Pictures from Mid_america Bonsai Show

treebeard55 · 08-21-2009, 08:22 PM

Here are some pictures from the 32nd annual Mid-America Bonsai Show in Chicago, last weekend. I'll post more in the next day or two.

The headliner for the event was Hiroshi Yamaji, a 2nd-generation bonsai grower and teacher from near Osaka, Japan. Altho I had never heard of him until a few months ago, I think he turned out to be a fine choice for the visiting master.

Saturday afternoon, Mr. Yamaji did a styling demonstration on this Austrian pine (Pinus nigra.) He first asked opinions from the audience; then he revealed what he had decided. His intentions were more ambitious than I had anticipated! I was glad of the chance to watch; it was the first time I'd ever seen this procedure in person.

His assistant, Steve Jetzer of Michigan, was chosen both for his bonsai skills and -- explicitly -- for his strength!

The blue material is veterinary bandage, made from a material called "coban" (TM?) Mr Yamaji said it would have to stay in place for three years while the bark re-grows.

treebeard55 · 08-22-2009, 05:38 PM

Here are pictures, two each, of the Best of Show and the Best Professional, from the Mid-America Bonsai Show.

The Best of Show is a Korean hornbeam, owned and styled by Jack Fried. Be aware that my pictures don't do this tree justice; sorry.

Best professional is a trident maple, owned and styled by Matt Ouwinga of Kaede Bonsai in the Chicago area. I tweaked the lighting a little in the second picture, and certain features show up better in one picture, others in the other.

treebeard55 · 08-22-2009, 08:18 PM

Here are pictures of few more of the trees in the exhibit at the Mid-America Bonsai Show.

treebeard55 · 08-22-2009, 09:44 PM

Saturday morning, Mr. Yamaji held a Styling and Refinement workshop, which is the one I always try to take. Here are a couple of pictures of him working on different trees; and before-and-after pictures of the Colorado spruce I took to this workshop.

treebeard55 · 08-22-2009, 09:48 PM

Every year, we take pictures at the overlook near the statue of "The Botanist." We've been doing this since my daughter (nmoor1 here) was three weeks old.

So, in closing ...

centaura · 08-24-2009, 07:21 AM

Thanks for the pics treebeard, I have been starting a photo archive for the Midwest Bonsai Society and have been collecting folks' pics. This year I'm going to be sending some of the best ones from the show off to ABS for an article that they'd like to do on our show. Since their show was canceled this year - we hosted their annual board meeting at our show. It was the first time that some of them had ever been to our show, and they were very impressed.

One "bragging" note on the second picture from your third post - the one you have labeled "Euonymus, well styled". First off, its a Carissa macrocarpa - Natal Plum. Second (the bragging part), that tree has been invited to be shown at the Shohin Symposium in Rochester, NY this year -Valvanis' annual symposium at the International Bonsai Arboretum. The tree measures exactly 10" from rim of pot to top of tree. I only wish that the tree looked as good in photographs as it does in real life. Ah well. I'm trying to get it to flower for the show in Rochester - keep your fingers crossed! Natal plums need to get a little leggy to flower, and I think I have some branches that are long enough that they might throw flowers. I normally keep this one trimmed too much for it to flower, so we'll see if I have enough time yet this summer to "encourage it".

Otherwise, thanks for the photos,

-Centaura

centaura · 08-24-2009, 07:37 AM

Also - what treebeard didn't mention - the 1st Place Professional tree was a shohin tree. Gave us a bit of a challenge showing it in the tokanoma, since it was so tiny, but thankfully we had some blocks that we could use to prop it up. The best of show tree and the 1st place professional are displayed every year in a tokanoma that was hand made for our show, and which is taken down and stored each year. We also used blocks to prop up the best of show, to display it at eye level.

-Centaura

treebeard55 · 08-24-2009, 04:38 PM

Centaura, sorry about the misnaming. Thanks for the correction, and the further info about the tokonoma display.

