Andy,
To add my own egocentric musings...
I'm not sure where all the misreading came in; you'd think by now that before responding to anything Andy writes one would take time for more than a quick skimming before one's ire is allowed to froth... Shame, shame…
Andy's thesis was quite clear and conveniently located.
"Online discussion forums and bonsai workshops are fun, interesting and sometimes helpful, but they are by no means credible substitutes for real instruction. "
He even repeats it towards the end in case you've missed it.
Andy perhaps expends more energy than necessary editorializing about teaching options; i.e., his workshops peeves, albeit all "fact" and "data" is really anecdotal when it comes to bonsai, so really it leaves one little to work with. I'm more accustomed to scientific papers. ;^) That's his style, I have mine…
He does, however, get to the point(s) towards the end by listing out the shortcomings of forum dynamics. Perhaps a thesis focus on "flash–in-the pan" learning techniques might have been closer to his intent.
Of Giraffes and Hippos
Really all Andy has done is point out that just as a hippo is not a giraffe, discussion forums are not "schools". How this can be deemed so controversial is beyond me. He's not said "exterminate the hippo", just recognize it for what it is…not necessarily the most efficient instrument for stripping leaves at 20 feet.
I got bitten by the "bug" at an early age- 18. I still have my very first real tree. This simple horticultoral feat should place you in awe and command your respect, if nothing else ;^).
I learned solely from
Bonsai Today and books for years because I had little choice due to health reasons. I learned techniques and horticulture. I piddled with seeds, cuttings, etc., treated myself to the occasional "specimen" and took in a local show when I heard of them.
I discovered the Internet. I found out I wasn't the only person doing bonsai in Texas. This helped immensely with more of the climatic issues I was dealing with. But there were always those folks that would preface by saying "I don't know anything about your tree or Texas or plants, BUT…" They have to have their turn… Overall, my trees grew healthier, but my collection was still fairly humble. The internet continues to be a paradox; a limitted resource with incredible potential.
I was able to join Houston Bonsai Society with a return to health and attend conventions, demos and a few workshops' and start collecting natives. I gained access to better material and learned a few new techniques- I "saw it" being done. But to bring a tree in was basically submission to another "forum". And it seemed nobody liked what I was doing because it wasn't all 1-2-3 branching or what Naka would do. A workshop leader would do his thing (or not) and that was it. Best advice I ever got was to pick up just one new thing and apply it. Sometimes I cheated and brought home two or three or (rarely) a whole page of notes! All still very piecemeal, one-off/case-specific information. Ah yes, and then there's the politics…
Somewhere in here my wife stuck her head out the back door and looked around "These things are starting to look like bonsai- like the ones in the books I mean…" She must have seen the pre-qualifier glare I shot her…
I couldn't help feeling all this was like the clip and grow way to being a bonsai artist. Then, on that darned Internet, of all places, I got involved discussing what would make a good bonsai school with some guy in the UK named Colin Lewis…
So, yes, Richard and I are "schoolmates". We both came in "knowing bonsai", albeit from different paths; (the average SC Ho-Yoku student has 5 years under their belt, with a range of 0-20+ years). I think because of this we generally approach things very differently. Personnally I think the years of working by myself have given me poor habits- I jury-rig wiring, putz around- I'll cut this one off later, I BS with Ron too much- but I do think I have my own "style" or natural images I work towards. I've got no sense of "urgency".
This is not a formal step-by-step curriculum, but more of one of tying things together, personal development and learning to see, to think and to plan. Our third and final year is expected to focus on the aspect of working by ourselves from start to finish, teaching, etc., i.e., being as much a "player" as one cares to be.
The focus was never on particular "styles" or "schools" and really has only one significant standard- MAKE GOOD BONSAI. There is no "happy to be me", "just my size", "save my Faberge egg self-esteem", "it's my art and I enjoy it" or "it's chinese style" baloney.
We simply act like adults. We respect each other (for the most part ;^)) and our efforts (mid afternoon cocktails help sometimes); if you do something odd and get called on it you better be able to defend it. Colin has the last word solely because he's usually right… ;^)
Hippo Reprise
Hippos just are what they are. Sometimes that hippo might need a set of stairs built or a hoist to get the job done; or you may have to boost him up on your own shoulders.
Discussion groups and any other limitted focus resource begin to resemble trying to learn world history with Trivial Pursuit cards.
There's a lot of folks with it's the "path" response. Fine. But some paths might make the journey more enjoyable…
Quite frankly I've grown more as a bonsai artist in the last two or so years than the previous 16. And my trees show it. It comes back to having focus. Being held accountable for my work; having a yardstick placed against it.
Jim Stone
TX