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Originally Posted by bonsaial1
I firmly believe that a bonsai artist will have many bonsai in all phases of construction from nursery stock to collected stock. Somewhere in that mix will be the odd assortment of purchased semi finished trees.
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Originally Posted by bonsaial1
Wisdom tells us that the quickest way to a superb collection of great bonsai is to purchase stock that has most of the desirable attributes going for it from the get go.
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Originally Posted by bonsaial1
On the contrary, this idea just gives those willing to purchase desirable stock a significant advantage over those wishing to style bonsai from undesirable common nursery stock.
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Originally Posted by bonsaial1
Pinching, pruning, repotting and watering all important skills that can be honed in a few years, and then reserved for the purchase of that great piece of material.
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Originally Posted by bonsaial1
Unlike a contest, which takes a crappy piece of material and accentuates it to a crappier piece of material, a purchased piece of stock can be showed to develop over a period of years thus showcasing the artists abilities.
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Mr. Al,
Once again you make some very good points with your editorial, and please "keep em' coming"...This one as always is quite thought provoking...I do however have an issue with the continued references to "purchased stock" being touted as the 'only or best' way...Does this mean those of us which do not have the 'financial means' to "buy" this finished or nearly finished material will never be considered as 'artists'?...I fully realize that to many in the 'political' world of bonsai this is true...But then it has always been that way in the world of 'art politics'...Many artists in other media have only been recognized as 'artists' after their death, due in part because, they did not have the financial means to play the 'political games'...I certainly do agree though, IF one has the ability to 'buy' one's way into the 'world of bonsai art' it is a much quicker route to take...Therefore IF one has the means to purchase finished or nearly finished material they should certainly do so without any attached 'stigma' of it being their own or not...I am reminded of recording artist Rickey Nelson...He didn't write the song "Hello Mary Lou" nor was he the first to record it, however he did make the song his own, and did record the most popular and best selling rendition...I can't help but wonder though, if the fact he was part of the 'industry politics' due to being one of the star performers on the weekly TV show 'Ozzie and Harriet', had a little something to do with it...
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Originally Posted by bonsaial1
I am saddened that over a period of 6 years this forum is not able to produce trees that are more finished. That is a huge amount of time to not have at least two or three hundred trees of show quality to present on a yearly basis and see how each has improved.
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Could it be that the majority of those participating in this forum do not have the financial means to purchase their way into 'bonsai stardom'?...Some may even participate here because they cannot afford private lessons, books, magazine subscriptions, etc....Therefore they take advantage of at least one source of information that is available to most households in America...The internet...Much thanks goes to you by the way for so freely sharing information through the years here on the forum...It has certainly been very valuable to me for one...
Thanks for the thoughts, and please do not take this as being argumentative of your editorial...I in fact fully agree with the majority of what you have written...But I also realize this is not a 'doable' for all forum members, and wish to point things out from a different perspective...
Regards
Behr
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he could have sworn he heard some
one saying rather loudly...
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San Antonio Bonsai Society, Inc.