bonsaial1

While at the Tulare Fair with the Hanford contingent, I talked to Joe James, the judge for the show. He asked who brought all the suiseki top display. He was told that I had brought down seven stones to show since the turnout for the tree display was only half as big as last year. He liked my stones and asked where I had collected them. I told him that some had been collected and some were bought from other persons that had themslves collected them.

This one stone that I had brought always bothered me. I love the stone and the shape is good, but none the less, I wish it were better. I talked to Joe about this and he proceeded to tell me a story. He told me of some great Japanese sueseki master that had come to America to see the National Arboretum. After looking at the specimen trees, he was asked to review the stones at the Arboretum. I guess the critique was rather harsh to say the least. After a lengthy disscussion it was determined that the rules governing suiseki are not that harsh after all. According to him it is OK to do small cleanup work with a grinder to bring out the beauty of the stone. While it is not OK to actually make a suiseki as in a sculpture, it is OK to change the outline somewhat to improve its asthetic value. This is the stone the way it is now.

Attached Images

working stone.jpg (28.1 KB, 151 views)

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Real men don't wear coats with "happi" in the title.

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