Suiseki in California

CC ALIFORNIAALIFORNIA A A ISEKIISEKI K K AIAI Volume 37, Issue 6 June 2019

[In February I told you that I wrote a series of 24 articles for Aiseki Magazine which were translated into Japanese for the benefit of the primary audience. This month I will continue sharing those articles. The following was published in June 2013.]

My sensei, Harry Hirao, likes big stones, very big stones. By big, I mean 60 to 90 pounds (27K to 41K) – garden stones. What makes these monsters attractive is their natural shapes- mountains and islands, as well as their dense composition, from jade to serpentine, and their color, dark green to black. For 35 years, I chose to emulate my sensei. I have a lot of these huge stones collected from the Eel River that have all the qualities of suiseki except their size. Further, my wife, Nina, is attracted to monster stones and doesn’t hesitate to ask me to carry her treasures back to our van. Over the years these stones have not changed, but I have. I am no longer eager to move big stones. Today we have a couple of dozen 2 man (or 1 man and 1 woman) stones. So what have we done with these monsters or any stone that we might like to display outside as suiseki, regardless of weather conditions? By chance, during a bonsai workshop at Sensei Hirao’s studio in the late 1970’s a fellow student announced he was moving to Japan and was selling his bonsai and closing his automobile body and fender repair shop. He brought some trees and some material from his garage. One of the items was a can of Bondo®. The idea of using Bondo to mount a stone in an ideal position was discussed. I took the can home and experimented the next day. Bondo is a dense sludge, gray in color. A tube of catalytic converter is included with each can. When mixed as directed you have about 2-3 minutes for the reaction (heat production) to occur. If a stone is held in position until the Bondo solidifies one can create a perfect impression of the bottom of the stone. (The stone needs to be protected by putting oil on the part that will come in contact with the Bondo. Wrapping it in plastic wrap works, too.) Once the stone is removed, the Bondo mold is like a hunk of wood and can be shaped using wood working tools (avoid Bondo dust!)

June Program

Painted Tigers and Inflatable Bonsai: Just back from a trip to Japan, artist Richard Turner shares his perspectives on viewing stones and their display. (Ed Note: My favorite subject!) Don’t miss Richard on June 26th. (On June 1-2, Aiseki Kai members Ai Lan, Truong Dinh Uyen and Richard Turner participated in an exhibition of painting and sculpture in Westminster’s Little Saigon. The exhibition was held at the offices of Nguoi Viet, California’s foremost Vietnamese language newspaper. The opening ceremony featured the mayor of Westminster.)

Stone of the Month

continued on page 9

David Melitz suggested this month’s theme: a stone that was given to you and upon viewing that stone, you are pleasantly reminded of that person.

Butch Buddingh: (Above) Gift from Wanda Matjas, 6 x 2 x 4, Yuha (Below) Gift from the Ragles, 4 x 1.5 x 3, Yuha

The 1 inch wide inner m

argins are designed for use with a 3 hole punch.

VOLUME 37, ISSUE 6 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

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ANNOUNCEMENTS: We enjoyed meeting a guest, Chris Figueroa. Chris was introduced to us at our Huntington exhibit last December. Jesse Krong and Phil Chang have been spreading the word to 3rd grade children and to a women’s garden group. Go Jesse and Phil!

Stone of the Month: traditional suiseki or a viewing stone in the suiseki tradition. Measurements are in inches, w x h x d

Ann Horton 6.5 x 3.25 x 4.5 Eel River BJ Ledyard (The stand is 8 x 2.5 x 3.5)

Joseph Gaytan 9.5 x 5 x 4 “Winter” River in California

Jim Greaves 4.6 x 2.4 x 3 Central Coast, California

Hanna Povlsen 11 x 3 x 4 Mojave Desert

Joseph Gaytan 8 x 10.5 x 4.5 “Yosemite Firefall” River in California

May Meeting Notes

Hanne Povlsen 9.5 x 5 x 4.5 Eel River

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Jim Greaves 7.25 x 2.6 x 4.25 Southern Coast, California

