PAR

New students are arriving, knowledge about bonsai is spreading. This is one of the basic missions of every bonsai-artist. This time Tatjana in Tomaž came in. Tatjana met the classical bonsai for the first time. She has one or two Ficus trees at home, but now she wanted to meet the "real" bonsai-art and to learn the basic techniques. Tatjana showed a great talent for wiring, she quickly learned the basic principles of wiring and she done her work excellently.

Novi učenci prihajajo, znanje o bonsaju se širi. To je eno od osnovnih poslanstev vsakega bonsajista. Tokrat sta na začetni tečaj prišla Tatjana in Tomaž. Tatjana se je s klasičnim bonsajem srečala prvič; doma ima sicer nekaj fikusov, toda zdaj si je zaželela spoznati "pravi" bonsajizem in spoznati osnovne tehnike. Tatjana je pokazala izjemen talent za žičenje, saj je princip žičenja kmalu dojela in delo opravila z odliko.

Tomaž has one Larix at home before, but because he didn't have enough knowledge the tree died. Now he takes the right way: first knowledge and then he will try to do it by himself. Because of lack of space he decided to work only with shohin bonsai. Nice - in Slovenia we don't have yet the specialist who will grow only the small trees. I had the right Larix for him - compact crown, a lot of dead wood. When working on bonsai you can not hurry. So, Tomaž came back to workshop at the evening. He realized that the tree is the boss. If the tree doesn't allow something, then it is so. We must adjust our plans with it!

Tomaž je doma že imel macesen, a mu je zaradi premalo znanja propadel. Zdaj se je odločil za pravilno pot: najprej nabiranje znanja, potem pa samostojni poskusi. Zaradi pomanjkanja prostora se je že vnaprej odločil, da se bo ukvarjal z šohini. Odlično - v Sloveniji še nimamo specialista, ki bi se ukvarjal samo z majhnimi derevsci. Na zalogi sem imel ravno pravšnji macesen - kompaktna krošnja, veliko suhega lesa. Ker se pri ukvarjanju z drevesom nikoli ne sme muditi, se je Tomaž v delavnico vrnil zvečer. Spoznal je, da ima drevo vedno zadnjo besedo. Če nečesa ne dovoli, pač ne dovoli. In naše načrte z njim je treba prilagoditi!

P.S.: If you want to book the lesion in TORA (basic or advanced workshop, long-term school) just call, also afternoon or evening lesions are available!

P.S.: Za rezerviranje terminov v šoli TORA (začetni in nadaljevalni tečaji, večmesečno šolanje) pokličite, možni so tudi popoldanski in večerni termini! 

KARAVANA GRE DALJE

Obviously, Wednesdays will become traditional days for sessions of TORA students. Last night we concentrated at two trees - Roland's juniper, his training material for NTC got nice basic line (cascade again :-) ), Miha worked on shari at his Chamaecyparis. 

Srede bodo očitno postale tradicionalni termin za srečanja skupine študentov v TORA. Sinoči smo se posvetili dvem drevesom - Rolandov brin, ki je trening materijal za pripravo na NTC, je dobil lepo osnovno linijo (ja, spet kaskada :-) ), Miha pa se je posvetil obdelavi šarija na pacipresi.

Roland's juniper has developed from bush to promising cascade material in just two sessions. As Roland pointed out: searching for and creating the basic line on the tree is the most important and needs time. From here shaping bonsai is just routine.  

Rolandov brin je po dveh delavnicah iz neuglednega grma napredoval v materijal, ki že kaže, da lahko iz njega nastane lepa kaskada. Kot je ugotovil Roland sam: iskanju in kreiranju osnovne linije na drevesu se splača posvetiti veliko časa. Od tu naprej je formiranje bonsaja zgolj rutina.

The basic line is set. From now on shaping is just a routine

Miha created a nice shari on his Chamaecyparis. He used the "shadow" technique. He was on fire! :-) Tomaž came in for inspection and he was obviously satisfied with result. Chamaecyparis will be wired and shaped in next sessions, and then it will be ready for exhibition.

Miha je s t.i. tehniko senc izdelal prepričljiv šari na svoji pacipresi. Tako zavzeto je delal, da se je kar kadilo! :-) V inšpekcijo je prišel tudi Tomaž in bil z rezultatom očitno zadovoljen! Pacipreso zdaj čaka podrobno žičenje in oblikovanje in pripravljena bo na razstavljanje.

He was on fire ...

 

P.S.: Used techniques: heavy bending with rafia and lever, fixing on extra rod, machine work on shari using "shadow technique.

P.S.: Uporabljene tehnike: močno krivljenje s pomočjo rafije in pomožnega vzvoda, fiksiranje na pomožno palico, strojno obdelovanje šarija s tehniko senc.

INTENZIVNO

Last night session with TORA group was obviously so intensive, that I forgot to take pictures. So, I can show you only the little Larix, Janez finished it yesterday. Photo is from this morning. Larix is nothing special, but is great material for learning. Janez was working mainly on wiring, because the tree has nice structure of branches. With smaller branches it was possible to build a compact and convincing crown. Janez did a good job! 

Sinočnje srečanje skupine TORA je bilo očitno tako intenzivno, da sem pozabil na fotografiranje. Pokažem lahko le mali macesen, ki ga je sinoči dokončal Janez in sem ga fotografiral danes zjutraj. Macesen ni nič posebnega, gre pa za odličen materijal za učenje. Janez se je dajal predvsem z žičenjem, saj je drevo zelo lepo razvejano, z vejami in vejicami pa je bilo moč zgraditi kompaktno in prepričljivo krošnjo. Janez je opravil dobro delo.

