Established:1973 A-19332L

Newsletter March 2016

Next meeting at 7.30pm, Monday 7 March 2016.

Sponsored by:

OLOGY

Supplying specialist potting mix components for Bonsai growers.

Currently in stock. Mount Sylvia Diatomite, Zeolite, 5-7mm Pine nuggets, Pumice and Sphagnum moss.

Our aim is to save you time and money.

Ology.net.au Damian 0412 698 259

CLUB DETAILS

www.bonsainorthwest.com.au

PO Box 1091, Niddrie Victoria 3042

Meetings are held at The Aberfeldie

Community Club, Batman St Essendon,

7:30pm on the first Monday of the month

(no meeting in January)

President: David Nassar

Phone: Barry 0422 619 641

Find us on Facebook.

Twitter: #BonsaiNorthwest

Electronic Newsletter To receive your newsletter electronically email

bonsainorthwest@hotmail.com

‘Like us’ on Facebook If you have a Facebook account, go to our new Facebook site and

‘Like Us’. http://www.facebook.com/bonsainorthwest

Ology.net.au - Damian 0412 698 259

Sponsored by:

178 Forrest St. Ardeer, VIC 3022

Melway ref. 26 A12

Tel: (03) 8390 0942 Mob: 0425 795 352

Open: 9am – 5pm, 7 days

After hours please contact by phone

Vale Graham Rowe

Our meeting this month will feature an exciting demonstration by our member Matthew Robison. Matt will be giving a crash course on how he has made bonsai using the following methods, growing a bonsai from seeds or cuttings, refining an existing bonsai, air-layering, creating bonsai from regular nursery stock as well as stock purchased from a bonsai nursery and finally, yamadori. He will be discussing the techniques he has used as well as helpful advice he has picked up along the way. There will be examples for each of the categories mentioned above and hopefully everyone will see how easy it can be to make a bonsai. An example of Matt’s yamadori progressions is on the right and reflects what he will discuss on the night. (He will not bring this tree in as it is too big and heavy). The Library will be open from 7.00pm and will close at 8.00pm. The Sales table will be open.

Graham Rowe passed away on 1 February, his health had been declining for several years. He grew bonsai for most of his life, starting as a teenager in Shepparton in the late 1950's. There was not much information available about bonsai in Australia at that time, much less in Shepparton. One of his earliest bonsai experiments was short of a pot, so he planted it in the skin of half an orange. He was a member of the Victorian Bonsai Society for many years, and when it became difficult to get there he also joined Bonsai Northwest. About 30 years ago he decided to focus more on his bonsai, he stopped working full time and spent two days every week, in addition to weekends, working on his collection. He talked about them as his superannuation. Graham was a talented craftsman, a sculptor by training, a teacher, woodworker and potter, he made many pots for his bonsai and collected some outstanding pots from Japan. We will miss this talented man

As a wonderful final gesture, his family has decided to donate his remaining bonsai collection to the club as would have been Graham’s wish. As such we will have Graham’s trees for sale at the March meeting. These are made up of bonsai stock plants including Chinese elms, trident maples, Japanese maples and a few other pieces. Great opportunity for beginner’s to pick up some well grown bonsai stock. Most range in price from $5 to $40 and all proceed go directly to the club.

Bonsai Northwest Inc.

Sponsored by:

178 Forrest St. Ardeer, VIC 3022

Melway ref. 26 A12

Tel: (03) 8390 0942 Mob: 0425 795 352

Open: 9am – 5pm, 7 days

After hours please contact by phone

Coming Events

Last Meeting – Workshop

Wow, a massive workshop night in February with a huge turnout of members and trees. Hope you all enjoyed and

took home some valuable knowledge.

5th SYMPOSIUM ON AUSTRALIAN PLANTS AS BONSAI Australian National Botanic Gardens, Canberra 27 - 28 February 2016 NBPCA Bonsai Week Canberra 29 February - 6 March 2016 MORNINGTON PENINSULA ANNUAL EASTER BONSAI SHOW Balcombe Grammar, 389 Nepean Hwy Mount Martha 26 March - 27th March BENDIGO BONSAI CLUB EXHIBITION Uniting Church Hall, Forest St. Bendigo 26 March - 28 March YARRA VALLEY BONSAI SOCIETY SALE DAY Japara Living and Learning Centre, 54 - 58 Durham Rd

Kilsyth Sunday 13 March 2016 10am - 1pm

For years Bonsai Today magazine was the premier English language bonsai magazine. It contains “how-to” articles from most of the world's greatest bonsai masters and also features galleries of the very best bonsai. In May/June 2007, Bonsai Today (issue 109) merged with one of the leading bonsai magazines in the world, Bonsai Europe (issue 86), and a new magazine called Bonsai Focus was formed. (Bonsai Focus continues the issue numbers for both Bonsai Today and Bonsai Europe). It is the same high quality of the previous magazines, containing articles from Japan, US, and Europe. Our Club Library has the full set of Bonsai Today and continues to subscribe to Bonsai Focus. Check them out!

Library News – Bonsai Today Magazine

Beginners’ class

Another educational and exciting beginners’ class run at BNW. Thank you to all participants, helpers and Ian for

running the class.

