"let The Birds Fly Through"

stephentoddpope

I was noticing that everyone I know who is into bonsai always has these two or three stories that they are ALWAYS repeating. Whether it be stories, phrases, or anything else, they all have something different that they always put a LOT of emphasis on when teaching. I realised that when I am styling a tree or whatever, I am always thinking of these, cause they stick in your mind, and realized that they help a lot. So I thought I would list a few, and see if anyone else had any others that they have heard over and over again


1. the famous "let the birds fly through"

2."I was talking to a man from japan, and I asked him what was wrong with my tree, he said, "well, we don't walk leaning back do we?" Isaid "no" he sais "we walk leaning forward don't we? So why should our trees have to lean back, it is better for them to lean forward so they surround the viewer."(i have heard this one a lot)

3. I also asked him "what do we as Americans do wrong that we need to change?" He says "you don't cut. You need to cut, because it will never look good with the branch you are thinking about cutting, because once you get it in your mind, it will always stick out."

Well, anyway I thought it would be neat to hear what others heard alot while learning from others.

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare

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DavidN

A phrase that stick with a few of us down here is when Hiro (Japanese bonsai master) came to Melbourne recently and did a workshop. People brought in their own tree for styling, design extra....

Hiro's famous lines are (which we use and stick in our heads all the time) when he looks at a tree says in a full-on Japanese accent "This tree, bbbbery big prorobbrem .......but unnnaboidable!!!" while all the time moving his head in animation to it. It brings fond memories of Hiro to us all.

Guess you have to be there.

EDIT: English translation is "This tree, very big problem ....but unavoidable" just in case it wasn't readable.

skydivingcoffee

What exactly does "let the birds fly though" mean?

stephentoddpope

it means leave space between branches, don't get it so dence that you cant see through it a little

__________________
"A Bonsai! A Bonsai! My kingdom for a Bonsai!"

William Shakespeare