Earl

Maybe it would help to put this in black and white--knowing that truth always blurs absolutes: There are no "artistic" rules. As soon as anyone changes an artistic impression or expression into a rule it is no longer art but imitation. If we are talking about art, we shouldn't be talking about rules at all, we should be talking about what it is in a particular tree that moves us, speaks to our heart or takes us on an inward journey.

It is precisely the imposition of rules that many people use to ridicule every new form of art and try to impose to keep things the same way that they have always been.

Rules are part of the "craft". This is in no way negative. We need the rules to learn the craft. A painter must know how to apply paint to canvas, how to hold the brush, how to make certain brush strokes, how to create certain results. But art goes beyond this and happens when the object (tree in our case) speaks to us.

Al, I don't quite know how to speak to your comment about Europeans. I guess I think that whole way of looking at art is pure prejudice. There are probably some people in all countries that think they are better than others, but I wouldn't give that type of thinking the time of day. The same is true with Japan--japanese bonsai isn't "better" than any other country's, it is simply more refined in a Japanese way. So I just don't think that is relevant. I certainly don't think Walter's bonsai is great because he is European! I think they are great because he is a true artist that has gone beyond technique and craft and moved into the artistic realm.

Finally, there will never be more than a relatively few bonsai master artists. I know I am not original enough, nor do I have the dedication or time or creativity to truly become more than an amatuer artist. That's a fact and it doesn't at all take away from love of and enjoyment of creating bonsai.

Earl