And congratulations on being invited to show your tree in Rochester!

Ml_work · 08-24-2009, 10:23 PM

Thanks for the pictures TreeBeard, they are nice. But I know being there was great.
Keep LOOkin Up!
Michael

centaura · 08-27-2009, 12:07 PM

No worries - I know how hard it can be sometimes to go back over pictures and try to figure out what species they are. At lot of times I'll take a quick photo of the tag or sign that's with a tree, so I can identify it later. Gotta love digital cameras where you can take such "junk" shots and not have to waste film printing them!

That tokanoma only comes out of storage once a year, for the August show. It was hand built by the guy with the beard in your very first photo - he's a custom woodcrafter. Our set-up for that show is a two day affair - one day to get the room ready (club members do all the table arranging and skirting, put the screens in, fetch and assemble the tokanoma, etc). Day two is unloading vendors, setting up the information table and then tree registration and setting out. Its a lot of work, but worth it for the quality of show it is.

Thanks for the congrats - I was really flattered when he offered the invitation. That was one of the best compliments that a tree of mine has every received.

-Centaura

08-24-2009, 07:21 AM	#6 (permalink)
centaura Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: South Bend, IN Posts: 334	Thanks for the pics treebeard, I have been starting a photo archive for the Midwest Bonsai Society and have been collecting folks' pics. This year I'm going to be sending some of the best ones from the show off to ABS for an article that they'd like to do on our show. Since their show was canceled this year - we hosted their annual board meeting at our show. It was the first time that some of them had ever been to our show, and they were very impressed. One "bragging" note on the second picture from your third post - the one you have labeled "Euonymus, well styled". First off, its a Carissa macrocarpa - Natal Plum. Second (the bragging part), that tree has been invited to be shown at the Shohin Symposium in Rochester, NY this year -Valvanis' annual symposium at the International Bonsai Arboretum. The tree measures exactly 10" from rim of pot to top of tree. I only wish that the tree looked as good in photographs as it does in real life. Ah well. I'm trying to get it to flower for the show in Rochester - keep your fingers crossed! Natal plums need to get a little leggy to flower, and I think I have some branches that are long enough that they might throw flowers. I normally keep this one trimmed too much for it to flower, so we'll see if I have enough time yet this summer to "encourage it". Otherwise, thanks for the photos, -Centaura Last edited by centaura; 08-24-2009 at 07:24 AM..

08-24-2009, 04:38 PM	#8 (permalink)
treebeard55 Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Warsaw IN, USA USDA zone 5b Posts: 511	Centaura, sorry about the misnaming. Thanks for the correction, and the further info about the tokonoma display. And congratulations on being invited to show your tree in Rochester! __________________ Treebeard 55 Steve Moore http://hoosierbonsai.blogspot.com The most important bonsai tool is your brain.

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08-24-2009, 10:23 PM	#9 (permalink)
Ml_work Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 277	Thanks for the pictures TreeBeard, they are nice. But I know being there was great. Keep LOOkin Up! Michael

08-27-2009, 12:07 PM	#10 (permalink)
centaura Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: South Bend, IN Posts: 334	No worries - I know how hard it can be sometimes to go back over pictures and try to figure out what species they are. At lot of times I'll take a quick photo of the tag or sign that's with a tree, so I can identify it later. Gotta love digital cameras where you can take such "junk" shots and not have to waste film printing them! That tokanoma only comes out of storage once a year, for the August show. It was hand built by the guy with the beard in your very first photo - he's a custom woodcrafter. Our set-up for that show is a two day affair - one day to get the room ready (club members do all the table arranging and skirting, put the screens in, fetch and assemble the tokanoma, etc). Day two is unloading vendors, setting up the information table and then tree registration and setting out. Its a lot of work, but worth it for the quality of show it is. Thanks for the congrats - I was really flattered when he offered the invitation. That was one of the best compliments that a tree of mine has every received. -Centaura

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