Testimonials
03.04
here is a cutting from an Interview with Graham Potter, of Bonsai Mart for the art of bonsai project,
AoB: You studied under Kevin Wilson, who changed your outlook on bonsai and steered you in a new direction, what was it like learning from Kevin?
Graham: In early 1999 I was on the verge of walking away from bonsai for good. After many years of working with plants I felt dazed and confused by so much bad information. In those early years I had learnt a great deal about cultivating bonsai and could grow most anything and, whilst that’s the vital foundation for success in bonsai all I had in my garden were a bunch of healthy bushes in pots. I was aching to go further but didn’t have a clue what to do next. After all you don’t know what you don’t know and I couldn’t figure our what I needed next.
As the old proverb says “When the pupil is ready, the teacher appears”. In spring 1999 I got a call from a friend at the local bonsai club asking if I wanted to take up a vacant place on a group workshop with someone called Kevin Willson, a name I had never heard. After a little arm-twisting I agreed. I was told to take something that needed styling. The next week I turned up at the rendezvous and four of us headed off.
The bunch of guys I travelled with were all somewhat older than me and a bunch of wind up merchants. By the time we arrived I didn’t know whether to expect Paul Daniels or the anti-christ. Upon arrival I unloaded the car whilst everyone headed into the house. I hung around outside with the stuff and could hear a lot of shouting and laughing inside, obviously we had arrived much to early! A while later the workshop door opened and around its edge appeared Kevin’s face. He looked at the tree I had bought, looked at me and in a shout of exasperation said ‘****** off’ and promptly disappeared inside again. That kind of set the tone for our relationship. Working with Kevin was a rollercoaster ride of deep spiritual moments and raucous banter. FANTASTIC!
At this point I should explain that, at the behest of my so-called mates I had taken a huge wild garden juniper over 3 feet tall and four feet wide to a single day group workshop. I later found out that trees like this need a couple of days to tackle!
Despite my ineptitude and misguided folly Kevin was an absolute trooper and we finished the tree late that evening. I trusted his guidance implicitly and worked my fingers to the bone (and got sun stroke into the bargain). During the day a bonsai was born from a bush. The tree is still going strong in the collection of one of my friends.
That day quite literally changed my life forever. Every single aspect of my life has changed since and for the better. From that day I have never looked back but forge ahead with my bonsai and the way of life it brings.
Over the next eighteen months I visited and worked with Kevin at every opportunity. Kevin has a relentless work ethic towards bonsai and I am sure he would crawl over broken glass if it were necessary. Kevin introduced me to the “art” in bonsai and I will be forever grateful to him for doing so.
You can read the rest of the interview at www.artofbonsai.org
