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Golden Bonsai Nursery Jin and Shari Demo
with Rich Perricone, page 1
with Rich Perricone, page 1
For those who aren’t familiar, Rich Perricone is the owner of Farmingdale’s Golden
Bonsai. He is also the President of the Bonsai Society of Greater New York, and we
were fortunate enough to have him give the club a demonstration on Jin and Shari
techniques. Originally slated to be held at the Farmingdale University’s green houses
across the street, we changed venues just before start over to the Golden Bonsai
greenhouse. After a short scurry to get some better lighting going, we were ready to
begin. Though it was already dark out, many of the club members had the chance to
wander around the nursery and see some of Rich’s fantastic stock before we got
started.
Before the demo, he showed us several new pieces he’d acquired, including a
fantastic, if a little shabby, juniper raft, garden grown for fifty years. Also several
boxwoods, including a slightly unconventional boxwood literati. The largest of the
boxwoods, field grown for the last fifty years as well, was truly astounding. The
smallest was a cutting from that largest boxwood’s mother plant, and approximately
the size this one was when it was planted out fifty years ago.
Three door prizes, donated by a member of the club who unfortunately couldn’t be
there that evening, were also given out. A spruce bonsai found a new home with one
of the newest members of the society, here on her first visit, and two jades were also
given out.
Bonsai. He is also the President of the Bonsai Society of Greater New York, and we
were fortunate enough to have him give the club a demonstration on Jin and Shari
techniques. Originally slated to be held at the Farmingdale University’s green houses
across the street, we changed venues just before start over to the Golden Bonsai
greenhouse. After a short scurry to get some better lighting going, we were ready to
begin. Though it was already dark out, many of the club members had the chance to
wander around the nursery and see some of Rich’s fantastic stock before we got
started.
Before the demo, he showed us several new pieces he’d acquired, including a
fantastic, if a little shabby, juniper raft, garden grown for fifty years. Also several
boxwoods, including a slightly unconventional boxwood literati. The largest of the
boxwoods, field grown for the last fifty years as well, was truly astounding. The
smallest was a cutting from that largest boxwood’s mother plant, and approximately
the size this one was when it was planted out fifty years ago.
Three door prizes, donated by a member of the club who unfortunately couldn’t be
there that evening, were also given out. A spruce bonsai found a new home with one
of the newest members of the society, here on her first visit, and two jades were also
given out.
| 50 year old field grown Kingsville Boxwood |
| Shimpaku Juniper with extensive Jin and Shari |
| Juniper Raft |
| Boxwood cutting and literati |
After showing us several of his own previous work with Jin and Shari, and sharing the pedigree of one of his pieces
(the Juniper shown on the left. The whole story I am sorry to say I didn’t write down… darn my memory, next time
I’m there I’ll ask him about it again and write it down this time!), Rich showed us our two trees from which the club
could chose from. Once finished, the tree would become part of the club’s collection. Two “Hollywood” junipers,
both collected early this past spring, had come far enough to be able to be worked on. Though not as common as
Shimpaku or Chinese junipers in bonsai, Hollywood junipers have some great features that make them perfect for the
art. They have the soft, scale foliage, rather than the sharp needle foliage of some other varieties. Easily pinched,
forgiving species, the red undertone to the bark is particularly appealing.
We decided on the smaller of the two trees, though neither is small by any stretch of the imagination! While the first
tree had great qualities, the sheer expanse of non-living trunk on the second tree made it particularly suited to the
demo, with more work possible on it in a shorter span of time (i.e. the evening!).
(the Juniper shown on the left. The whole story I am sorry to say I didn’t write down… darn my memory, next time
I’m there I’ll ask him about it again and write it down this time!), Rich showed us our two trees from which the club
could chose from. Once finished, the tree would become part of the club’s collection. Two “Hollywood” junipers,
both collected early this past spring, had come far enough to be able to be worked on. Though not as common as
Shimpaku or Chinese junipers in bonsai, Hollywood junipers have some great features that make them perfect for the
art. They have the soft, scale foliage, rather than the sharp needle foliage of some other varieties. Easily pinched,
forgiving species, the red undertone to the bark is particularly appealing.
We decided on the smaller of the two trees, though neither is small by any stretch of the imagination! While the first
tree had great qualities, the sheer expanse of non-living trunk on the second tree made it particularly suited to the
demo, with more work possible on it in a shorter span of time (i.e. the evening!).
| The tree we did choose. |
| The tree we didn't chose. |
| Both "Hollywood" Junipers |
While Rich chose a front, he talked about various events in the natural
world that could cause a jin or a shari to occur on a tree in the wild.
