Bonsai Northwest Inc. Established:1973 A-19332L Newsletter September 2016 Next meeting at 7.30pm, Monday 5 September 2016. This month we ll be having a demonstration by one of our favourite and expert members, Hanh from Baloc Bonsai. Always on high demand at workshop nights for advice and help on member s trees, we will get a chance to see Hanh working on his bending techniques. The Library will be open from 7.00pm and will close at 8.00pm. The Sales table will be open. Club news and information Lock in the dates of November 5 & 6 for our clubs Spring Exhibition and Sales event. Hoping you all will be there to help setup, pack up and volunteer time over the weekend to support the club. Also we hope that you all start preparing your trees now to be displayed in the Exhibition area. Every member should strive to be displaying their trees in our exhibition as it s your club. We really need your help on the committee. If you are interested in helping with keeping the club strong, growing and providing a great experience for you then please consider nominating for the committee now. You only need to be passionate about helping the club continue to grow and prosper. See David or Barry to let them know you are interested and more information can be provided. Library News Sponsored by: OLOGY Vision of my Soul by Robert Steven, edited by Andy Rutledge. Softcover, 168 pages of beautiful colour photos and b&w drawings. This is not your basic clip, wire, pot and grow book, in fact there is very little cultivation subject matter at all. This is a book about art, particularly art in bonsai. The first section of the book deals with artistic principles; a discussion of art as it pertains to bonsai. It guides you through the basics of perspective, balance, harmony and other aspects of design. The gallery section beautifully portrays some of Robert's best creations and also some that are flawed. Both are used as examples, to explain the artistic goals and how and why some succeed and why some fail. Robert also provides remarkable sketches of thoughts and plans for the future of many of the bonsai shown. Robert Steven is one of the world's most daring and inventive bonsai artists and has put his heart and soul into this work. Like us on Facebook If you have a Facebook account, go to our new Facebook site and Like Us. http://www.facebook.com/bonsainorthwest Electronic Newsletter To receive your newsletter electronically email bonsainorthwest@hotmail.com Supplying specialist potting mix components for Bonsai growers. Currently in stock. Mount Sylvia Diatomite, Zeolite, 5-7mm Pine nuggets, Pumice and Sphagnum moss. Our aim is to save you time and money. Ology.net.au - Damian 0412 698 259 CLUB DETAILS www.bonsainorthwest.com.au PO Box 1091, Niddrie Victoria 3042 Meetings are held at The Aberfeldie Community Club, Batman St Essendon, 7:30pm on the first Monday of the month (no meeting in January) President: David Nassar Phone: Barry 0422 619 641 Find us on Facebook. Twitter: #BonsaiNorthwest
Seasonal Notes - Spring Spring is the most exciting time of the bonsai year. Trees come back to life with a burst of energy and promise. Buds open, leaves and shoots emerge. This is the busiest time of the bonsai year and there is much to do. Repotting: Repot trees. Repotting of deciduous trees may have been completed from mid-august to mid- September. If the trees have already burst into new leaf, wait until the new growth hardens or wait until next year before repotting. Repot flowering trees after flowering. Australian Natives are best repotted prior to a growth spurt, when the tree is dormant. Repot and prepare accent plants. Also, this is the best time for the creation of new bonsai. Pruning: Trim trees in full leaf to maintain shape, reduce internode length and increase ramification. For broadleaf and deciduous trees, cut back to 1 or 2 leaves. Finger-tip prune conifers. Wiring can be done at this time, but do not wire too tightly. Check wire on trees regularly, as trunk and branches expand rapidly in spring. Watering: Due to the warmer weather, increase the regularity of watering. Check each tree in your collection individually, daily. But you may not water every tree every time you water. Trees in leaf will use water more rapidly than those still dormant. Newly rootpruned trees will not dry out as quickly. Also, the weather is very changeable at this time. Fertilising: With all the new growth on your trees and the more frequent watering, fertilise regularly. The more you water, the more nutrients are leached from the soil, so fertilise on a fortnightly basis. (Don t fertilise newly potted trees for 6-8 weeks after repotting). Never use fertiliser at a stronger rate than recommended or it will burn the roots and kill the tree. Fertilise regularly and fairly frequently in small, weak doses (ie, ½ strength, fortnightly). Water trees just before fertilising. Pests: As trees waken, so do pests and bugs. Check regularly. When problems are detected, eradicate quickly, (eg, insecticide). Last Meeting Workshop night
Bonsai at the Chelsea Flower and Garden show by Brad Smith, BNW Life member & past President of BNW In May this year, I was lucky enough to visit the RHS Chelsea Flower & Garden Show in London, UK. Yes, it was huge with an overwhelming display of show gardens and flowers. The Flower Marquee also housed 3 Bonsai exhibits by enthusiast groups like Bonsai Northwest. But of course, they had time on their side! Some of their trees were over 50 years old and most were spectacular. Medals were awarded for locally grown trees. The Azalea was amazing in full flower. If members of BNW ever get a chance to visit the Chelsea Flower Show, be sure to keep an eye out for the wonderful displays of Bonsai.