Ann Horton 3.5 x 1.5 x 2.75 Whidbey Island, Washington

Buzz Barry 9 x 5 x 4.5 “Twin Peaks” Yuha Desert

Larry Ragle 9 x 7 x 4 Eel River

Jesse Krong 9.5 x 5 x 4 Amboy, California Nina Ragle: 11 x 3 x 6.5 Eel River

Phil Chang 6 x 4 x 6 Yuha Desert

Janet Shimizu 2.5 x 4 x 4 Death Valley

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John Mortensen 9.5 x 2.5 x3.25 Northern California Carol Mortensen 8.5 x 3 x 3.5 Northern California

Hanne Povlsen 5.5 x 2.5 x 2.5 Mojave Desert

Butch Buddingh 6.75 x 2 x 4.5 Yuha Desert Jack Levy 8.5 x 3 x 5 Yuha Desert

Nina Ragle 6.25 x 1 x 3 Boat stone Yuha Desert

John and Carol Mortensen 8 x 3.5 x 3 Northern California Jack Levy 5.25 x 2 x 2 Yuha Desert

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Jim Greaves introduced Charles (Chuck) Barker, our speaker for the meeting. Chuck and Jim met years ago at a stone show in Pennsylvania. Chuck lives in the Chicago area and has joined Aiseki Kai on two desert stone hunts. He is also interested in bonsai. Chuck's presentation focused on his trip to the Sixth Annual Nippon Suiseki Association Exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. He found Tokyo in general, and the museum where the show was held in particular, to be very welcoming environments. Upon entering the venue for the exhibition, Chuck was greeted by Mrs. Morimae (on the left) and her daughter Yuki (middle) who he had met a week earlier at her father’s bonsai garden in Hanyu. They are attending to the catalog sales.

The first stone that Chuck discussed is called Sue no Matsuyama, (below) and is a venerated 500 year old stone which was displayed in a circular bronze doban. The Nishi Hoganji temple in Kyoto, where this stone is normally housed, required a special “overseer” (Wil) to supervise its careful white glove handling and elaborate packing, and to escort it to Tokyo for this show.

Chuck went on to discuss viewing stone examples from the show under several topics. First was the impact of "Framing". The example from the show was a Sajigawa ishii called "Platform in the Sky",

shoku (table) with a scroll which reads (in translation) "Don't worry, everything will be fine". The presentation was referred to as a "Platform in a Frame". The Ragle stone appeared in one photo with Morimae san standing next to it (see next page). Morimae san is Administrative Director of the Nippon Suiseki

May Program Notes by Jack Levy

(above) and was a stone with a very flat top. This was compared with the Ragle's Eel River stone, (taka doha, below) which was presented in a daiza on a beautiful

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Chris Figueroa instigated a discussion of whether a stone should be cut to give it a flat bottom. Several members commented. The bottom line seems to be that it is a matter of personal preference whether a stone is diminished by cutting, or other manipulation processes. This is a topic that has come up repeatedly and no doubt will come up again.

feet. The stone was accompanied by an accent piece of a priest. There was a brief discussion of whether this accent piece was made of bronze or stone, or perhaps pottery. No conclusion was drawn on that point. The next photos showed a Kamagawa ishi, and

as a a newcomer to the discipline seeking deeper understanding, Chuck said that he was confused about this display. He said there is something to be said about provenance, but he was unsure how it fits into the notion of harmony. Provenance certainly can have deep personal meaning that can enhance one’s sense of harmony on an emotional level, not just visually. The stone has

Association and a well known and respected member of the suiseki community. The next topic that Chuck addressed was "Harmony". The first example under this category was a Yoshimagama ishi, (below) a fist sized stone

displayed in a daiza on a beautiful and somewhat elaborate red wood shoku, (some in the room thought the shoku over powered the stone) which in turn was on a blue-green cloth, which was on a jiban. The second example was a Sado akadama ishi, (below) a green and red mountain stone. In addition to

the complementary scroll, the outline of the accent crane echoed the outline of the stone as well as the colors. The red of this stone was brought out by the red color of the table upon which it was displayed.

A third example under the "Harmony" topic was a Neo kikka seki, or Chrysanthemum stone (above) This stone was also in the shape of a mountain stone with two peaks. The daiza on which this stone was presented was noteworthy for the presence of elaborate

The next stone featured was a very flat stone called "Barely There" (at left and below). It was displayed in a large rectangular suiban, and the rather flat top of the stone was barely above the level of the sand.

VOLUME 37, ISSUE 6 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI

The first was a rather delicate, two-tiered shoku, supporting a rather bulky stone that seemed a bit out of place and overbearing for the table (below).