Different techniques and end results can be used to simulate and evoke a
lightening strike or insect damage. As he turned to us, asking what style of
deadwood we would like to see presented in this tree, the mixed calls of,
“Lightening! Carpenter Ants! An avalanche!” quickly decided our course of
action.
“Alright, an insect infested tree that was hit by lightening, after an
avalanche.”
So much for simplicity!
world that could cause a jin or a shari to occur on a tree in the wild.
Different techniques and end results can be used to simulate and evoke a
lightening strike or insect damage. As he turned to us, asking what style of
deadwood we would like to see presented in this tree, the mixed calls of,
“Lightening! Carpenter Ants! An avalanche!” quickly decided our course of
action.
“Alright, an insect infested tree that was hit by lightening, after an
avalanche.”
So much for simplicity!
| Choosing a Front |
While much of the presentation would be focused around power tools and
their uses in bonsai jin and shari techniques, there’s nothing that quite beats
the more basic tools. Of all of the tools I expected Rich to pull out, a
linoleum cutter was certainly not on the list. It was, however, one of the first
tools to hit the tree (after a brief introduction to his dremel and a careful
outline of the living vein that would remain.). I have to admit, that there
was nothing more suited to the initial removal of the bark on this section of
the trunk. As the living branches and foliage had only been removed a few
days ago, the wood was still mostly green and, with the exception of a few
rough spots, very easy to remove by hand. Had the wood gotten a chance to
completely die off, we would have been more likely to see the power tools
in action much sooner.
their uses in bonsai jin and shari techniques, there’s nothing that quite beats
the more basic tools. Of all of the tools I expected Rich to pull out, a
linoleum cutter was certainly not on the list. It was, however, one of the first
tools to hit the tree (after a brief introduction to his dremel and a careful
outline of the living vein that would remain.). I have to admit, that there
was nothing more suited to the initial removal of the bark on this section of
the trunk. As the living branches and foliage had only been removed a few
days ago, the wood was still mostly green and, with the exception of a few
rough spots, very easy to remove by hand. Had the wood gotten a chance to
completely die off, we would have been more likely to see the power tools
in action much sooner.
| Manual carving with a linoleum cutter. |
I was able to assist Rich during parts
of the demonstration, though this is
the only picture I have of me doing
anything. A very clear indicator of
how fresh the wood was remained on
my hands for the rest of the night in
the form of a lovely sticky sap. If I
didn’t *like* the smell of juniper, this
would have been a problem
of the demonstration, though this is
the only picture I have of me doing
anything. A very clear indicator of
how fresh the wood was remained on
my hands for the rest of the night in
the form of a lovely sticky sap. If I
didn’t *like* the smell of juniper, this
would have been a problem
| Helping out. |
| This is my new favorite tool for large area jin and shari. |
Rich used the power tools to remove
the remainder of the bark where it had
dried out too much to be easy to
remove by hand. He was also sure to
mention that any of us attempting this
at home should be wearing all of the
proper safety equipment, goggles in
particular!
the remainder of the bark where it had
dried out too much to be easy to
remove by hand. He was also sure to
mention that any of us attempting this
at home should be wearing all of the
proper safety equipment, goggles in
particular!
| Man on the move. |
| Yay for power tools! |
A high powered butane torch was implemented to burn off the “fuzzy” burs of
wood left behind. As wood is a very poor conductor of heat, and the foliage
that the tree did have was far enough away, there was little issue with using
the open flame (small though it was) on the wood we were working on. If
there had been a living vein next to the area we were working on considerably
more care would need to be taken.
I have no pictures of the next step, as I was helping Rich. We used raffia to
cover the living branch, what was to be our second trunk. Using wet raffia on a
branch this size required one more hand than any of us possess. The dampness
of the raffia helped protect the bark from cracking as we’d be bending the
branch just far enough away from the main trunk to keep it out
of harms way when Rich *really* went to town with the dremel. Several
windings of wire, a branch bender and another club member later (I just didn’t
have the strength to hold down the pot as the branch was being bent!), we
were ready to start again.
wood left behind. As wood is a very poor conductor of heat, and the foliage
that the tree did have was far enough away, there was little issue with using
the open flame (small though it was) on the wood we were working on. If
there had been a living vein next to the area we were working on considerably
more care would need to be taken.
I have no pictures of the next step, as I was helping Rich. We used raffia to
cover the living branch, what was to be our second trunk. Using wet raffia on a
branch this size required one more hand than any of us possess. The dampness
of the raffia helped protect the bark from cracking as we’d be bending the
branch just far enough away from the main trunk to keep it out
of harms way when Rich *really* went to town with the dremel. Several
windings of wire, a branch bender and another club member later (I just didn’t
have the strength to hold down the pot as the branch was being bent!), we
were ready to start again.
| Use of heat. |
| More power tools. |
| Needs a hand. |