B B S S L V V P.O. Box 1684, Bethlehem, PA Message From the President

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1 Bonsai Times Bonsai Society of the Lehigh Valley B B S S L V V P.O. Box 1684, Bethlehem, PA October, 2009 When we want to understand something, we cannot just stand outside and observe it. We have to enter deeply into it and be one with it in order to really understand it... In Buddhism, we call this kind of understanding non-duality, or not two. Thich Nhat Hanh Message From the President I hope everyone has had a great summer. I don t remember having so many weeds to pull. The time saved not having to water every day was spent weeding the bonsai as well as the yard. An election year is once again upon us and we will finalize nominations at our October meeting with the final election being held in November. Recognizing the challenge in recruiting members, I hope this year you will find the time to participate on our board. Over the years the board has provided us with outstanding programs and guest speakers. Only with your help and support can we ensure that the BSLV will continue to be successful! We are in need of candidates for VP and Treasurer /Secretary. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the current board for its hard work and dedication to BSLV and the art of bonsai. See you at the next meeting. Jim Don Graham admires Roger Krauss s tree styled during a demo at the annual BSLV picnic. More info on page 3. BSLV BOARD President: Jim Heacock Vice President: Jack Kane Secretary/ Treasurer: Joseph Sauer Program/Education: Jim Gillespie Newsletter: Linda Kondikoff Director: Greg Krause Director: Roger Krauss Director: Paul Landis Past President: Dave Tettemer

2 BSLVBYO Note: Photos of BSLV members bonsai have been added to our website Gallery They can be viewed at 2

3 Annual Picnic & Auction The BSLV s Annual Picnic & Auction was held on June 13. Thirty-four people attended the event this year. Once again, we were treated to Mike Fulmer s grillin and enjoyed an array of side dishes and desserts brought by members and their families. Pre-auction entertainment was provided by crack (sorry, Dave, I just couldn t resist) bonsai artist Dave Tettemer and Roger I Just Look for the Ugly Things and Get Rid of Them Krauss. They each styled a cherry tree as the audience added commentary, teased and jeered. Roger suggested that whenever we face a dilemma, whether it be during a bonsai styling session or in our personal life, the best thing to do is to set the problem on the shelf and go have lunch. Good advice, Rog! Roger chose a traditional route as he styled his tree. To reach his design goal, Dave decided to take a more aggressive approach and bent a branch to the extreme. Though it didn t work out, we all admired his attempt to create a dramatic bend. Hey, sometimes you have to take some chances when you are creating art! Don Graham, who at one point made us all uneasy when he threatened to sing, won one tree and Jack Kane won the other. The lively Jim Gillespie did a fantastic auctioneering job. He always keeps us laughing and learning with the informational descriptions he offers. The rains came towards the end of the day but no one seemed to care. Thanks go to Roger for running for/delivering/returning the tent and for helping Jim G., Jim K. and me to set it up. Thanks to Mike and Jolleen for buying and preparing the food. Linda Brant and our treasurer Joe Sauer kept track of the money...thanks to you both! We certainly appreciated Jim Brant and Dave Tettemer running back and forth delivering auction items so we could all sit there and relax. We appreciate everyone who brought a dish to share and those who helped to organize this fun day. Some Bonsai Postal Stamps

4 Pauline Muth and Bill Valavanis at February and May meetings Photos courtesy of Joe Sauer. Forests from the Muth Demo and Workshop Photos courtesy of Jim Gillespie Bob Ruhe shows his finished forest from the workshop and raffle winner Paul Landis poses with his prize from the lecture demo

5 BSLV Show at the Wildlands Conservancy Fifteen BSLV members exhibited 25 trees at our first exhibit at the Wildlands Conservancy. They were Joe Sauer, Mike Harris, Greg Krause, Jack Kane, Roger Krauss, Stan Harwick, Jim Heacock, Dave Tettemer, Jim Brant, Linda Brant, Don Graham, Jim Gillespie, Jean Kessler, Linda Kondikoff, and Ken Tietjens. The People s Choice Award and a $50.00 gift certificate to Sho Fu En Bonsai went to Dave Tettemer for his Dwarf Alberta Spruce forest. 2nd Place and a $35.00 gift certificate went to Jim Brant for his Japanese Maple clump. Photos courtesy of Jim Gillespie Honorable Mentions were awarded to Roger Krauss for his Chinese Corkbark Elm, Jim Heacock for his Azalea and Jim Brant for his twin trunk American Larch. Many thanks to the organizers, the setteruppers and the sitters who each put in several hours to make this exhibit possible. A special nod to the furry friends who put their individual differences aside and stood guard together. 5

