Hal Mahoney's Saikei Demonstration
Thomas L. Zane
Island, NY presented a 2 hour saikei lecture and demonstation. Hal is a
retired science teacher and teaching administrator and is a superb
instructor.Following is a summery of his presentation.
Bonsai = tray plant
Bonkei = tray landscape
Saikei = plant landscape
The difference between a bonsai forest planting and a saikei is that saikei
is a bigger slice of nature, a broader piece of the environment, a more
complete miniature scene with expanded elements of depth. Major elements in
creating this illusion are:
Depth. One tries to create a 1000 mile vista in a 20 inch tray. Large rocks
and trees are place forward in the composition, mediium size ones midway and
small ones in the rear.Create a 3-D look by having height and size placed in
layers, much like a good landscape painting.
Converge. A stream which converges as it proceeds to the rear, much as a set
of railroad tracks appear to converge, creates the illusion of
distance/depth.
Curve. If the stream curves at its distant point and one cannot see its end,
the mind sees the stream as continuing for another 100 miles.
All rocks must be in harmony with each other - of the same geological type.
If one has horizontal striations, none should have vertical or slanted
striations.
In constructing the saikei, begin with the stream bed. Select rocks, large
ones in the front and smaller ones in the rear. Once they are placed in the
tray as you wish, outline them on the tray and remove. Place a sheet of wax
paper on the tray. (You can see the outline thru the paper.) Mix a batch of
instant cement which sets up within 5 minutes - Hal uses something called
"Waterplug". It is gray and matches his Ying-tak rocks.. Put a blob of cement
on the wax paper where a rock will go, and press the rock into it. Smooth the
cement up and onto the edges of the rock.Continue this, cementing the rocks
together and onto a common base of cement. Remove the rocks as a single
cemented unit and discard the wax paper. Put screen over the drain holes.
He used three juniper procumbens nana. A small one gallon nursery plant, a
medium size one gallon nursery plant and a two gallon nursery plant. The ones
he selected have multiple branches which grow horizontal from just above the
single trunk base. He wired each branch and at some point on the branch he
bent it in an upright 90 degree angle, each at a slightly different distance
from the common trunk. The branches can also be rotated towards the front or
rear. Each plant ends up with its branches becoming individual trees of
different height arrayed around the common trunk.
He planted the two gallon larger one to the left of the stream. The one
gallon medium size one to the right of the stream,and smallest one directly
to the rear of the stream.The planting of 3 nursery plants ended up being 25
to 28 individual absolutely straight upright junipers of varying height.
The branches of the forward (taller) group are pruned removing all upward and
downward growth, leaving only horizontal growth and each is wired and bent
downward. Some of the middle planting's branches are also pruned and wired
this way. None of the rear (smallest) group's branches are so pruned or
wired. It was a striking planting. But - it wasn't finished.
Place moss on the soil surface. Adjust the apparent size of rocks by covering
portions of their lower sides with moss.
Add accessory rocks with just their tops showing. Make a hole in the moss,
bury 2/3 of the rock and pat moss down around its edges. Accessory rocks
should be relatively plain. They should have the same orientation as those in
the stream bed. Which means, if the rocks in the stream bed are lengthwise
from front to rear, accessory rocks should be place with their long axis also
from front to rear; never left to right.
I've seen a lot of saikei demonstrations, but this one taught me more than
any before.
Tom Zane at Atlanta Bonsai Conference
tomz...@aol.com