Looking back….we can tell a tree’s story…..admire an image…..capture a moment…..remember a special event…..be inspired – to create a memory for tomorrow.
I hope you enjoy this regular peep into some of John’s bonsai history.
Memory Lane – Newstead One 2004 – A professional view (Part One)
We moved our bonsai nursery into Newstead in April 2003 and in September 2004 we undertook our first Newstead Bonsai Extravaganza.
I invited people from all over the country to submit their trees in addition to my own students. I was not disappointed. I don’t mind admitting that I shed a tear or two as setting up was completed around 5.30 pm on the Friday. The resulting exhibition was greater than anything I could ever have dreamed of.
I could not believe what everyone had done for me. My team of students worked tirelessly to organise and supervise the event. The exhibitors trees were so much better than the pictures they submitted and the lengths they went to in order to display their trees at their best was truly amazing.
With total natural lighting throughout, a clean clear backdrop, and wide open spaces between the exhibition benches, there is no better way to display top quality bonsai. This exhibition raised the bar and set a high benchmark not only for us to follow but for all future bonsai exhibitions in this country.
We were very fortunate to have professional photographer Paul Goff of Bonsai Presentations with us over the weekend. Paul is a very talented artist in every sense of the word. Whether it be as a bonsai artist working on his trees, photographing them, or painting scrolls to help display them. His lectures on both bonsai photography and bonsai display are first class.
In both this and a subsequent blog we will feature some of Paul’s photographs taken over the weekend and remenisse about a wonderful bonsai event.
I created a garden area especially for the weekend to display some of my own trees. It came with well stocked fish pond and a tea house containing the silhouette of a Japanese lady!!! Our first Newstead award trophy was created from a design based on my Taxus Cuspidata.
Demonstrations and workshops at this event were provided by my good friend Danny Use of Belgium assisted by Peter Foele.
Keep a look out for part two where we will feature some of Paul’s photographs of individual trees.