Bonsai by Numbers (or Application of the Golden Section to Bonsai) by Ian Barnes

There’s a mathematical ratio commonly found in nature (the ratio of 1:1.618) that is called the Golden Section, the

Gold Ratio or the Golden Mean. Occasionally it is also called the Golden Number, Divine Proportion or Golden Proportion, Fibonacci Number, or Phi.

The Golden Section is a Law of Proportionality. It is a law that occurs frequently in nature and its use is particularly

useful in Art. First developed by Vitruvius, it is most famously known from Leonardo Da Vinci's 1509 drawing “The

Divine Proportion”.

Essentially the law states that two unequal parts of a whole must be in relationship to each other to create a satisfactory image to the eye. Numerically, the Golden Section is approx. 1.618034 or the ratio 38% to 62%. This proportion is said to create an ideal proportion between two objects or two parts of a whole.

The Golden rectangle, divided into two parts using The Golden spiral, where the spiral is marked out the Golden Section ratio of 38%:62%. traversing successive edges of golden section rectangles.

The spiral can also be formed by connecting the arcs (quarter circles) joining opposite corners of the squares.

The Golden Section proportion/ratio reoccurs throughout Nature, including our own bodies.

Golden Ratio in the human body. Within our own faces, in the relationships The spiral exists in many natural forms between eyes, ears, mouth and nose, the such as shells, goat horns, hurricanes, Golden Section can be found. and the Milky Way galaxy.

Recognition of the Golden Section in inanimate and artistic endeavours therefore feels “right” to the eye and creates a

feeling of satisfaction and harmony within an image.

The Golden Section ratio also appears in what is known as the Fibonacci Series. This is a sequence of numbers where

each number is the sum of the two preceding numbers: 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 34 55 89 etc. (0+1=1, 1+1=2, 1+2=3, 2+3=5, 3+5=8 ...)

The ratio of two successive numbers in this sequence is approximately equal to the Golden Section.

This numerical sequence frequently occurs in nature. For example, the flower of a rose will have spirals of 3 petals in

one direction, and 5 petals in the other; a pine cone will have 8 spirals in one direction and 13 spirals in the other.

Leonardo Da Vinci, searching for mathematical laws governing nature, found that the circumference of the trunk of a tree at its central point was exactly the same as the circumferences of the primary branches added together and that

the circumference of the primary branch was the same as the circumference of the sum of the secondary branches

and so on. This can be modelled as a Fibonacci Tree. Starting with a branch, after a certain period of time it splits into two smaller branches: a main one and a sapling. In the next time period the sapling stays the same size as it

grows to adulthood, while the main branch once again splits into two. And so on.

Da Vinci drawing of the branches of a tree. The Fibonacci tree.

The black numbers to the right indicate how many branches there are at each time step (the Fibonacci sequence). The small blue numbers next to each branch indicate how wide the branch is.

Da Vinci also noted that there was a 1/3 to 2/3 height relationship between the optical height of the crown and the

trunk of a tree.

Finally, the Golden Section gives rise to the “Two Thirds Rule” within art. It involves creating a place of emphasis or focus within the composition. The point of emphasis is found by dividing the art work into three parts vertically and

then horizontally; where the dividing lines meet (there are four points) are supposedly aesthetically pleasing places to put the focus.

The Fibonacci Spiral in black, and the Rule This painting has been divided into thirds in of Thirds in pink. Close! accordance with the Two Thirds Rule and the

Golden Section. This composition creates harmony to the eye because the main focus points are placed along aesthetically pleasing lines; the objects are asymmetrically placed according to the ratio.

The Golden Section and Bonsai

Every time two design elements are placed in conjunction with each other, there is an opportunity to satisfy the rules of the Golden Section. From the dimensions of the pot in relation to the bonsai, the distances between each branch

level as it ascends up the trunk of the tree, to the position of planting within the pot, the Golden Section can be

applied. The asymmetry of the Golden Section is used throughout the Art of Bonsai; from avoidance of symmetrical positioning and asymmetrical triangular patterns to the use of odd (rather than even) numbers.

Compare this Bonsai branch to Da Vinci’s drawing and the Fibonacci tree.

John Naka, in his book Bonsai Techniques 1, describes the “golden section of division” and shows how this applies to

Bonsai design.

The geometry of the Golden Section. The rule applied to the height of a bonsai

and the first branch position 1/3 of the height up the trunk.

The examples shown below demonstrate excellent use of the Golden Section. Notice how not only the overall line follows the path of diagonal thrust within the Golden Rectangle, but the points of intersection in the Rectangle can be

easily seen to match key points in the tree design. The point of a jin, the angle of a branch, the outline of a foliage mass, the curve of the nebari, can be planned using the Golden Section.

Tree by Kimura. Tree by Kimura. Tree by Paul Chong (Canada).

The Golden Section is a practical means of achieving a harmonious balance between the elements which comprise a

bonsai; most importantly, those of shape, space, and line.

Consider using the Golden Rectangle as a template. Consider what your planting angle might be, where you may

bend a branch, develop a foliage mass, determine the length of a jin.

By understanding the principles of the Golden Section it is possible to positively apply them in many ways when styling your trees.