Lessons from Landscape Painting (or The Language of Art ) by Ian Barnes Part 3 When discussing art, one often concentrates on content and form. Content refers to the subject matter, or story, that the artwork seeks to communicate to the viewer. Form is the purely visual aspect, the manipulation of the various elements and principles of design. Content is what the artist wants to say, form is how they say it. In Part 1, we considered content. In Part 2 we examined the art elements involved in producing a final composition. In Part 3 we will look at the other component of form, the principles of design. Principles of Design The principles of design direct the way the art elements are used in a final composition. Artists design their works by controlling, ordering, and/or combining the elements of art. The principles of design are balance, emphasis, movement, rhythm, proportion, unity, variety and simplicity. Balance: Balance refers to the way the elements in a work are arranged to create a feeling of stability. Balance can be symmetrical (formal), or asymmetrical (informal). Symmetrical balance occurs when forms on either side of a central axis are arranged in a way that one side mirrors the other. While pleasing to the eye in architecture, the use of symmetrical balance in art may appear static. Asymmetrical balance occurs when the parts of a design are organised so that one side differs from the other without destroying the overall harmony. Balance is achieved with dissimilar objects that have equal visual weight or equal eye attraction. In bonsai, the shape and position of the roots, the trunk, the placement of branches, the configuration of foliage pads, the crown, and the container will determine the visual balance of the overall pose of the bonsai setting. Asymmetrical balance is believed to be the best in composition because it suggests a more dynamic feeling and is less boring. Asymmetrical balance can be achieved by several methods: Balance by value a smaller darker element can balance a larger lighter one. Balance by colour a smaller bright colour can balance a larger more neutral or duller colour. Balance by shape a small, complicated shape can balance a larger simpler shape. Balance by texture a smaller, rougher and complicated surface texture can balance a larger, smoother texture. Balance by position a smaller object farther away can balance a larger object that is closer to the centre. Balance by eye direction certain edges or pointed shapes, which draw visual direction, can transfer weight from a heavier side to a lighter side. Emphasis: Emphasis is what attracts initial attention and encourages the viewer to look further. Emphasis can be achieved through the use of a focal point, the most important character or element in a composition. There can be more than one focal point. Secondary points of emphasis have less impact and value than the main focal point, but provide the viewer with a means to move around the composition. Too many focal points may confuse the viewer. If every element is emphasised, then nothing is emphasised. Ways to achieve emphasis: Contrast Any item that differs from the dominant figures in a composition. The element that contrasts with, rather than continues, the prevailing design scheme becomes the focal point. Colour is an element often used in emphasis by contrast. A change in colour or value can immediately attract attention. Isolation When one item is isolated from the other elements or group of elements, it becomes the focal point. Placement If many elements point to one item, attention is directed towards that element and a focal point results. In bonsai, emphasis is usually involved with size, perspective, movement or texture. Here, the emphasis is on strength and power; here, on the power and tumult of nature s impact on a tree.
