Knowledge of Bonsai

The Knowledge of Bonsai Forum
Proudly Presents Our Second Annual
Progressive Styling Contest
Sponsored by Bonsai Focus Magazine

The contest objective is to obtain stock and style it into a presentable bonsai within the time frame allotted by the rules below. In order to include all levels of enthusiasts and all levels of stock, we have created a professional and a non-professional category and sub-divided these into different stock categories. There is no price limit on stock.

Continuing our goal of presenting a contest that is educational for all, we have continued the modified “before and after photo” styling contest common on most forums with our original progression requirement addition.

Each entry will consist of three parts containing the following as outlined in the rules below:

• Three before photographs submitted with accompanying descriptive text, as outlined in the rules below.
• Three progression photographs submitted with accompanying descriptive text, as outlined in the rules below.
• Three final photographs submitted with accompanying descriptive text as outlined in the rules below.

This year we have decided to expand the parameters of the contest by allowing the submission of tanukis, groups, and forests. These will have their own category and will be judged against others of the same styling.

You need not be a member of The Knowledge of Bonsai Forums to enter. This contest, like all of the content on KoB, is free, viewable, and open to all who are interested. Those that wish to participate in discussions on the contest or other topics on the forum will be required to join in order to comment.

Please read all rules before submitting your entry and refer back to them before submitting your before, progression or final photographs in order to prevent misunderstandings or needless disqualification. Most of all, enjoy yourselves and have fun.

Only one entry will be allowed per person.

Contest void where prohibited by law.

Note:If you would like to donate your time and translate these rules into a different language, please download the attached version below, complete with formatting to do so. Email your translated version to will@artofbonsai.org You will of course receive full credit for the translation.


STOCK

There are three categories of stock that will be accepted for this contest.

• Collected Stock. Defined as raw stock, not yet worked upon in anyway for bonsai, that has been collected by the entrant or purchased by the entrant from a person who collected it from the wild or from an urban environment where the stock was growing for over 10 years. This stock must not have been worked in anyway for bonsai previously.

• Raw Stock. Defined as any stock purchased from a nursery (bonsai or otherwise) or an individual and that has not been worked in anyway for bonsai.

• Pre-Bonsai Stock. Defined as any stock, no matter the source, that has been worked previously by anyone for bonsai.

Staked Trees that are wrapped around the stake as a styling method or tied to the stake in such a manner as to induce desirable trunk movement will automatically be qualified as Pre-Bonsai.

All Styling work must be your own, workshop trees will be disqualified. Asking for, receiving, or soliciting advice from others will be cause for disqualification. Sorry, no virtuals are allowed.

All work must be done on the stock within the time frame allotted in the contest rules. Work done before the contest start date will disqualify the entrant. Photos of work done on a bonsai prior to the contest dates will be disqualified.


PRIZE CATEGORIES

The two main categories are professional and non-professional. If you have ever been paid for a demonstration, workshop, or a class, then you are a professional. If you have never been paid for a demonstration, workshop, or class, you are a non-professional. For the sake of clarity, if you own and/or operate a bonsai business or nursery, you are a professional.

The dynamic prize list can be seen here
. We wish to thank the many sponsors who have donated prizes to this contest, please take a moment to pay them a visit or drop them a note of thanks, without these patrons of bonsai, the art would be less, not to mention the contests. For this contest we have specifically requested that only gift certificates be donated. In this way we save the sponsors the hassle and expense of shipping for a worldwide contest and assure that the winners receive prizes that they actually can use and appreciate. Exceptions will be made for books.

KoB will be the sole distributor of the prizes and will notify the sponsors of the winners. We ask that the entrants do not contact the sponsors regarding prize distribution; they will only refer you back to us. Those who take it upon themselves to collect prizes will be disqualified.

Prizes will be announced and awarded to the winner of each sub-category. The sub-categories are as follows:


Professional

• Best Bonsai from Collected Stock

• Best Bonsai from Raw Stock

• Best Bonsai from Pre-Bonsai Stock


Non-Professional

• Best Bonsai from Collected Stock

• Best Bonsai from Raw Stock

• Best Bonsai from Pre-Bonsai Stock



Three additional categories will be announced after the contest, each receiving separate prizes.

• Best over all resulting bonsai from all categories.
• Most original design.
• Best solution to a problem.
• Best over all resulting tanuki from from all categories.
• Best over all resulting group or forest from all categories.

The winners of these categories may very well be recognized and their entries published in an issue of Bonsai Europe.


SUBMISSIONS

Submissions must be made by email to paul@knowledgeofbonsai.org by the deadlines stated in the rules below. Entries that are late will be disqualified. Your entry should be posted within 24 hours. If you do not see your submission posted within 24 hours of the time you sent it, contact Paul Stokes at the email address above.

Upon receipt of submissions, Paul will post them in the entry thread located here in the order they were received. As the progression photographs and the final photographs are received he will add them to the original post containing the entrants before photograph and send acknowledgments for each.

