Students pass certificate in Saikei

3 students have recently passed the certificate 2 in Saikei having completed all 3 units. Our congratulations go to them on their achievement.

International Saikei Association

The International Saikei Association is currently actively seeking new members arround the world so if you are interested please contact me.

Global Saikei

I am actively seeking those who are interested in Saikei from all over the world to find out what they would want from a global association dedicated to Saikei.

So if you have an interest in Saikei please email me on saikei@mail.com and let me know what you think.

Saikei Rocks

In the picture above you can see the rocks in place for a Saikei with a foundation of clay, sand, organic matter (OM) mix.

I was asked on Saturday where the best place to get rocks for Saikei is, well in my experience the best places to try are aquarium places as they tend to have rocks which have an interesting shape and often are varied in size.

In Saikei it is often best to try to get rocks of differing sizes so that you can position them to create different heights, thus avoiding a uniformed look. I will normally start with a main rock and then select other rocks with similar charecteristics to act as the 'supporting rocks'.

Remember that when you do Saikei you will vary the texture of the rocks to suit the style of Saikei you are creating, i.e. smooth rocks best suit lowland or lakeside Saikei, whereas rugged rocks will suit coastal or alpine compositions.

Sussex Group 30th Anniversary Show

The International Saikei Association attended the recent 30th anniversary show in Hove East Sussex of the Sussex Bonsai Group. During the 2 Days we gained 3 new members and a lot of interest in the art of Saikei. On the Saturday I did a demonstration of Saikei in the Coastal Style in which I was assisted in the creation by one of our members Paul Eslinger, I have posted pictures of this demonstration taken by Paul’s better half Brenda.

The Saikei was composed using Cryptomeria japonica ‘Yokohama’ and ‘ocean rock’ which turned out really well except for a slight empty space in the rear of the planting which will be filled by another Cryptomeria shortly; I will post pictures once done.

As you can see in the finished shot the rock is still a bit bright and will need to weather/age to truly become beautiful but the composition does reflect a coastal location.

The executive and members who attended the Green Lawns show are still recovering from a great weekend. During the weekend we had a great deal of interest from bonsai enthusiasts and the general public alike.

The demonstration of Saikei due to take place on the Sunday was moved to the Saturday and was watched by around 40 people. The style I chose for the day was an alpine gorge and you can see the results below all created in just over 2 hours including the preamble talk.


We have included some pictures of the show for your enjoyment. We hope to see some of you at the Sussex Bonsai Group show in Hove town hall on the 7th and 8th of August 2009.

International Association of Saikei Changes Name

I am happy to advise that the International Association of Saikei is changing its name to the International Saikei Association (ISA).

Bedfordshire Bonsai Society

I recently attended the Bedfordshire Bonsai Society who meet at Toddington Village Hall, to provide a demonstration of Saikei. I decided to do a riverbank arrangment with cryptomeria japonica "yokohama" and 2 heathers (name unknown). I based this arrangement on a picture that I recently saw of a river in Colorado USA. It will need to mature over the next 3 years to really portray the image I was aiming for.


I have included some pictures of the demo and results.






If you club is interested in a demo of Saikei let me know.

Saikei in the Alpine (Mountain) Style at Solent Bonsai Society March 2009

I started this demonstration outlining a bit about the history of Saikei. I then spoke about the styles of Saikei, Alpine, Lowland and Coastal and illustrated the ability of the artist to free themselves from convention and create any landscape they wish.

I then prepared the trees for the Saikei, explaining that alpine trees were often much thinner visualy than their lowland counterparts. After the trees were prepared I situated the rocks using a mix of Clay, Potting Compost and Sand which provided the foundation for the rocks. I was able to tip the pot so that the audience could see the position of the rocks without fear of them falling out (such is the binding capability of the Clay mix), then I explained that the roots were able to penetrate this clay mix due to the sand and potting compost.

Then I started to fill the planting areas with a standard Saikei soil mix of 40% potting compost, 40% sharp sand and 20% Akadama, explaining that we use a denser soil composition due to the need to "mold" the soil to give it an uneven surface so that it looks natural.

I placed the trees into the composition and filled in the rest of the planting area and covered with moss, although time was running short so I didnt manage to completely finish.

Overall I was quite pleased with the result although I am going to introduce a couple of alpine plants on the far right of the pot to accentuate the movement. Let me know what you think.

I will add a "Completed" photo when I can get it into the studio.

Saikei Show Green Lawns Bonsai Nursery 6th & 7th of June 2009

The International Association of Saikei will be displaying at Green Lawns Bonsai Nursery in Suffolk on the 6th and 7th of June 2009. I will be giving a demonstration of Saikei on the 7th. We will need help on the days from members to cover the stands. Also displaying will be various Bonsai groups including the British Shohin Society.

About the International Association of Saikei IAoS

The IAoS is a worldwide association which aims to promote Saikei and develop the skills and knowledge of its members. The IAoS promotes Saikei by attending shows and giving Demonstrations. With members in 8 countries the IAoS is hoping to provide a central point for those interested in the art of Saikei.

Anyone wishing to join the IAoS can contact me and I will point you in the right direction.

Welcome

Welcome to my blog page. I will be posting items about Saikei and my work with the International Association of Saikei.