Movement: When there is not actual movement, which is the case with most art objects, movement refers to the arrangement of a composition s parts to create a sense of motion through the use of different art elements. Repetition is often used to achieve movement. Rhythm: Rhythm refers to the artist s attempt to move the viewer s attention across recurrent motifs in a composition using the repetition inherent to the idea of a visual tempo or beat. Rhythm can be achieved through the repetition of colours or textures, but is most often attained with shapes and their arrangement. Rhythm can provide a sense of motion. In bonsai, movement and rhythm (the directional path of our eyes when we look at a tree) can be created with the trunk line, branch direction, foliage shape, or the position of the container. The line of the trunk and branches will show the movement in a tree, the shape of the foliage pads can enhance the movement in one direction, the rhythm created by the repetition of similar foliage pads can direct our visual flow. Proportion/Scale: Proportion refers to the relative size of an object when compared against other elements or a mental norm or standard. Although scale and proportion are relative terms, scale is essentially another word for size (large-scale, small-scale, etc). In bonsai, it can refer to the size proportion of the trunk, primary and secondary branches, and twigs (eg, the size of the branches should fit to the trunk size). It can also be the relation or comparison among other components, such as grass, moss, rock, container, or accessories. Proportion in bonsai can create perspective and dimension; it can also emphasise the chosen focal point. Unity: Unity is the congruity or agreement that exists among the elements in a design. It is realised through a balancing of harmony and variety. If the various elements in a design are separate or unrelated (inharmonious), the composition will lack unity. When speaking of unity, the whole of a design must be predominant over the parts. The viewer must notice the whole pattern before they concentrate on individual elements. Unity can be achieved when an underlying theme is presented in several different ways as variations. Good design implies unity, a harmonious pattern or order established among the various elements. However, it is possible to make a pattern so highly unified that the result, instead of being visual satisfaction, quickly becomes general boredom. Thus, the artist s aim is to achieve unity, but a unity that branches out into variations that relieve boredom. This concept is termed unity with variety (or theme and variations). Unity in bonsai design can be achieved by several methods: Consistency the repetition of all elements and components should show similarities in character (eg, by the line of the trunk and branches, the form of the foliage pads, the shape and colour of the container, etc.). Relevancy the character and arrangement of all elements and components should be relevant to the concept and idea of the design (eg, the environmental factors fitting to the pose and character of the tree). Integrity all elements and components should be arranged to show a logical relationship and connection as an uninterrupted union. In bonsai, every part of your tree, every design element, should work toward communicating a consistent message. Most importantly, no feature should work against the image you are trying to portray or the message you are trying to communicate. For example: There is an inconsistency of age here. pot communicates: strength, masculinity, old tree trunk communicates: near view, powerful tree, masculine old tree apex communicates: younger tree, conifer In bonsai, when unity is achieved, the creation will be aesthetically beautiful, logical in nature, and the thematic message will be well perceived, because the tree will speak for itself, conveying a silent chronicle of its life history.
Variety: Variety refers to the way elements are combined to achieve intricate and complex relationships. Artists who wish to increase the visual interest of their work often obtain variety through the use of diversity and change. Using different variations of the same shape, colour, line, or texture can create variety. Unity and variety are often interwoven. However, an image with too much variety can intimidate and confuse the average viewer. Simplicity: Simplification is the elimination of non-essential elements or details. In bonsai, miniaturisation necessitates simplification. Also, you can t account for everything that viewers will see in your work. You must simplify to allow for suggestion on your part and imagination on the part of the viewer. Breaking the Rules As with any convention, there are also ways to use a violation of these principles toward an artistic end. First, however, you must learn how to successfully adhere to these principles before you can violate them. The rule is not what is important. What is important is what necessary aesthetic issue the rule addresses. As an artist, you may find creative ways of addressing the issue but not until you understand the issue. Conclusion Learn the language or art; its conventions, grammar and syntax. Don t think of bonsai design as technique-based; begin thinking of it as communication-based. The conventions of art are references for how to communicate, not what to communicate. Don't mistake natural for beautiful or evocative. Approach each design project with a specific aim. Use the basic definitions above as a guide for your bonsai designs. One or more of these principles may be the foundation for the character of your bonsai. Generally speaking, this means that the trunk and/or the branches of your tree will be patterned after one specific theme. This theme will be the basis for the character of your design. Since a bonsai and its display is composed of more than just the trunk and the branches, your artistic vocabulary and communication effort must extend beyond these basic elements. Further, your entire styling and presentation aims must be compatible with the overall theme of your design. This is where artistic composition becomes important. Composition is what makes all of the separate elements work together as one. Bonsai succeed or fail on the basis of their artistry. Good bonsai are the ones that speak to us, the ones that are successful in communicating the artist s message, the ones that are successful in touching something within us. Learn to be more artistic with your bonsai and you will make better bonsai.