The Way of Bonsai™
"Trained in Japan and China...Practicing in America"
Hello Everyone! Thanks for stopping by!
I have traveled around the U.S. several times since finishing my apprenticeship in Japan and have met many bonsai enthusiasts and professionals along the way. However, I have seldom met anyone who knows how to place wire on a tree correctly. I thought I would show an example of my wiring technique. I think of wiring as a puzzle and if I don't put it on correctly, I will make the effort to remove the wire and try again. The black pine shown above is shohin in size. The picture was taken immediately after pruning and wiring the tree. I hope you like it!
For those of you who do not know me, I have lived in Japan for over seven years, most of it spent working with bonsai. I completed my apprenticeship at TaiShoEn in Shizuoka, Japan. I was trained by Mr. Urushibata, director of the Japan National Small Bonsai Guild of Nurserymen. Before entering into the apprenticeship, I worked at KoJuEn in Kyoto, Japan where I worked for Mr. Masumi, also a director of the Japan National Small Bonsai Guild of Nurserymen. It was Mr. Masumi who introduced me to Mr. Urushibata and helped arrange for my apprenticeship. I owe much to these two professionals. Due to their support, I learned from them and many other professionals, semi-professionals, and serious amateurs. I have worked on everything from emperor bonsai down to shohin bonsai. I am recognized by the Japan National Small Bonsai Nurserymen's Guild as a journeyman bonsai nurseryman.
I will use this website to give you a glimpse of what I have done in Japan and China and the many possibilities that are available to someone interested in creating bonsai. Using basic horticultural techniques and design principles, I create living artistic compositions. Anyone can learn these techniques and principles. I find joy in bonsai because there is always something new to learn if you are willing to leave yourself open to new experiences and change.
For
those of you interested in accessory plantings, you will find that people who
work with shohin often use several bonsai and an accessory planting to create a
composition. I find the development of accessory plantings to be a relaxing
distraction from the day to day work of creating bonsai. Many people actually
attend bonsai exhibitions not for the bonsai, but for the accessory plantings!
The fern and moss covered pottery is one of my favorites. The
stack of broken pots are actually fused together. Hundreds of years ago this
mistake occurred during the firing of the pottery and thus dumped on the rubbish
heap along with all the rest of the discarded pottery. I have given the pottery
new life as a vessel for holding the moss and fern, as if they naturally grew in
the pots. I often try create compositions that embody the Japanese philosophy of
'wabi-sabi' as I understand it.
Contact Information
I try to limit the amount of time I spend on the computer each day. Therefore, I may not always have the time to return your email. I apologize in advance if that should occur. However, I hope that this website may be of some assistance to you. Once again, thank you for stopping by!
Patrick J. deSilva 'Jake'
The Way of Bonsai™
Telephone 518.439.3921
FAX
Postal address 58 Cherry Ave., Delmar, NY 12054
Electronic mail
- General Information: jake@thewayofbonsai.com
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Webmaster: jake@thewayofbonsai.com