P.S.: Larix has only one problem, but about it we'll talk another time ;-)

P.P.S.: TORA sessions will continue when I'll come back from Belgrade ...

P.S.: Macesen ima zgolj eno pomankljivost, a o tej kdaj drugič ;-)

P.P.S.: S srečanji bomo nadaljevali po vrnitvi iz Beograda ... 

SPOZNAVNI VEČER

Workshop at new location (there is still a lot of work to do in it) official opened its door. Last night I invited four friends (students?), who expressed a wish to participate in this small group with big plans. We spent a few hours socializing and working on trees. Time will show if they all stay in the group, if they agree with my vision and way of work. We'll talk sincerely and without obligations. So, the group is born!

Delavnica na novi lokaciji (mimogrede: še veliko dela z urejanjem me čaka) je uradno odprla svoja vrata. Sinoči sem v goste povabil štiri prijatelje (učence?), ki so izrazili željo po sodelovanju v ožji skupini z velikimi načrti in nekaj uric smo preživeli ob neformalnem druženju in drevesih. Ali bodo vsi v skupini tudi ostali, se strinjali z mojo vizijo, pogledi in načinom dela, bo pokazal čas. Pogovarjali se bomo iskreno in brez obvez. Skratka, skupina je zaživela!

The door are opened, TORA school is working with full power, all who want to learn about bonsai are welcomed!

Vrata so torej odprta, Tora deluje s polno paro, vsi željni bonsajskega znanja ste vljudno vabljeni!

BONSAI-DO

It is time for a new beginning. Moving to new place was one of the most stressful thing in my life, nevertheless we survive! Things are getting normal, from day to day we enjoy a new environment more. Workshop is starting to emerge, garden is waiting for spring, little house is full of cracks but it fills so home ... Finally we ARE home!

Čas je, da začnemo na novo. Selitev je bila ena najbolj stresnih reči v mojem življenju, pa smo preživeli. Stvari se postavljajo v normalne okvirje, užitek v novem okolju je vsak dan večji. Delavnica dobiva prve obrise, vrt čaka na pomladno urejanje, hiška je polna razpok a tako zelo domača ... Končno smo doma.

There will be no lack of work in a next few years (more lack of money :-) ), but the potential we see in a new home is great. And that is important. House is full of surprising details. House with the soul. And it is in nature! The moon went to sleep when the new morning wake up at the river behind the house ...

Dela nekaj let ne bo zmanjkalo (veliko veliko prej denarja :-) ), toda pomemben je potencial, ki ga v novem domovanju vidimo. Ki kar naprej preseneča z izjemnimi detajli. Hiša z dušo. In v naravi! Luna je šla spat, ko se je na reki za hišo prebujalo novo jutro ...

P.S.: TORA school on a new location is ready. It is time for bonsai. Welcome!

P.S.: Tora na novi lokaciji je pripravljena. Čas je za bonsaje. Vabljeni!

PRVI KORAK

Tomaž and me, today we started a new bonsai story. One of his many Junipers started a new journey. It is a big, long material, with green mass far from trunk. Lower part of the trunk has an interesting movement, visible live veins and everything else that good bonsai must have, but upper part of the trunk is boring. So, our job in this first step was to compact the tree as much as we can.

S Tomažem sva danes načela novo bonsajsko zgodbo. Eden izmed številnih kitajskih brinov v njegovi zbirki je začel novo pot. Šlo je za velik, razpotegnjen materijal, z zelenjem daleč od debla. Spodnji del debla ima zanimivo gibanje, izrazite vene in sploh vse, kar morajo imeti "veliki", zgornji del pa je dokaj dolgočasen. Najina naloga je torej bila, da drevo v prvem koraku skušava čim bolj skompaktirati.

starting material

 

 

After cleaning and analyzing we created some jins and then decided which branch will take the role of the future crown. We did some heavy bending, helped by levers, rafia and guide-wire and finally we did it.

  

Po daljši analizi in čiščenju, nekaj ustvarejnih džinih, sva se odločila za vejo, ki naj bi prevzela vlogo prihodnje krošnje. Potrebno je bilo nekaj težavnega zvijanja, s pomočjo vzvodov, rafije in sidrnih žic je vendarle šlo.

Now the green mass is where we wanted it, future bonsai is starting to emerge. For the first step this is enough. Now the tree will rest for a few months before the next step will take part. The upper branch is there for reserve.

 

 

Zelen je je tam, kjer sva ga želela, bodoči bonsaj dobiva obrise. A za prvi korak je to dovolj. Pred naslednjim posegom bo drevo nekaj mesecev počivalo. Zgornja veja ostaja na drevesu kot rezerva.

In the next step, in the beginning of the summer, we'll shape the crown and new bonsai will be born. In two or three seasons the tree will be ready for re-potting into its final pot.

V naslednjem koraku, v zgodnjem poletju, bova krošnjo že lahko zdefinirala in rojen bo nov bonsaj. V dveh do treh sezonah pa bo drevo že pripravljeno na presajanje v svojo končno posodo.

BOŠTJAN

Boštjan was probably the last student at old location. For that reason alone he deserves attention ;-)

Boštjan je bil verjetno zadnji tečajnik, ki je šolanje opravil na stari lokaciji. Že zato si zasluži pozornost ;-) .

In January (maybe even sooner) we'll start at new location with new group!

V januarju (morda že prej) začnemo z novo skupino na novi lokaciji!