Graham & Kevin Willson’s First Bonsai Creation Collaboration
Well it’s taken me the best part of three long weeks but the latest bonsai video is now available online completely free because I am such a lovely generous philanthrope. Overall this has been planned for several years but the stars finally aligned, the tree was ready, Kevin was free and my stupid head was in the right place. Please enjoy, share it around and pay attention, there’s stuff to be learned here. If you are one of those vacuous airheads that just skip to the end (remember with analytics we know what ya’ll do) at least give us a like before you move on.
I have written about my relationship with sensei Willson many times before but assuming most of you have not spent the time to go back over fifteen years of long winded bonsai blogs let me reiterate. Were it not for Kevin I would not have remained on this bonsai journey for over thirty years now. We first met in spring of ’98. I arrived with three other ‘likely lads’ to a group workshop day, it was a beautiful early spring morning and being the newby whilst everyone piled in the house for breakfast I was getting all our gear in.
I was pretty much done when this quite intimidating geezer with wild hair stuck his bleary eyed head out the workshop door, looked at the massive garden juniper I had bought, looked at me and muttered the words that have come to mean so much to me……”Fuck off” before he disappeared again.
Not sure what to do next I just hung around outside until someone came out to get me. As a fresh faced youngster with a sheltered upbringing i was entirely discombobulated. However, above almost anything else I value honesty and plain speaking. I don’t ‘get‘ people, I have no people skills, I don’t do subtlety, i can’t read body language and hints. The entire field of human person to person interaction is beyond me. Once I realised I had not done anything wrong, like a puppy taking a dump on the carpet, I began to think I had arrived in a place I very much wanted to be.
Let me explain. In my ignorance I turned up at a four participant one day workshop with a tree that would take any normal person and a very good assistant at least two days to complete. Kevin is never one to wimp out, he always makes sure everyone goes away with a finished job. Seeing the fucking great hedge I dragged in at 8am, before his first coffee, I now judge he was being restrained. I have done exactly the same when, at 8am some spud faced chancer turns up with something similarly daft and you know an early bath will NOT be on the cards.
We did get that tree done, I got sunstroke wiring outside for eight hours without a break and Kevin had to work until gone 8pm whilst my compadres just sat around watching and talking shit. The result? Well the tree did Ok, it’s now living in Belgium last I knew and Kevin literally set my hair on fire and I have NEVER looked back since. Before meeting Kevin, after several years of book and club learning I was ready to chuck in the towel but, here I am, still, and all thanks to my wonderful mate.
One of the things that has always, and I use the term with conviction, fucked me off about bonsai is the competitive cut throat, tribal nature of the whole affair in some quarters. I can state for a fact, more folk have been lost to the hobby because of that than all the dead trees we have to endure. So, it’s a wonder and an absolute joy to me that Kevin and I have finally done what we have talked about for many years and collaborated together to produce what may turn out to be one of the countries most significant bonsai trees. Whilst this might be the first collaboration it will NOT be the last. It’s about time folk like us started to work together.
This video was very much a last minute thing. I called Kevin on Friday and by Tuesday morning we were working. This was entirely off the cuff, no planning was made, no scripting, we both just jumped in with both feet and two days later we “Fucking nailed it” (watch the video).
Sadly my ability with technology is minimal. I’m from an analogue world with a lifelong love of internal combustion which was pretty much what was going on in by baldy head trying to put this 2 hour compressed to 30 minutes programme together and it’s taken me forever, like 50 odd hours sitting hunched over a screen going bug eyed. I know it’s not the best, but at this time it’s the best I can do. It is free, Kaizen Bonsai has paid for the project so do please continue to support us because without our lovely loyal followers this COULD be the last video….. but I doubt it.
It pains me to say this, I sound like an absolute c**t but do please like, share, subscribe, comment (nicely) and post our little film and all that other shit. Not 100% sure what that all means I just copied it from somewhere else but do rest assured YOUR support is very much appreciated in the Potter and Willson households.
Enjoy the show
Graham Potter – Grahampotterbonsai.com
Like the plain speaking Graham cracking Video and tree Kev is a joy to be with and by f—k him and Richard can drink 😀
Absolute masterclass!
I didn’t think you could ever create a better transformation than the one you did with the ‘Mobius Loop’ a few years ago.
It was a true lesson in careful consideration and planning by two true masters of bonsai.
Thank you both for the memory.
Nigel Brett
Graham, I really enjoyed the video as well as the background info regarding how you came to know Kevin Willson. I really would love to know where and when he got his training…
Awesome video and an amazing tree. Thoroughly enjoyed it and about to watch it for the third time. I do hope there are many more collaborations between the two of you.
If you’re stuck for a name for the tree, how about, ‘Fucking Nailed It’ 😜
Hoorah! No hip hip! (At my age that has become the standing up mantra rather than any set up for cheer to follow.)
Crusty codgers need love too, and much appreciation to both for bringing this into the world.
I watched this excellent video yesterday. What a great duo you are.. And now we have a great tree too.
I have “attempted” bonsai for 40+ years now and have some hard learned lessons. Your comment about the cut throat competition reminded me of my experience with the local bonsai club in Huntsville, Alabama. I joined in order to advance my learning curve but, I became aware after one year in the club that no one was willing to share experience and/or advice. When I would ask a question of one of the members, I was deflected to another member who was the “expert” on that subject. Said expert would deny any knowledge of my wiring problem(for instance) and the result was no help from the “club”. That’s sad. It could have been a better occasion for everyone but, it wasn’t. I quit going to the club meetings and have relied on Jonas Dupuich/Bonsai Tonight as my reference.
Brilliant tree, amazing work. Great film, pleasure to watch.
How can I get ahold of some chunky trunk yamadori/consai. I’m 78 and don’t have time for a 30 year project. I see the “published” bonsai people have massive trunk trees. WHERE CAN I OBTAIN A FEW OF THESE MASSIVE TRUNK MONSTERS???
A few? You want a few of these thick trunked monsters? Hey, I’m 75, so I share your predicament, but I’ve given up hoping for even one of them. Let’s face it, unless you are a well-connected bonsai professional with lots of resources, you are unlikely to ever come across one of these. But good luck in your search….
Amen
Absolute stonker! Thoroughly enjoyed watching this and for once I got through the video without reaching for the red wine. Thank you both.
Bravo to both of you for such an awsome bonsai creation. This tree deserves a place in the Taikan-ten. Looking forward to seing it in it`s bonsai pot in the future and hopefully in person too! Is it for sale?! (lol). Keep up the collaboration. Very best wishes.
Fucking awesome text and surprisingly I seem to be not the only one who is better with a tree or other half dead or lifeless material than interhuman interaction. A nice vibrating roaring engine under the arse is the sound I prefer than sometimes useless bla bla bla. Now it’s clay…there seem to be unusual people that share special skills or sensibilities. Thanks for giving hope that it’s ok…
Graham and Kev, absolutely brilliant video. Awesome transformation. Kevin and you did indeed fing nail it! Love the music background. I half expected Lee van Cleef to walk
Yep. I’m that old
I think the F**king nailed it should go viral and everyone in the professional bonsai world should utter those words after their own educational videos. Loved the video, I bet the banter was great!!! Inspired me to get yourself or Kevin to work a couple of trees for me. Thanks for the awesome videos, your free time and knowledge Graham.
What a transformation, very well done to both of you. Mauro Stemberger will be wishing he hadn’t sold it, wonder why he let such terrific raw material go !!
Kevin is the best bonsai artist we have and I am always happy to attend workshops with him, never disappointed with the results.
Looking forward to seeing the trees progress in years to come.