My good friend Chase Rosade calls one evening and mentions that every year his bonsai studio puts on a display at the Philadelphia Flower Show, and would I be interested in coming up for a day and doing some demonstrations and talk with the public about bonsai. Without hesitation I said yes. You see, Chase is more than a friend; he is like family.
Thursday morning, I and Sempai George headed of to the city of brotherly love to kick the bonsai into high gear. We arrived a bit early so we headed into China Town to see if we could find a store I remembered having sold bonsai and mudmen. We never found the store I remembered from years past, but did find a knick-knack store with bonsai, pots and mudmen. I couldn't resist - I bought one. Two guys sitting enjoying tea,one is white haired holding a tea cup the other dark haired holding a pipe it reminded me of George and I. We then proceeded to find a shop I have been going to for years called New China Book Store. Miss Lily runs the place and she is quite the accomplished artist. She wasn't there early in the morning but would be in the afternoon. I told the clerk I'd be back.
The flower show was crowed upon entry and the booth looked absolutely amazing. Chase and Solita really do an excellent job decorating and putting on one helluva bonsai display. Jack Sustic, curator of the USNA Bonsai collection, had a beautiful juniper raft forest that was breath-taking. The crowd was quite enthusiastic and all throughout the morning I styled little junipers and boxwoods. Soli brought lunch so we ate inside the little hut area the public can't see into. Its kind of neat going into the hut away from the busy crowd.
After lunch I headed into the city once again in search of some Sumi supplies. I was sad to hear that the Book Store was closing- where will I go for rice paper now? I guess I should go up during the closing sales and stock up.
Back at the flower show with rice paper, a new brush, blank scrolls, and a book and calendar given to me by Miss Lily, I ascended back up onto the stage area and worked with Chase and Sempai George on a few trees while answering questions from the crowd.
I really enjoy teaching people who no nothing about bonsai but are fascinated by the miniature trees. There are so many misconceptions out there surrounding bonsai. The best comment I heard was " Really I thought they grew from bonsai seeds." This poor lady had bought a kit from Barnes and Nobel that had a pot, dirt, and some seeds that never sprouted.
Through out the day and evening I tried my best to educate and inform the public that the art of bonsai is not some mystical Asian art with special seeds; it is horticulture and mechanical science combined with art. I told the one elderly couple "I take much better care of my trees in bonsai pots than I do with the ones planted in the ground-can't tell you the last time I fertilized the trees in the ground -but I can tell you the stats of every tree I own in a bonsai container."
As the evening set in and the show was an hour from closing we started packing up and saying our goodbyes getting ready for the 2 hr drive home. It was a great day and I had the most excellent time hanging with my Sempai, George, Chase and Soli along with the Rosade Bonsai Studios crew. I can only hope Chase invites us back next year - it was an honor to help out this year at the Philly Flower Show this year.
I'd like to close with this note it was great hanging with the Rosades and my Sempai but 2 things really made me smile- Rosade Bonsai Studio and the National Bonsai Foundation have collaborated to promote World Bonsai Day a day to celebrate Bonsai. This was started by the World Bonsai Friendship Federation which I am the Art Director and highly passionate about. John Naka and Saburo Kato are two men I hold in very high regard and I believe in their cause. The second was they used my artwork of John Naka's Goshin which sits at the USNA on the logo's and on their fliers being handed out. I am proud to be able to contribute artwork to the WBFF and to Rosade Bonsai Studio. Thanks for reading-see ya next time.
