beginner's bonsai

[kingkong]

Where do we start here....Oriental Dragons are considered to be benevolent, the bringers of wealth and good fortune. Do you still have her phone number? Dragon symbolism can be celestial, spiritual, earthly, treasure and Imperial. Needless to say it is an important symbol. It also has a wavy serpentine design that makes a dragon unusual. Some twisted dead wood and live wood on a bonsai tree mimic or resemble a dragon. Since many famous bonsai are given names, guess what symbol is often used?
I have picked two trees that are famous and have been named with dragon in their title. They were created by Kimura San.

[bekko]

I had to do some reading and, darn, dragons are fascinating!! They independently appear the in legends and artifacts of ancient cultures from almost every continent - Asia, Americas, Europe, Africa, Australia. Sometimes they are portrayed as benevolent, sometimes fierce, sometimes just another animal to kill, butcher and eat. It is speculated that the differences in the way dragons are perceived among different cultures are simply a reflection of the temperament of the dinosaur species the myth and history is based on.

-stev eho

[MikeM]

But, Ste ve, this shared mythological memory idea makes no sense. Humankind has not shared the Earth with the dinosaurs. ....Of course, it is just an assumption on my part that the shared memory originated in humans.

[kingkong]

I have always found dragons to be interesting. They seem to have borrowed parts from many creatures.

[Sangreaal]

Quote: Originally Posted by MikeM But, Ste ve, this shared mythological memory idea makes no sense. Humankind has not shared the Earth with the dinosaurs. ....Of course, it is just an assumption on my part that the shared memory originated in humans.

Then how, pray tell, did the leviathan and the behemoth find their place in the Bible over 2000 years ago (Job Ch 40 and 41)?

I know, I know--it's like a drive-by highjacking, so leave that as a rhetorical question... *L*

This has been a GREAT thread that I have absolutely no appreciable input for, due largely to the fact that I know nothing about bonsai culture (only have a keen interest since it's another facet of living art). But I'm understanding what KingKong is attempting to do for Steve--kindle the Muse before that next class.

Feel the Dragon, Stevie-Ho....KK is on to something.

Marie

[kingkong]

Hi Marie, I am trying to get Stevie-Ho to loosen up a bit. It's like everything when you first get started, you get all the information at once and you tend to be too carefull and think too much. I brought up the old dragon because Steve's juniper still looks a little stiff. It needs to flow and have movement sarting from the ground up like the serpentine dragon. Yes there are many diferent styles but for starters lets bend that little whip starting at the base shown in red as #1. Achieve the first bend and work up to #2 and so on. Have a beer, relax, and let your imagination control your hands. Like Marie said "feel the dragon".

[Sangreaal]

Quote: Originally Posted by kingkong Hi Marie, I am trying to get Stevie-Ho to loosen up a bit. It's like everything when you first get started, you get all the information at once and you tend to be too carefull and think too much. I brought up the old dragon because Steve's juniper still looks a little stiff. It needs to flow and have movement sarting from the ground up like the serpentine dragon. Yes there are many diferent styles but for starters lets bend that little whip starting at the base shown in red as #1. Achieve the first bend and work up to #2 and so on. Have a beer, relax, and let your imagination control your hands. Like Marie said "feel the dragon".

...and if you're having trouble conjuring up something other than the dragon you've already become familiar with, procure a copy of the film "Reign of Fire," grab a beeru or two and watch it uninterrupted on the biggest screen you can find. By the end you'll have a whole new sensation of dragon to draw from--its movement and motion.

[bekko]

Quote: Humankind has not shared the Earth with the dinosaurs.

That's what I thought too Mike. However, when you look at (OK, read about) the evidence you see that there is a strong possibility that remnant populations of some large reptiles existed up until only a few thousand years ago. Actually, there are reptiles alive today which would be called "dinosaurs" if they only occurred in the fossil record. There were catastrophic and immediate aspects of the great extinction, but also lingering aspects which continue into modern times. Reptiles species which survived the great extinction faced a new challenge in that they were being out-competed for resources by mammals. The population explosion of modern man may have been the last nail in the coffin for a few large reptile species.

Too stiff, huh? Gary, I'll work on it some more.

-steveh opk

[bekko]

So, I re-wired the poor little thing again - this time as a cascade. The excess material has not been clipped off yet. The master took one look at it and said the cascade branch is too far from the base of the trunk. Back to the drawing board.

The class met this week at Walter Liew's place, the Flying Dragon Bonsai Center in Waimanalo. It it sort of overwhelming. It is overwhelming for visitors, and apparently overwhelming for Mr. and Mrs. Liew. There are an estimated 500 bonsai on display, plus about 10,000 square feet of bench nursery largely dedicated to starting new trees. They have no employees and are trying to keep up with it themselves. Here are a few shots...

-s t

[kingkong]

Well, thanks for the follow-up. Your tree has gone from "heart and soul" to a Mozart Symphony over-night. What possesses you? Very nice work. Much more movement from ground up. I am feeling the dragon.
Now, 'Sanford and Son' Bonsai has a beautiful collection. Some of those are very nice trees (boug). Bonsai nurseries always seem to be a work in progress. I like your teacher, Mr.Liew. You were lucky to have such a good start.
If you ever want to pull a fast one on Mr. Liew...hide his white paint.