6 BSLV 2009 Fall Semester All meetings are held at the Bethlehem Area Vocational-Technical School at 7:30 pm unless otherwise noted. In case of inclement weather, please call Joe or Roger Note: No smoking anywhere on BAVTS campus! September 22 (Tuesday) Bonsai Group Critique Refined or advanced nursery stock submitted for suggestions by everyone with intention of preparing for spring show at the Wildlands Conservancy October 27 (Tuesday) BYO Workshop Continuation of September meeting. Refine your tree as suggested or bring new material to work on. November 17 (Tuesday) Bonsai Pot Artist Ceramicist Ron Lang from Reedsville, PA, will give a Power Point lecture on creating a bonsai pot from start to firing in his wood-fired kiln. Other ceramic items will be covered as well. One of Ron s bonsai pots will be raffled off at the conclusion of the program and he will have additional pots for sale. Ron Lang Bio Ron Lang was the head of the Ceramics Program at Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore from 1979 until his recent retirement. The majority of his work had always been sculptural until recently when he returned to making containers for his bonsai trees, an art which he had been practicing for 25 years. Ron organized and curated a controversial exhibit at the National Arboretum, Washington, DC, entitled, Bonsai insites that combined work of ceramic artists with that of bonsai artists. His awards include 2nd Place for Most Creative Western Formal Display at the st National Bonsai Exhibit in Rochester, NY. Ron was also a finalist in the Non-traditional Category at the 1st North American Bonsai Container Competition 2001 for the National Bonsai Foundation. He also nabbed 1st place in the Non-traditional category at the 2nd North American Bonsai Container Competition 2002 for the National Bonsai Foundation. Visit Ron s website at January 19 (Tuesday) Tentative date for BSLV Annual Banquet at either Sakura Chinese Buffet OR Hunan Springs Chinese Restaurant. Snow date: January 26 (Tuesday) More information to come. "A bonsai lover, when he reaches old age, often finds it impossible to have a moment's happiness without the companionship of bonsai. While eating, he must have bonsai on or by the table. When calling on a friend, he will take a pocket bonsai or two so that he may show them off. At night, he will put his favourites by his bed and go to sleep only after looking at them long and lovingly. Then he will dream of bonsai, dream of his pet trees appearing in ideal forms! With such a person as this, love of bonsai becomes life itself. So great is the power of bonsai to charm and possess the mind." (Nozaki, Shinobu Dwarf Trees ( Bonsai ); Tōkyō: Sanseidō Company, Ltd.; 1940, pg. 47).

7 BONSAI-RELATED EVENTS..compiled by Jim Gillespie Contact Jim at or for more information Jim inspecting a styled tree at MidAtlantic September International Bonsai Symposium, Rochester, NY, Shohin Bonsai, registration September Autumn Ikebana Exhibit, National Arboretum, Washington, DC, 10 am- 4pm, free September 26-November 29 Autumn Arts of Nature, National Arboretum, Washington, DC, featuring Kusamono, Bonsai/Penjing in fall fruit & foliage and Chrysanthemums, 10am- 4pm, free October 1-4 Pacific Northwest Bonsai Clubs Association Convention XX, Bonsai Without Borders, Victoria, BC, Canada, registration October 2-4 Lang Bonsai Containers Fall Kiln Opening Sale and Workshops, Reedsville, PA registration October 9-December 28 Bonsai, Living Art of Central Pennsylvania Bonsai Clubs, Hershey Gardens, Hershey, PA admission October th Annual Carolina Bonsai Expo, North Carolina Arboretum, Ashville, NC, exhibit, vendors, demos free October 16-November 1 Yama Ki Bonsai Society Exhibit and Kiku-Art of Japanese Chrysanthemum, NY Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY admission October 17 Nature s Way Open House, Harrisburg, PA with David Easterbrook from Montreal Botanic Gardens, 9am-5pm, free International Bonsai Tours: WNV@internationalbonsai.com $$$ Taiwan-Asia Pacific Bonsai & Suiseki Convention October 29-November 6 Kyoto, Japan-Taikan-ten November Tokyo, Japan-Kokofu-ten February 8-15, 2010 (Bonsai-related Events continued on page 9) 7

8 Member Steve Ripper is back in action after his accident and has designed and constructed these two garden items. Nice work, Steve! BSLV DUES $40.00/ individual $45.00/ family (still a bargain!) Experience Art in Nature Benefits include: B S L V Jim Gillespie 3183 Pine Rd. Danielsville, PA (610) jagill@verizon.net -Educational Programs & Workshops -International Speakers -Newsletters -BSLV Website -10% Discount on Sho Fu En Merchandise -Auction/Picnic -Annual Banquet 8

9 BONSAI-RELATED EVENTS, CONTINUED November 4-8 Golden States Bonsai Federation: Convention XXXII, Riverside, CA, A Southwest Bonsai Journey registration November 6-8 & Rosade Bonsai Studio, New Hope, Pa, Visiting Masters s Series with Salvatore Liporace from Italy fee $$ November 7 & 8 Brandywine Bonsai Society Annual Exhibit, bonsai and viewing stones, Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, PA, 9am-5pm admission December 5-20 Winter Silhouettes, National Arboretum, Washington, DC, 10am-4pm free December 20-February 22 Winter, Anticipating Spring : Potomac Viewing Stone Group Exhibit, National Arboretum, Washington, DC, 10am-4pm free January 1-June 17, 2010 Eternal Rhythms: Seasons & Time : Exhibit of North American Viewing Stones from James and Alice Greaves Collection, National Arboretum, Washington, DC, 10am-4pm free February 5-7, 2010 California Shohin Society Seminar, Santa Nella, CA registration PLAN AHEAD.. MidAtlantic Bonsai Societies 27th Spring Festival April Hudson Valley Resort and Spa Kerhonkson, NY Featuring: Charles Ceronio-South Africa Michele Andolfo-Italy Michel Phaneuf-Quebec, Canada Forms available Dec/Jan 9

10 BONSAI SOCIETY OF THE LEHIGH VALLEY c/o Linda Kondikoff 2135 E. Scenic Drive Bath, PA Bonsai Times