bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Novel Concepts For Conventions

Walter,
I can't speak with any knowledge of your local shows/conventions but can sympathize with your attendance problems. It is getting to be a problem with all conventions anymore. Perhaps one of the reasons ( at least in the US) is the number of choices each year. Your average bonsai enthusiast just has to chose between which ones to attend and where he'll spend his ( familys) hard-earned dollar and vacation days. It's tough some times and getting tougher!
I do not have any idea about your programming, but, perhaps they suffer from what I keep seeing more and more in the US conventions....that of "same-old-same-old". The same guys doing the same demos on the same Ponderosa pines and RM Junipers at every convention! ( ditto on workshops). As I looked through convention/symposium schedules last year and this I could go see the guy several times in one season, and rarely do I see a convention speaker list with people I haven't already seen two or three times in the last couple years. I really hate it when a teacher gets a reputation for working on one type of tree and then that's all you ever see him work on every time you see him!
One more thought....how was the vending area. Without vending...no one will go!
Just some thoughts on that.

I do like the critique ideas, especially of symposium masterpiece exhibit trees.I think if a person would get into the 4 or 5 critiques of the same trees by each speaker you can certainly learn a lot.

Demos and workshops
Well I certainly can't agree with Andys comments about their value, "Bonsai masterbation", newly styled pieces of junk, and worthless workshops.
Over the last 26 years I've sure been to a lot of conventions and love watching demos, new techniques and styling ideas every single time. I wish I could get to more of them at conventions. I can't believe how many ideas/techniques I've picked up over the years and implimented on my own at a later date.
People get the wrong ideas about demos where a rougher stock is turned into a "bonsai start" ( I won't say"finished" bonsai) in a few hours. It is to give you IDEAS ! and points to refer to in your own work, ....at HOME! Not many bonsai people sit down every day and complete styling a tree of some type, but I'll bet that as years go by on their trees they see many ideas being adapted to their trees. Where did they get those ideas/techniques?... from masters demos at conventions!
Now, if we just got to see a broader band of artists displaying them!

Workshops
I don't take them anymore but often wish I could. I see some great stock ( and, unfortunately ,sometimes half-dead crap) used in some great workshops . If a person uses some good judgement in picking workshops he'll take and with whom he can walk out with a great tree, some partial/basic styling pointing in the right direction, and a smile on his face. I've seen some great stock go home from workshops. But, again as with demos, all you learn isn't dumped into that one tree. It is slowly dumped into all your trees as years go by. Not only that, but in a workshop situation you learn something from everyones tree being worked on in that room.

Matt says he found the show at Taikan-ten to be much more interesting than Mr. Kimura's demo. Well, I've seen Mr. Kimura demo several times now since I first saw him at BCI Memphis in 92(I think it was?) and wish I could watch every single minute.....then observe the show later. It isn't going anywhere for a while! Again, with watching Mr. Kimura demo ( granted translations and wiring can get s...l...o...w) how many ideas do you find yourself trying years down the road as techniques and knowledge you gleened years before come stumbling back through your head.
I personally, feel every convention should have certain things and four of them are critiques, demos ( either single or group or several at the same time in other rooms), workshops with great ESTABLISHED material and a masterpiece display.

Oh!...and one more 5th thing that no one will attend without it....

A vending area!
Regards,
Dale

17-Feb-2004	#12
Dale Cochoy Old Bonsaiman-new pots Join Date: Dec-2002 Location: Hartville, Ohio Country: USA USDA Zone: 5 AHS Heat Zone: ? Posts: 2,663	Walter, I can't speak with any knowledge of your local shows/conventions but can sympathize with your attendance problems. It is getting to be a problem with all conventions anymore. Perhaps one of the reasons ( at least in the US) is the number of choices each year. Your average bonsai enthusiast just has to chose between which ones to attend and where he'll spend his ( familys) hard-earned dollar and vacation days. It's tough some times and getting tougher! I do not have any idea about your programming, but, perhaps they suffer from what I keep seeing more and more in the US conventions....that of "same-old-same-old". The same guys doing the same demos on the same Ponderosa pines and RM Junipers at every convention! ( ditto on workshops). As I looked through convention/symposium schedules last year and this I could go see the guy several times in one season, and rarely do I see a convention speaker list with people I haven't already seen two or three times in the last couple years. I really hate it when a teacher gets a reputation for working on one type of tree and then that's all you ever see him work on every time you see him! One more thought....how was the vending area. Without vending...no one will go! Just some thoughts on that. I do like the critique ideas, especially of symposium masterpiece exhibit trees.I think if a person would get into the 4 or 5 critiques of the same trees by each speaker you can certainly learn a lot. Demos and workshops Well I certainly can't agree with Andys comments about their value, "Bonsai masterbation", newly styled pieces of junk, and worthless workshops. Over the last 26 years I've sure been to a lot of conventions and love watching demos, new techniques and styling ideas every single time. I wish I could get to more of them at conventions. I can't believe how many ideas/techniques I've picked up over the years and implimented on my own at a later date. People get the wrong ideas about demos where a rougher stock is turned into a "bonsai start" ( I won't say"finished" bonsai) in a few hours. It is to give you IDEAS ! and points to refer to in your own work, ....at HOME! Not many bonsai people sit down every day and complete styling a tree of some type, but I'll bet that as years go by on their trees they see many ideas being adapted to their trees. Where did they get those ideas/techniques?... from masters demos at conventions! Now, if we just got to see a broader band of artists displaying them! Workshops I don't take them anymore but often wish I could. I see some great stock ( and, unfortunately ,sometimes half-dead crap) used in some great workshops . If a person uses some good judgement in picking workshops he'll take and with whom he can walk out with a great tree, some partial/basic styling pointing in the right direction, and a smile on his face. I've seen some great stock go home from workshops. But, again as with demos, all you learn isn't dumped into that one tree. It is slowly dumped into all your trees as years go by. Not only that, but in a workshop situation you learn something from everyones tree being worked on in that room. Matt says he found the show at Taikan-ten to be much more interesting than Mr. Kimura's demo. Well, I've seen Mr. Kimura demo several times now since I first saw him at BCI Memphis in 92(I think it was?) and wish I could watch every single minute.....then observe the show later. It isn't going anywhere for a while! Again, with watching Mr. Kimura demo ( granted translations and wiring can get s...l...o...w) how many ideas do you find yourself trying years down the road as techniques and knowledge you gleened years before come stumbling back through your head. I personally, feel every convention should have certain things and four of them are critiques, demos ( either single or group or several at the same time in other rooms), workshops with great ESTABLISHED material and a masterpiece display. Oh!...and one more 5th thing that no one will attend without it.... A vending area! Regards, Dale __________________ ________________________________ If you want to be Different.... You have to DO something Different! __________________________________________ Some people NEVER take the time to do a job right the first time.... but, they always seem to make the time to do it over again... ____________________________________________ Dale Cochoy Wild Things Bonsai Studio Yakimono no Kokoro Bonsai Pottery Hartville, Ohio