Poll: What type of contest should we have?

Turtlebo

I voted for a styling contest because I missed the last one and really wanted to participate in it. I think that the old rules are the fairest. Working on stock plants helps to get a feel for design, and an oportunity to practice before spending years on growing a trunk then messing up the branches.

I also like the idea of a virtual contest. as mentioned before, it gives people an opportunity to practice a skill they have use of here on this forum.

Another idea for a contest is sketches. It wouldn't matter what material you used. we could have a photograph of the actual subject and then sketches of a future plan for it. It could either be judged on drawing skill or tree design ideas.
Just an idea,
Turtlebo

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Ralph

Let me clarify something on my idea, there wouldn't be a before and after photograph. Just one photo per entry. The one photo is judged on it's own merit. Design and presentation. If the contest entry period were from OCT-APR, you could enter your submission anytime during that period. Then you could begin the run on the next contest in May-Sept, and also May would would be the month usued for deciding the winner of the first contest.
Winner trees could not be re-entered in future contests. However, a tree that did not win, could be entered again at a later date.

There is nothing to stop someone with 2 years experience from going out and purchasing a $500 black pine prebonsai, styling it up, and entering it in the novice bracket. I just think it would be very unlikely that someone with that experience level would be willing to make that kind of investment in their own ability at that level.

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Emerging from winter slumber
Bonsai trees burst buds anew
Spring is upon us!


-Paul S.

Joanie

[QUOTE=Ralph
There is nothing to stop someone with 2 years experience from going out and purchasing a $500 black pine prebonsai, styling it up, and entering it in the novice bracket. I just think it would be very unlikely that someone with that experience level would be willing to make that kind of investment in their own ability at that level.[/QUOTE]
Your faith in human nature is amazing! In the other hobby I belong to, sometimes parents actually register their child as the competitor so that they can compete with other kids, using work that the parent did. Also people WILL buy expensive trees and use them... in fact, it wouldn't be a surprise if someone entered a photo they got off of someone else's site! Ah, competition... it brings out the best, and the worst, in people.

Now, your idea has a great deal of merit and there are certainly ways to make it work... but my concern is this. What are we judging against? Just the best bonsai? So someone who has old nice trees can enter as many as they want to, maybe even with pictures they took just before a show, and they will be competing against someone who only started (let's say) four years ago and cannot afford more than $75?

The "instant bonsai" contest at least has a level playing field, and includes these elements that can be judged:

1. choosing the right stock for a maximum price. (so no collected trees, no Japanese field grown trees, no trees received at a workshop and not touched by the master, etc.) So you can judge on the person's skill in choosing a tree from nursery stock.

2. having a vision for the tree. In choosing that tree, they must have had an idea, and a plan. Not having years to ponder, to grow out and correct branches and roots, to pinch and prune. Part of what you are judging is the person's ability to have a plan that they can work through in the allotted time.

3. presenting the tree well. I think Will is right, people who repot should be penalized (duh! yep! guilty of that last time... never again) So none of the trees will be in nice pots, and younger folks or those on tight budgets won't be at a disadvantage because they cannot afford a great pot.

So, that's one way of looking at it. Perhaps a contest for refined, finished trees would be a wonderful idea and would certainly be worthwhile for the forum to consider. But not if it means that we cannot have a contest with a level playing field.....



Thank you for considering this opinion.

Joanie

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midwestbonsai

I agree the before picture is a must, it keeps people honest.

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Ralph

I wonder how the WBFF keeps charletans from entering the World Bonsai Contest?

Just an idea as I said. I just don't get to excited over a $40 stick in a gallon nursery can.

__________________
Emerging from winter slumber
Bonsai trees burst buds anew
Spring is upon us!


-Paul S.

midwestbonsai

Last year the limit was $50, we could up the limit to $75.
just another thought

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Joanie

I was just making up a number, because if there was no real limit, some people couldn't possibly compete. That's the point I was trying to make....



Joanie

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Will_Heath

Might I suggest you look at these sticks on this page and the next? All picked up at a nursery for 41 bucks, that's right, all for under the normal 50 buck limit on contests, about 6 bucks per tree.

Pay special attention to those two junipers, both would make excellent contest material as would this Yew.

Maybe I'm too new, but I get real excited over "sticks" like these.

Seriously, if one knows what to look for and takes the time to do so, there is excellent stock out there for well under the limit set.

This is an excellent time of the year for nursery crawling in a lot of places with all the end of season sales going on over the next couple months.


Will

curtis

I know that I'm still very new to this art, but what I think that would be cool , is to see a before[ still in the nersery pot] ,than styled, but a years grow time be for judging. I live in Kentucky so I'm thinking of course in my neck of the woods for a May time finnish. that would open it up to the broud leaf family and we would get less of the instint bonsai's to make that dramatic showing.
I,m interested in seeing how one developes, as well as how to start one from stock.
I know that that would be a long drawn out thing but it would give someone starting out as good a chance as the next guy or gal.