Page 46 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2015Q1

Convention. François continued to impress when we
had the opportunity to visit his home and garden and
his impeccable bonsai collection in Mulhouse, France.
François studied at the École des Beaux Arts in Mul-
house, where he majored in illustration, photography
and advertising. His work continues to earn him the
deserved adjective of a multifaceted artist. His paint-
ings are superb and have even been exhibited in Kyoto,
Japan. His sculptures and ceramics are unique reflect-
ing his respect for the creative work of nature and his
new Land’art using gold leaf on rocks is remarkable.
His books on aesthetics and techniques of bonsai have
been translated into several languages. His most re-
cent book on bonsai deadwood and contributions to
bonsai magazines around the world are essential for
the bonsai lover. There seems to be no limit to his ar-
tistic creativity!
We have spent hours together remembering our
great bonsai master, John Naka. We talk about John’s
continuing influence in our lives.
François’s bonsai design, his shaping techniques,
his work on dead wood and his mild way of teaching
have shaped his renowned mastery since he discov-
ered bonsai back in the early ’80s.
My husband Chase and I are lucky to have expanded
our own bonsai horizons with François and his wife
Betty. What a privilege and pleasure it is to observe his
work on bonsai and to actually work with him.
Undoubtedly next September’s BCI 2015 Conven-
tion in Guangzhou, China, will be an enormous suc-
cess. The presence of François demonstrating is simply
Above: Picea abies forest. All the trees for this forest were collected in the Swiss Alps near his home,
between 1984 and 1985. Two years later, he used them to create this spruce forest that measures an added bonus for us all!
over a meter and a half wide. He added two dead trees to the composition to honor the memory of
his teacher, the late Saburo Kato.
Below: François’ beautifully manicured garden and impeccable bonsai trees in Alsace. Its design was
inspired by the small Kyoto Zen gardens.

44 | BCI | January/February/March 2015