Page 11 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q3

While discussing the natural Penjing features of the
local islands and this passion for stones that had cap-
tivated me, a local Bonsai club member referred me
to Covello and Yoshimura’s book, The Japanese Art of
Stone Appreciation. This seemingly esoteric book was
revelatory in broadening my artistic sensibilities. It
made so much sense to elevate these rocks into presen-
tations; their dynamic forms were already doing so in
my mind’s eye. I had never seriously worked in wood
before this but felt driven to reproduce as best I could
the bases pictured in this book. By reviewing as many
other publications on the subject as possible, using
a magnifying glass to analyze every pictured stone’s
base, I reinvented methods for myself to mount these
stones. That was only because the afore mentioned
seating techniques were not clear on how to deal with
some of the larger balanced pieces that were being
harvested. Also, the predominant literature on the
Japanese style of diazas didn’t feel appropriate for the
types of stones that I was finding. The qualities of col-
or, patina, hardness, size, shape and suggestion were
simply not there. With publications about Chinese
Gongshi, particularly Kemin Hu’s work, I realized that
I could take more liberty in presenting these stones.
Though I had neither the aspiration nor skill in carv-
ing organic Chinese motif bases, I was never the less
inspired upon seeing vertical, balanced, multi-colored
and most of all abstract stones of all sizes displayed as
art. But at the core, studying the cultural traditions
of both Japanese and Chinese stone presentation was
instrumental in developing my understanding of the
Top; 25 x 5 x 4 inches. This pre-
senting side always felt “stern”
to me and led to the name
“Grand Duchess.” The other
side however, to continue the
metaphor, actually has a smile.
Base; two-piece Walnut.

Bottom; 10 x 11 x 5 inches.
Untitled. This limestone piece
has interesting geologic roots.
The material was created ap-
proximately 440 – 420 million
years ago, during the Siluvian
age, from biologically gener-
ated Calcium Carbonate at the
bottom of an ancient ocean.
This structure, now an escarp-
ment, extends from western
New York state, through Ni-
agara Falls, Lake Huron, along
Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,
and down into Wisconsin’s
Door Peninsula. These stones
are randomly scattered about
the region and are quite rare
in this form. They are however
easily identified underwater
due to their light color despite
being covered in algae. They
also often contain fossils. Base;
Cherry.

July/August/September 2014 | BCI | 9