Each submission must be accompanied by text as described below. Submissions without the required text will be disqualified. All entries must be accompanied with the following text:

I have read and understood the rules of the contest and agree to abide by them. I have full copyright to all text and/or photographs I am submitting and I grant the Knowledge of Bonsai Forum and Bonsai Focus Magazine full permission to use any or all of the text and/or photographs submitted by myself in such manners as described in the rules and in future publications of any type as related to showcasing, promoting, featuring, or publishing the submissions to this contest as approved by the Knowledge of Bonsai Forum. I understand that any other usage of the text and/or photographs will require addition permission from myself and that, other than permissions given here, I retain full copyright to submitted materials as described.

Submissions must also include the following information:

Entrants name
Common and Latin name of species
Starting and finished height of tree
Pot source, if used
Accompanying descriptive text, as outlined in the rules below.

Original entries or the following progression and final entries must all contain the above information. Those without will be disqualified.


PHOTOGRAPHS

Photographs must be at least 300 dpi and 8” in width, entries not meeting these standards, put in place for professional print publishing reasons, will be disqualified. Photographs must be clear, in focus, and without a distracting background. Photographs can be submitted in tif, jpg, or png format.

Before Photographs

Before photographs of the stock must be received no later than midnight (CST or GMT -5) July 31, 2008 in order to enter the contest.

Three before pictures of your stock must be submitted, each showing a different side of the stock.

The three before pictures must include at least one paragraph or more of text describing the species, height of the raw stock, where it was obtained, and the reasons for selecting it as stock for this contest. The text must also briefly explain what you see in the stock and the direction you hope to take with it.

This first submission of photographs must also list the category you are entering under and your country of origin.

Receipt of the before pictures will officially mark you as a participant and enter you in the contest.

Progression Photographs

Before the final contest deadline expires, three sets of progression photographs in addition to the final photographs must be submitted that represent the progression of the work ¼ of the way, ½ of the way, and ¾ of the way to completion of the entry.

The ¼ progression photograph will show the work completed at an estimated quarter of the way though the design process. This photograph of the front of the tree must be submitted with at least one paragraph explaining the work completed so far, the reasons behind it and any other information you feel is pertinent to our understanding of the process. More than one photograph may be submitted if you desire, however only one is mandatory.

The 1/2 progression photograph will show the work completed at an estimated half of the way though the design process. This photograph of the front of the tree must be submitted with at least one paragraph explaining the work completed so far, the reasons behind it and any other information you feel is pertinent to our understanding of the process. More than one photograph may be submitted if you desire, however only one is mandatory.

The 3/4 progression photograph will show the work completed at an estimated three quarters of the way though the design. This photograph of the front of the tree must be submitted with at least one paragraph explaining the work completed so far, the reasons behind it and any other information you feel is pertinent to our understanding of the process. More than one photograph may be submitted if you desire, however only one is mandatory.

Final Photographs

Final photographs of the completed bonsai must be received no later than midnight (CST or GMT -5) September 1, 2008. Entrants who miss this deadline for submitting the final photographs of their entry will be disqualified.

Three pictures of your completed bonsai must be submitted, each showing a different side of the stock.

The three final pictures must include at least one paragraph or more of text describing the final outcome, overall impression of the work done, and what is planned for the future of the tree.


JUDGING

The guest masters who have agreed to judge this contest will be announced soon.

Judging will be on the final image presented in the final photographs. Only the created bonsai will be judged and the judges will be asked to ignore containers, pots, or boxes as the nature and time frame of the contest may prevent both major styling and re-potting to be completed at the same time.

Once the final deadline has passed the judges will review all qualified entries in each category and assign each entry a sum of points from 0 to 10 based on the visual appearance of the final outcome as applied to artistic considerations and presentation.

The entry with the most over all total points in each category will be named the winner. In the case of a tie, the judges will reevaluate the tied entries and assign points again. The entry with the most total points assigned after the second scoring will be named the winner.

The entry with the most overall total points from all categories will be named the best overall bonsai.

The judges will decide upon which bonsai presented is the most original design and that entry will be named the most original design winner.

The judges will decide which entry, based on the progression photos, presented the best solution to a problem presented by the stock. This entry will be named the winner of the best solution to a problem category.

The judges will post with the winners a brief commentary of each winner stating the reasons points were given and their personal thoughts on the entry.


PERMISSIONS, COPYRIGHTS, and LEGAL NOTICES

As with all content at the Knowledge of Bonsai Forum, all copyrights remain with the author or photographer.

By entering this contest you agree to the terms of use and give full permission for use of all text and photographs for publication by the Knowledge of Bonsai Forum and Bonsai Focus magazine. By entering this contest, you agree to accept the rules and amended rules for the contest as posted and also agree to accept the decisions of the KoB staff, editors, and judges concerning cases not clearly covered in the rules. By entering this contest you also agree to accept the decisions of the judges, whatever they may be and release KoB, its staff, editors, and the judges of this contest from any liability or damages regarding or resulting from this contest.


All decisions of the judges are final. Contest void where prohibited by law.


Good luck and have fun!



(Contest concept and rules by Will Heath.)
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.