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 – Bonsai Companions Newstead Two September 2006(Part one)
In the very old days of bonsai shows in the UK trees were often displayed on their own, with no table, no kusamono and certainly no scrolls. Often trees would simply be placed in rows on cloth covered tables.
Over the years the art of bonsai display has grown considerably. At all our Newstead shows we insisted on each tree having some form of table or plinth and an accompaniment such as an accent plant. Scrolls were optional.
Bonsai artists and enthusiasts all over Europe now go to enormous lengths to be innovative and inspiring when exhibiting their trees in major exhibitions. Even club displays at local events now embrace serious thoughts and ideas on bonsai presentation.
I still maintain that the tree should always be the main centre of attention but some of the overall displays are simply amazing. They help to capture the imagination of both fellow enthusiasts and the general public.
The pictures below give you some idea of the wide variety of bonsai companions that appeared in our second bonsai extravaganza held in the autumn of 2006. From horses and stags to birds and frogs, viewing stones and traditional flowering kusamono they attracted a lot of interest and compliments. I hope you will be inspired the next time you exhibit your favourite tree.
