After reading the texts and grasping the concepts we discussed in our previous visits, Bob now understood conceptually what would be required for the pedestal. That did not satisfy him and he felt stuck artistically, moving from one thought to another. Reluctantly forging ahead and attempting to salvage his artistic credibility, his focus turned to surface.
Not just wood as we previously discussed, but stone in the form of slab and sleight and river rocks, metal, and polished marble and granite. A bonsai on display, according to Bob, should rest on a surface that’s aesthetically pleasing, both in color and texture. Mobility also came in to question, since a primary reason for having a pedestal is the freedom to relocate. It can be moved as the sun shifts, as the rain falls, and away from the sawdust mills of the carpenter bee.
On his next visit, Bob brought a sheet of sandstone, a slab of marble and a black, oval metal tray filled with smoothened black rock, similar in look and feel to river stone. Out of these three surfaces, I felt the sandstone had the most potential. Its earthy tones would compliment the subtle glazes of my bonsai containers and its slight surface ridging added to its appeal. The shine of the marble seemed unnatural and the pot could be easily moved on its smooth surface. I liked the idea of containing moisture when using the metal tray with black stones, but it would not provide adequate stableness. I could see myself constantly festering, measuring whether the container was level buried amongst the stones.
Bob's words as written on March 30 -
"Thanks for letting me read your books. Now I feel the need to visit gardens in Japan and engage in Zen meditation for the next five years before beginning our stand project! Since I am older than your bonsai trees, the stand may never be completed! At any rate, knowing my short-comings, I intend to forge ahead with the creative enterprise and allow at least one stand to emerge as my ideas do the same."
