Page 9 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q1

them. When the firefighters arrived, they found Bill those world class athletes, Bill makes what he does Top; Tamogawa water pool
running in and out with arm loads of books. Many look easy. Not because it is, but because of the enor- stone from the Valavanis
of these books were priceless, irreplaceable historic mous effort in preparation that comes first. This is Collection. When Yuji
treasures. The firefighters tried to stop Bill from going true of all Bill’s endeavors. Yoshimura was 19 years old
(1940) he rode his bicycle
back, fearing for his safety. Undeterred he told them, International Bonsai Symposiums, Seminars and from his father’s bonsai
“either arrest me or let me finish.” Some books were Colloquiums have been providing in-depth and garden in Tokyo to Omiya
ultimately lost to fire or water as well as a number broad-ranging bonsai learning and fellowship for Bonsai Village and purchased
of boxes containing slides but a great deal of bonsai thousands of attendees for over 30 years. During that the suiseki from bonsai
history was preserved thanks to the devotion of this time, over one hundred world-class bonsai artists master and suiseki authority
Kyuzo Murata. At that time it
life-long scholar. Offers to help were received from have shared their expertise and many young artists was estimated to have been
around the world as friends learned of his loss. were given there first opportunity to reach a large au- appreciated by bonsai and
Bill has faced health issues that have caused him to dience thanks to Mr. Valavanis. Topics of special in- suiseki lovers for about 150
years. Mr. Valavanis purchased
break bones, wear casts, braces and use a scooter or terest such as shohin bonsai, suiseki and display have the suiseki at Yoshimura’s
crutches to get around. There are witnesses around been offered to broaden the appreciation of these arts. auction in 1975. The custom
the world that can testify that this may be inconve- The art of suiseki has long been appreciated by those made storage box was hand
nient but it has not slowed him down. In fact, he is in bonsai and it is an art that Toshiji Yoshimura crafted by Sean Smith and
the history of this suiseki was
even faster on his scooter and it seems to please him. shared with his son Yuji. Yuji Yoshimura authored written on the inside box
From house fires to health issues, he has faced many the earliest suiseki book in English and also shared cover in Japanese by Seiji
obstacles and challenges, each one overcome. Many this knowledge, insight and love of suiseki with Morimae.
times during his life he has been told something Bill. Through his magazine with in-depth features Middle; During the summer
season the Tamogawa water
could not be done and of course he chosen to do it as well as many seminars, workshops and lectures, pool stone is displayed in a
and do it well. and through his involvement with the International bronze water basin.
There was a void in bonsai in the USA that was talked Viewing Stone Symposiums, Bill has been instru-
about for many years, the lack of a national exhibition. mental in the growth understanding and apprecia-
It was said that it could not be done; it would be im- tion of the art of suiseki. Bill is also a cofounded and
possible. Bill decided to accept the challenge and risk the spiritual leader of the Suiseki Study Group of
so the first U.S. National Exhibition could be born on Upstate New York.
October 10, 2008. There have been two more, June 12–
13, 2010 and on June 9–10, 2012. The fourth is sched-
uled for September 13–14, 2014. They stand as historic
and important milestones in American bonsai and
the exhibition albums among the finest ever published
in quality of photographs and reproduction.
Bill has never followed sports but he does share some-
thing with world-class athletes. When fans think
they could perform like these athletes, what they see
is only the performance, not the dedicated training,
study, commitment and sacrifice that come first. Like

The Upstate New York Suiseki Study Group gave Mr. Valavanis this distant mountain suiseki which
was collected in New York state. The mountain range is similar in feeling to the highest peak of the
Mt. Olympus Mountain Range in Greece, the ancestral home of the Valavanis family. The daiza was
carved by Robert Blankfield, a member of the Upstate New York Suiseki Study Group.

January/February/March 2014 | BCI | 7