The second shoku (below) had rather complex "screens" of carved floral designs at each end.

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In addition to the shoku above, what follows are three more examples of shoku Chuck said were “to die for”. There was unanimous agreement in the room.

a curvilinear form and pleasing dark patina set in a sim-ple, rectilinear, lemon yellow, suiban. The suiban was placed on a shoko with elaborately carved side panels.

Next was a Meiji Shrine Kitagamikawa, a dark green and brick red stone displayed on a daiza and two-tiered table (below). The somewhat reflective surface of this table and color of the wood enhanced the beauty of this subtle stone. This table was also one of Chuck’s “to die for” shoku.

The final portion of Chuck's presentation had to do with several shoku (tables) "to die for". In all of the following examples, one might argue that although each shoku was a tour-de-force of woodworking skill, the elaborate nature of the shoku distracted the attention of the viewer from the stone to a perhaps undue degree. Of course, not everyone was in agreement on the level of distraction.

A third shoku had four indelicate supports (legs) on each end, somewhat in the shape of stylized dolphins or fish standing on their tails. In this example, (below) the stone was placed on a piece of cloth before being placed directly upon the table.

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The final example that Chuck shared was the favorite stone of his wife, Alison. This was a mostly green stone, which almost looked like jade (but probably not), and which seemed to have a lot of motion, as flow of water, in its structure. It was presented on a red wood daiza which in

turn was on a red wood shoku, both a striking contrast to the green of the stone. Harmony seemed to be the most memorably elusive topic of the evening. The groups comments suggest it derives in part from repetition of prominent elements. The Akadama display (pg 6, bottom left) emphasized a two peak rightward moving suiseki echoed by the profile of its accent crane - both with red summits echoing the red sun in the scroll. The fall accent color of the Meiji shrine Kitagamikawa ishi (pg 7, bottom left) is as vibrant as crisp air can convey when paired with the shoku of the same color and reminiscent curves. Zen austerity imparts its calming, unifying influence in every element of the Barely There composition (pg 7, middle left). The harmony of these displays seem clear and accessible.

Another view of the previous shoku

The elegant shoku selected for the Ragle’s display

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and then can be painted or stained. The daiza is waterproof! The stand I made in my first attempt has been outdoors in all weather conditions from 25 to over 100 degrees F. (-4 to 38 C). Rain or shine, these daiza solved our monster stone problem.

~Larry Ragle

June 29 - 30, 2019 Oakland, California

San Francisco Suiseki Kai, California Suiseki Society, Bay Area Shohin Society, and California Shohin Society: Inaugural Bay Area Suiseki and Shohin Show, Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue Ave; 11 AM to 5 PM Sat, 11 AM to 4 PM Sunday. Suiseki Presentation on Sunday at 1 PM. Large vendor area. Please contact Lisa Harper at lisaharper@me.com, or call (510) 220-3339.

Suiseki in California continued from page 1

As I was waiting for an appointment with my accountant this morning, I was reading the May issue of Discover Magazine. On page 14 there is a one paragraph article under the heading "Geofact". I quote: "Water and wind can be tricksters. Over time, these erosional forces can sculpt rocks, shells, and other natural materials into shapes that appear to be the work of human hands (or those of our evolutionary ancestors). Sometimes amateurs and archaeologists alike mistake these geofacts -- a mashup of geology and artifact -- for stone tools, projectile points and even figurative art. Fortunately, science has tools to determine whether the object was fabricated, or just a fluke. And that's a fact." Also, there is a longer article on sand mining in Minnesota and Wisconsin on pages 22-25 that may be of some interest, as it goes a bit into the color and particle shape of these sands. Perhaps some such would be suitable for use in a suiban or doban. ~ Jack Levy

In Our Mailbox….

Aaron Finkbiner sent this photo of what was once his “Iguana” stone. He said, “What a difference a dai makes” and thus renamed it “Buffalo” stone. He found it in the Yuha Desert. 8 x 4.5 x 4

Ed Note: We are insanely grateful to Chuck for making the trip to California to present his beautifully prepared and informative program for our members. Aiseki Kai is wildly fortunate to have Chuck among us. Chuck has indicated that he will return with another program. Date TBA... We are delighted.

