Sorry Kendall, couldn’t wait to start this tread. Please feel free to create the official one instead…
Is it just me or others think this stream was wild? absolutely incredible tree. Fantastic final result even if it wasn’t styled. Crazy pot - although I have to admit I still prefer the half-crescent one (you can check it in the stream at 1:09:30) but I guess it couldn’t hold the weight of an upside-down tree with so much deadwood. You may not believe me but I dreamt all night about grafting and then cutting the grafts. Just amazing. Keep on with the crazy stuff every now and then Ryan - I just wanted the team at Mirai to know that it was an absolutely success, one for the books and you should not shy away from these in the future. The video about the ceramics firing was also amazing as the video productions always are, the music, production and artistic sensitivity in the videography. Congrats.
0_0 WOW… grafts,… protecting grafts,… redistribution of resources from grafted material to native RMJ… borer damage to live vein… turn the tree upside down…and then…magical beautiful ceramics!! 0_0
I know that the video of the ceramic creation and kiln were the topic, and I enjoyed the video, but I wish the live stream had stayed with Ryan to observe the wrapping and bending of the juniper branches and roots. I learn the most by watching, even though it has been presented before. Every time I watch I learn better techniques and very importantly why these advanced techniques work better than the failed stuff I have been taught… and have repeatedly failed with. The video is great, just wish it was offered as a blog and the time spent on the tree was live from beginning to the end. Thank you for this crazy journey.
This tree would not be a good one for most artists to work with, until it was strengthened in a growing box or pot to ensure the native foliage was strong and established on the grafted roots. Would not that be the recommended plan for greatest survival?
I did love the stream. And the end product was beautiful. A true Mirai in every aspect. I was hoping for something a little more down to earth as far as more general information about ceramics. I don’t know what makes a good pot what makes a bad pot, so for me this stream was a little advanced. More of a “ceramics primer” is what I was expecting.
That said the stream was amazing, and it’s very likely the information I’m after is already somewhere in the archive. The production and cinematic at the kiln firing was amazing and incredibly done.
What did we all learn, like, dislike, were challenged by, want to know more about, etc. about each week’s stream.
This week we focused on a repotting of of a beautiful collected Rocky Mountain Juniper into a new Jan Rentenaar anagama wood fired ceramic.
In this stream we featured the amazing work of Jan Rentenaar (the artist that made the pots) and touched on a diverse range of technique and concept such as: graft protection, ceramic functionality/features, selecting a front, seasonal timing, etc.
Free form bonsai containers offer an additional potting option. I am not completely sure of the criteria when free form is a better choice but the first one that comes to mind would be very wild looking yamadori. Free form pots might be able to convey the ruggedness of the environment that created the unique characteristics of the tree(s). Conventional containers while very beautiful often have smooth, regular lines. Free form by the very name suggests something completely different. Still creating an affective free form shape and colour is no easy task. Having said that, a wild looking free form pot would not suit most trees. Besides we need variety in our trees and our pots.
