Page 73 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2016Q3

canvas has as much to say about the composition as bonsai. Smith became famous for treating every tree
the artist. The essence of the art of bonsai lies in being as if it were going to be a masterpiece. When he styled
able to see the tree that’s waiting to be born from the a piece of raw material, there would often be only a
raw material. Artists spend hours staring at a raw piece bare trunk, three branches, and a shoot at the top,
of material, formulating a plan for its future develop- where the apex would grow. Truth be told, he secretly
ment—replant it at a different angle; remove a branch relished the shocked expressions. He was the ultimate
here; nurse a nascent bud into a branch there. sculptor, cutting and chiseling and bending to create
Smith could see things in an instant that took most living art.
artists months to find. They would come to him with In his last years his failing eyesight seemed destined
a tree and describe their vision. “Well that’s not bad,” to end his love affair with bonsai. But his knowledge
Smith would say, staring at the plant intently. “But did of trunk, branch, and ramification was so finely tuned Jim gave the same
you ever think about doing this?” he would ask, rotat- he could feel the line, the branch structure, and work care and attention
ing the tree around until a new front appeared with a his magic mostly by touch. to the novice
more dramatic line. Smith checked himself into a nursing home in Vero who brought
For decades in Vero Beach, the fourth Sunday of Beach about 18 months ago, after health issues left him
each month was Bonsai under the Oaks, a free semi- fragile. True to character he began teaching bonsai to a bedraggled
nar that Smith gave for all interested. Jim gave the some of the staff and residents. garden-center tree
same care and attention to the novice who brought Two sons, Gregory and David Smith survive him. (derisively known
a bedraggled garden-center tree (derisively known as Grandson Douglas Smith and granddaughter Cheryl as “mall-sai”) as he
“mall-sai”) as he did to well-known artists who trav- Eakes and her son Tristan also survive him. His wife did to well-known
eled hours for some expert advice on making a single Wilma Elizabeth and three sons, Donald, Douglas, artists who traveled
change to a tree they had worked on for decades. and Mark preceded Mr. Smith in death. hours for some
Bonsai is an established art form with elaborate The family requests that donations be made to the
rules about composition, trunk angle and propor- Heathcote Botanical Gardens for the continuing sup- expert advice on
tion. Smith conducted hundreds of demonstrations port of the James J. Smith Bonsai Gallery, a testament making a single
around the Southeast where he styled trees for bonsai of appreciation to a man and his life’s work. Heathcote change to a tree
aficionados. Smith’s style was like the old joke about Botanical Gardens will be hosting a retrospective ex- they had worked
carving an elephant: He simply removed everything hibit and memorial honoring Mr. Smith to coincide on for decades.
that didn’t look like a bonsai. There was often little left. with his 91st birthday. The Gardens will be open free
Many canny professionals on the circuit would trim to the public, Saturday, September 24. The memorial
a tree and wire it into something that looked like a service for Jim’s many friends, students and family will
bonsai—knowing that it would please the audience, be held at 2:30 Sunday afternoon.
even if it prevented the tree from becoming a good

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Miriam Charles, director,
Heathcote Botanical Gardens,
772-342-5506
Robert Kempinski, 3
21-259-0832;
817-300-3569 cell
Tom Kehoe, longtime student,
321-537-4784
Jack Sustic, curator of the
bonsai collection at the National
Arboretum, 240-602-5769
Johann Klodzen, president of
the National Bonsai Foundation,
202-396-3510

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