But how should we receive the message of the Kamagawa display? (Pg 6, bottom right, pg7 top left) Is the essence of the emotional message in the contrast of the curvilinear suiseki with the rectilinear suiban; the dark stone with the yellow suiban? Is it revealed in the calligraphy of the scroll? Is it hidden in an interplay or progression among the provenance of the different elements of the display? Chuck still struggles to understand how these items, each one lovely in its own right, cogently deliver their message as a composition. It’s as good a challenge as any to motivate a deeper dive into the nuance of a subtle, gentle art.

Program Notes continued from pg 8 [Chuck’s program was meant to be an interactive one with lots of exchange of ideas and opinions among those present. It is important to note that the reaction of the group was both welcome and stimulating, however there was no attempt to come to a consensus and that the reactions were ones of individuals but do not reflect a judgment of Aiseki Kai.]

Do you have something interesting you would like to share In Our Mailbox? Send it along and we will publish it, space permitting!

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A Letter from John Naka ~ 1996

June Contributors: Chuck Barker, Jack Levy, Ray Yeager, Larry Ragle. Mailing: Flash Partch Editor: Nina Ragle

Contact People

PAGE 11 CALIFORNIA AISEKI KAI VOLUME 37, ISSUE 6

Newsletter Committee

We hope you will participate. Please send any submissions to ragle@cox.net no more than 10 days following our monthly meeting. Thank you!

California Aiseki Kai meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7:30 pm at the Nakaoka Community Center located at 1670 W. 162nd St, Gardena, CA. Second floor. We do not meet in Nov-Dec.

Programs: Larry Ragle 949.497.5626 crimescene@cox.net Treasury/Membership: Nina Ragle 949.497.5626 ragle@cox.net Annual Exhibit: Jim Greaves 310.452.3680 jimgreaves@avsrc.org Exhibit Set Up: Marty Hagbery 909-257-9559 Refreshments: Janet Shimizu 310.822.6012 janet.shimizu46@gmail.com Beverages: Jack Levy 626.794-4572 jnlevy@earthlink.net Historian: Ray Yeager 760.365.7897 ryeager890@aol.com Webmail: Chris Cochrane 804.918.4636 sashaichris@gmail.com

John was not only a world renowned bonsai teacher, he was instrumental in helping us establish California Aiseki Kai as an arm of the California Bonsai Society. We are lucky that he had our back.

Thank you, Ray (Aiseki Kai historian) for sharing this bit of history with us. There is a whole new generation of people who never knew John Naka (1914-2004) and how important he was to our suiseki community.

Ragle P.O. Box 4975 Laguna Beach CA 92652

Coming Events

Leaves no stone unturned

ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

aisekikai.com

Thank you Jim Greaves, Buzz Barry, Janet Shimizu, BJ Ledyard, Joseph Gaytan, Jack Levy, and Naomi Yoshida for the May munchies June’s joyful snack attack will be provided by Kyra Haussler, the Ragles and…?

Check Golden Statements Magazine digital issue at gsbfbonsai.org for additional coming events

DESCANSO BONSAI SOCIETY 50th Annual Show, June 15-16, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada/Flintridge. Sales. Admission to the exhibition is free with admission to Descanso Gardens. The club will host a reception on Saturday night, 6-7, raffle at 8.

GSBF CONVENTION 42 “Bonsai Forever” October 24-27. Marriott Riverside Convention Center, 3400 Market St. Featuring Taiga Urushibata (Japan), Enrique Castano (Mexico) and Ryan Bell (USA). For more information: caryme@yahoo.com

IMPORTANT SALE Sam Edge has a new website with some 200 suiseki, stands and bonsai pots for sale. The URL is www.edgeartworks.com.

REDWOOD EMPIRE BONSAI SOCIETY 36th Annual show, August 24-25, Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Bldg, 1351 Maple Ave., Santa Rosa. Demos both days at 1:00 by Kathy Shaner. Sat 10-5, Sun 10-4. Sales, raffle, silent auction. More info: Bob Shimon at 707.884.4126 or simon@mcn.org

SAN FRANCISCO SUISEKI KAI 38th Annual Suiseki Exhibit, August 3-4, Union Bank Hospitality Room, Japan Center, 1675 Post Street, SF. Saturday 10-5, Sunday 10-4. Sales. For information, email sfsuiseki@gmail.com

JOHN NAKA MEMORIAL BONSAI EXHIBITION August 17-18, JACCC, 244 S. San Pedro St. L.A. 10-5 both days.

Refreshments