karen gringhuis on fri 8 jun 01
Chris -
Picking this up belatedly, if you want to see some of
the best bonsai pots ever, go to:
www.crataegus.com
and view those by Michael Hagedorn. No, this won't
tell you how to make them but it should clarify that
making them is NOT easy or simple. Mike has worked
YEARS developing his work - I think he won a natl.
award this year.
My advice to you is forget making your own, buy one
of his and just enjoy learning to do the plants
themselves right now.
=====
Karen Gringhuis
KG Pottery
Box 607 Alfred NY 14802
Personal e-mail to:
KGPottery@hotmail.com
__________________________________________________
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vince pitelka on sun 10 jun 01
> My advice to you is forget making your own, buy one
> of his and just enjoy learning to do the plants
> themselves right now.
This advice really startled me. What a bizarre thing to say on the Clayart
list. Anyone who is interested in making bonsai pots should of course go
ahead and do it. One of the first things to consider is that bonsai
containers are often extremely shallow, really just oval or rectangular
trays with very low sides, usually standing up on raised feet. Many bonsai
gardeners prefer to develop their bonsai arrangements on flat rocks with no
sides at all, so when making ceramic bonsai containers extremely low walls
are often most advantageous, so that the earth mounds in a small hill within
the container. That gives you maximum opportunity to landscape the earthen
form within/upon the container.
Several weeks ago I had the great pleasure of visiting Nick Lenz in
Massachusetts and viewing his home, garden, and bonsai work. Nick wrote the
definitive book on collecting bonsai from the wild, and he has an enormous
collection of his works. After he collects a plant from the wild, it
usually takes fifteen to twenty years to transform it into a finished
bonsai. Some are very traditional, and many are not. We do not expect a
bonsai of poison ivy. We do not expect a bonsai with its roots trained
around an antique plastic radio, or an old plastic baby doll.
Many years ago Nick became dissatisfied with commercially available bonsai
containers, and so he taught himself to make his own. Now he is an
extremely accomplished potter, and he makes huge slab-built bonsai
containers that are as fine as I have seen anywhere. His kiln is a sprung
arch, very wide and low, specifically in order to fire the large flat bonsai
"trays." His plants, his house, his property, and his life are all part of
his art.
Make your own bonsai containers. Don't make them deep.
Best wishes -
- Vince
Vince Pitelka
Appalachian Center for Crafts
Tennessee Technological University
1560 Craft Center Drive, Smithville TN 37166
Home - vpitelka@dtccom.net
615/597-5376
Work - wpitelka@tntech.edu
615/597-6801 ext. 111, fax 615/597-6803
http://www.craftcenter.tntech.edu/
Chris Clarke on sun 10 jun 01
>
> My advice to you is forget making your own, buy one
> of his and just enjoy learning to do the plants
> themselves right now.
That's kind of insulting. I won't 'quit' as you say because it's hard.
That's just not my style. I think I'm a fairly decent potter although I
only have ten years under my belt. Never thought I would master the
planters right away, but since a tree takes several years to be placed in a
bonsai planter I felt I had the time. The question was about techniques
people have used and I got quite alot of information.
On a side note, thanks to everyone who wrote me both on and off list. Lots
to think about, much to do. But the trees stay in their plastic nursery
pots as I cut them down to expose more roots. It will take years to have a
decent tree but I can wait. It's a lesson a patience which I need!!
chris
temecula, california
chris@ccpots.com
www.ccpots.com
----- Original Message -----
From: karen gringhuis
To:
Sent: Friday, June 08, 2001 10:27 PM
Subject: Making Bonsai Pots
> Chris -
>
> Picking this up belatedly, if you want to see some of
> the best bonsai pots ever, go to:
>
> www.crataegus.com
>
> and view those by Michael Hagedorn. No, this won't
> tell you how to make them but it should clarify that
> making them is NOT easy or simple. Mike has worked
> YEARS developing his work - I think he won a natl.
> award this year.
>
> =====
> Karen Gringhuis
> KG Pottery
> Box 607 Alfred NY 14802
>
> Personal e-mail to:
> KGPottery@hotmail.com
>
> __________________________________________________
> Do You Yahoo!?
> Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail - only $35
> a year! http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/
>
>
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