Dragon Rising - transformation of a Juniper
Posted: January 19th, 2009, 2:29 pm
I took a new juniper to a major workshop and insisted that I did not want literati. The tutor, Glyns Bebb, tried to change my mind but went along with what I wanted... even tho she probably shuddered. I also watched her work with one enthusiast's tree and every time she came around she slowly persuaded him that this branch had to go. It was gently done and when he said NO, she continued to help and did the rounds again. By the end of the time he realised what she was saying and the branch went [and it was a very major branch] and the tree was much improved.
My tree, done to MY desire, my want, my insistence, didn't work. Simply didn't work and you can see why. It came home as she helped me style it [and she takes absolutely NO blame in this first photo].
Over a period of a year I kept reducing the tree. It has been to 3 workshops, each time major work being done and now, after 4 years, I have a literati. If only I had done it in the first place. But a tutor is there to help you learn how to style your trees. The day a tutor tells, as in TELLS, you how to do your tree..listen and if you don't agree or are unsure, don't do it. They do mistakes too. But usually the ideas they give you, plus ideas from other attendees, open your eyes in ways you simply hadn't thought of. And there are also times you can attend a workshop and simply walk around and watch, not work on a tree. You learn heaps that way as well. And while I say it should have been done initially had I been more open and willing, the additional foliage that tree carried for the excess time helped it to grow and develop even more character. So the time wasn't entirely wasted. Well, it wasn't wasted at all. I developed my eye, my styling, my guts - that's a lot from one tree.
The last workshop was quite funny... I had two trees... Dragon Rising could have had the falling branch removed or the top knot. It was very much an everyone-participation in the decision and the decision was about 50-50. When I flashed the sidecutters and took off the topknot you could have heard a pin drop in the hall. See... that's it about workshops... you are not isolated, most people are very interested in what is going on and workshops are just great.
My tree, done to MY desire, my want, my insistence, didn't work. Simply didn't work and you can see why. It came home as she helped me style it [and she takes absolutely NO blame in this first photo].
Over a period of a year I kept reducing the tree. It has been to 3 workshops, each time major work being done and now, after 4 years, I have a literati. If only I had done it in the first place. But a tutor is there to help you learn how to style your trees. The day a tutor tells, as in TELLS, you how to do your tree..listen and if you don't agree or are unsure, don't do it. They do mistakes too. But usually the ideas they give you, plus ideas from other attendees, open your eyes in ways you simply hadn't thought of. And there are also times you can attend a workshop and simply walk around and watch, not work on a tree. You learn heaps that way as well. And while I say it should have been done initially had I been more open and willing, the additional foliage that tree carried for the excess time helped it to grow and develop even more character. So the time wasn't entirely wasted. Well, it wasn't wasted at all. I developed my eye, my styling, my guts - that's a lot from one tree.
The last workshop was quite funny... I had two trees... Dragon Rising could have had the falling branch removed or the top knot. It was very much an everyone-participation in the decision and the decision was about 50-50. When I flashed the sidecutters and took off the topknot you could have heard a pin drop in the hall. See... that's it about workshops... you are not isolated, most people are very interested in what is going on and workshops are just great.
love it lee.
....but the mind is still cranking!!!