New Shohin-bonsai book

ekillians

yea al, i have read your step by steps before. Basically, thats some of the best instruction I've gotten my hands on. Although sometimes i think you've grown a bit grumpy, more often than not you tend to make me laugh and more importantly - educate.

I've made my way through lots of the old posts already, I'll be up many late nights reading the rest.

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constantstaticx

I've read a lot of this book and so far, overall, I like it. It is very informative and has very inspiring pictures. The only critique that I have is that it repeats a lot, which isn't really a bad thing I just wanted it to focus on shohin techniques. And lastly, there wasn't much in the way of step by step shohin creation. It's well worth the money imo I just thought it would be different.

Tom

ozzerbon

If you [or anyone else who's interested] send me an email mate, I can send you a couple of zipped folders with quite a few pics of miniature trees that I've been collecting....up to you.

Can't comment on Morten's book, can no longer look at books, eyesight has deteriorated....but can still cope with the computer so all is not lost, and can still work on my handfull of tinies, magnifying glass at my elbow.

Greetings,
Nigel

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bonsaial1

Yea you may be right. You would be grumpy too if you had been the first one to sign on here and help build a discussion forum to one of the best on the net. Then watch it sink into nearly obscurity due to many factors, most importantly a lack of respect for those who contribute.

The last two years for me have been basicly internet poor. I just lurk and read and click past a daily barrage of; "gee, my elm is dyeing, what should I do" and click on. I have photo's ready for about 10 very good step by steps. Some new layers, Root management for moving a tree to the next level, Building a shohin broom style, Detail carving a California juniper, Twisted Yamadori style Shimpaku junipers, (5 of them) Moving shohin to grow containers for ramification, Third step in a 6 year old trident project (The final chop) First carving of a trident twin trunk from chops started in 2003, First styling of a bunjin Common procumbens (not nana) First styling of a nana slant style with lots of dead wood(three inch trunk).

I'm working on those projects as we speak as well as building half a dozen bonsai tables from a load of wood givin to me by Joe James, the wheels for Harry Hirao.

Back in the old days people would tell you how grateful they were that someone was providing this to the net. Now days wanna be's just want to argue about this and that and I have just grown weary of the hassle. I have left a good archive of work here for some to enjoy and sometimes even I come back and read those posts again and actually get a thrill all over again.I know that I have written enough here to fill a book, and it's all my work and most of the trees are still around to see the further development on.
I don't kill many trees now a days.

I am more content now to write my Editorials and watch and read what happens as the days move on. There seems to be much more furver over a good peice of writing that gets people talking rather than a good essay on how to make a tree. Look at my first editorial about Bonsai Today which was many pages long like 35 or something against most of the step by step tree threads, a few posts at best.

I would ask that some write one sometime. Gather the pictures and write the narrative about what it takes to write step by step instructions of ones work. It is not easy and if easy it is really time consuming.

BTW, this post is timely.

BE WARNED! Al

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albek

Thanks for all the comments.
There wasn’t room for more step-by-step instructions, than the chosen ones, because so many other items were important for me with this first book dedicated to Shohin-bonsai.

I write regularly for Bonsai Focus, and 4 step-by-step articles are planned to be published like this:
In the July-August issue 2008: Berberis. September/October 2008: Taxus. November/December 2008: Potentilla. January/February 2009: Juniper.

I have a lot of photos unpublished yet, - not shown before too, that I will publish at my website www.shohin-europe.com when I get the time to do it. Right now I am too busy with my bonsai, my garden and a lot more.

Regards
Morten Albek

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Groghunter

Al,

For what it's worth (no comment please!) my daily bonsai reading routine consists of checking new posts on 5 different bonsai forums and seeing what's going on. I read probably 10% of those new posts due to topic heading, author, or my level of boredom.

Every single time your name and the names of a few other people shows up I read what is said and pay close attention.

Not trying to console you or anything lame like that but I hope you know what you and others like you say are heard and makes a difference. To me at least, and to others as well I'm sure.

Sorry for the off topic reply, needed to be said though.

xghostx

could you identify the tree on the back cover in the middle (third from left). Great read and I love it from start to finish.

constantstaticx

I've finished reading and overall I love it. My favorite chapter is th Aesthetics chapter. It really brings home why bonsai is such an enjorable hobby.

I think everyone should start posting their shohin projects in this forum for all to see. I have a few coming along that I will gladly share, actually only a couple have any kind of shape, but I have some long term projects coming along. This book gave me plenty of ideas and I can't wait to have my own little tree that I can hold in the palm of my hand and drink in.

Tom

Joanie

Very glad to hear that! I took my copy of the book to the club show this weekend and it passed from hand to hand. Hopefully you will get some sales from this. The "San Diego Shohin Study Group" was very interested.

I love the book, and have really spent time studying it. Thank you very much! And for anyone who loves shohin, Morten's site is the best reading on shohin that exists on the web.

Joanie

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