostali:

Karim Alfaro,Venezuela

Exhibition is open for all, there is no selection. So, you can see beginners-trees, but also some masterpieces. All together more then 300 trees. Everybody can find something for himself ...

Razstava je odprta za vse, brez selekcije. Zato so na ogled drevesa začetnikov, pa tudi mojstrovine. Vsega skupaj več kot 300 dreves! Vsak najde kaj zase ...

Pinus sylvestris by Corin Tomlinson

Rdeči bor Corina Tomlinsona

Even though without table - the best tree of exhibition was this Olea europea by Jana Jandaskova

Čeprav slabo predstavljena (brez mizice in spremljevalne rastline) je bila za najboljše drevo izbrana oljka Jane Jandaskove

Pinus penthafylla by Piotr Cherniakowski was also awarded

Nagrajen je bil tudi beli bor Piotra Cherniakowskega

Even suiseki-lovers find something for themselves.

Na svoj račun so prišli tudi ljubitelji suisekijev.

Bonsai Slovakia is also about pots, a lot of beautiful pots and above all tea. Magic evening in tea-house of Ondrejčik family is always something special ...

Bonsa Slovakia pa so tudi posode, veliko lepih posod in predvsem čaj. Čarobni večer v čajnici Ondrejčikovih je vedno nekaj posebnega ...

Olena, Vladimir and all new and old friends - thank you again for wonderful weekend!

Olena, Vladimir in vsi novi in stari prijatelji, še enkrat hvala za čudovit konec tedna!

RDEČI

Dejan was intending a basic course a year ago, now he was back to re-pot his little spruce. So, Dejan has passed a test - he was taking care of a tree successfully for one year! Now is time for buying a better material. To my great joy he buy a red pine ;-)! In Monday small group of my students gathered together at my place (desperately need a bigger working place!). Natasha and Joze helped Dejan with work on his pine. All three together were cutting needles, but the job was not done until dusk. This was one really bushy pine! We have only enough time left to wire the first branch.

Dejan je bil na začetnem tečaju pred letom dni, zdaj se je z smrekico s tistega tečaja oglasil za presajanje. Dejan je torej opravil test - eno leto je uspešno skrbel za drevo! Čas za nakup boljšega materijala. Na moje veliko veselje se je odločil za rdeči bor ;-) ! V ponedeljek se je pri meni zbrala četica učencev (definitivno potrebujem večjo delavnico!). Dejanu sta se pri delu na njegovem boru pridružila še Nataša in Jože. Trije so se spravili na čiščenje iglic, a ga do mraka komaj spravili v red. Tako zelo zaraščenega bora že dolgo nisem videl! Le še za ožičenje prve veje nam je ostal čas.

Dejan and me continued the work in Tuesday evening and finished it in three more hours. In between we listened to comments like we ruined the nice tree, but in the end this comments disappeared ... Dejan is now a happy owner of first good bonsai! If the tree had a nice nebari, then it would be a great one. But nevertheless the makeover is outstanding.  

Z Dejanom sva potem delo nadaljevala v torek zvečer in v treh urah dokončala delo. Vmes sva sicer poslušala pripombe, da sva prej lepo drevo uničila, a na koncu teh pripomb seveda ni bilo več. Dejan se lahko veseli svojega prvega resnejšega bonsaja! Če bi drevo imelo še spodoben nebari, potem mu pravzaprav ne bi manjkalo nič več. A kljub temu je preobrazba izjemna. 

Before ... 

After

Today it was time for yamadori-hunting. Tomorrow me and Raje will be traveling to Nitra, Slovakia, we are invited there as demonstrators.

Danes je bil čas za lov na jamadorije. Jutri sva z Rajetom na poti v Nitro, na Slovaško, kjer bova nastopila kot demonstratorja.

BELI

Ales is animal lover, he likes all beautiful things. In recent years he is successfully raising Japanese carps, known as koi. Looking in his pond is something special ... Along koi one must have also one or two bonsais and Ales bought him self two of classical Japanese species - Acer palmatum and Pinus pentaphylla. Ales is not my student, he is more like a customer but more than that. He can grows his trees properly, they are in excellent condition. He needs my help only occasionally, for re-potting, or as this time for shaping a white pine which was starting to overgrow its shape. So, we started to work, Jakob meanwhile enjoyed a pond full of koi carps.  

Aleš je ljubitelj živali in vsega lepega. V zadnjih letih se uspešno ukvarja z gojenjem japonskih krapov koi, pogled v njegov ribnik je res nekaj posebnega ... H kojem seveda sodi tudi kak bonsai ali dva in Aleš si je pred leti privoščil bonsaja klasičnih japonskih vrst - javorja in belega bora. Aleš ni moj učenec, je prej stranka, a vseeono več kot to, saj zna skrbeti za svoja drevesa tako, da so v izvrstni formi. Mojo pomoč potrebuje le tu in tam, za presaditev, ali pa kot tokrat za urejanje belega bora, ki je že začel izgubljati obliko. In med tem, ko je Jakob užival ob ribniku, sva se midva lotila dela na boru.

First two hours of thinning of crown, then all together six hours of wiring, more then enough work for two days. But on such strong, healthy trees work is clear pleasure. In the end some cleaning of nebari overgrown by moss, the rest will be done by Ales. Pine is ready for admiration of all who will be tired of playful koi carps in nearby pond ... 

Najprej dve uri čiščenja in redčenja krošnje, potem pa še skupaj šest ur žičenja, dela za dva dni več kot dovolj. A na takšnih, močnih, zdravih drevesih je užitek delati. Na koncu še malo čiščenja z mahom poraščenega nebarija, za vse ostalo bo poskrbel Aleš. Bor je spet pripravljen na občudovanje vseh, ki se bodo naveličali razigranih kojev v bližnjem ribniku ... 

TORNADO

Pinus which I find this winter in known location is finally home. Now in the pot It is looking even better that I expected. Extraordinary movement for red pine, It is wound like tornado! Goofiest yamadori I've ever seen! If It will survive, it will be a great, even a first class literati!

Bor, ki sem ga na znanem lovišču našel letos pozimi, je doma. V bistvu je v posodi še boljši, kot sem mislil. Izjemno gibanje za rdeči bor, navit je kot tornado! Totalno odbit jamadori! Če preživi, bo to odličen, kaj odličen, vrhunski literati!

JAMI

We, Raje and me, moved all yamadoris which are a year or more in pot and which are hungry for sun to a new location. The trees are better visible here. If you are looking for top class material - welcome!

Z Rajetom sva jamadorije, ki so v posodi leto ali več in si želijo sonca, preselila na novo lokacijo. Tu so bolje vidni in bolj padejo v oči. Če iščete vrhunski materijal - vabljeni na ogled!

In the afternoon I finished wiring my azalea. In a year it did a big step forward, next spring I'll re-pot it into first bonsai pot. Until then new grafts will fill the empty space!

Popoldne sem do konca ožičil azalejo. V letu dni je napravila velik korak naprej, prihodnjo pomlad gre v prvo bonsajsko posodo. Do takrat bosta tudi cepiča že zapolnila prazen prostor!

2010

Today