working a self employed bonsai artist for private customers ( styling, refinement, overall maintenance )
maintenance of Alcobendas Bonsai Museum – Madrid
part time work at Royal Botanical Garden – Madrid
teaching and holding workshops at the school of Luis Vallejo and also individually organized
computer demonstration / tutorial
cooperating with bonsai magazines
June 2003 – March 2008 Taishoen bonsai nursery under Nobuichi Urushibata
maintenance - styling, repotting, pruning, wiring and preparing trees for exhibition for the nursery and for numerous customers in Japan
writing articles for Bonsai Focus, Bonsai Today, Bonsai Autoctono, Czech bonsai magazine, and also for own website www.bonsaiwabisabi.com
mentoring, teaching and advising part time students from around the world
conducting bonsai demonstrations in Japan
2006 – 2007
Part time work for Mr Xin Changbao at Changzhou Baosheng Bonsai Garden, one of the best nurseries in China. Mr Xin Changbao is also one the best bonsai collectors in the world.
2003 (April - May)
Worked and studied under Kimura Masahiko, Kimura Bonsai Nursery, Saitama, Japan
1999 – 2003
Bonsai Academy in Wroclaw, Poland
1995 – 2003
Nursery Plant in Blachownia, Poland - work with all species of trees, grafting, repotting, nutrition, styling - administration, sales and taking part in nursery fairs
Certificates and Awards
2008
Nishikiten – Award for Best Display by Chiharu Imai, Spain
"This is really a very nice tree in the sense of creativity, artistic beauty and the message in horticultural aspect. The uniqueness of the trunk line with the perfect combination of the pot is performing the skill of the artist in forming the whole creation especially the perfect visual balance; the character, the shape and the mimic of the tree is communicating effectively to the viewer telling where it is growing and how the transformation has been taking place.
Excellent !
"
By Robert Steven
"This is the best looking tree in the entire competition, in my opinion, even though some of my other 10-score trees have had more work. It has flair! Masterful carving that is in perfect balance with the movement of the trunk and the style of the tree. The living branching is very well positioned in relation the length of the trunk.
"
"I first saw this fine bonsai display in Japan at the 80th Japan National Bonsai Exhibition (Nippon Bonsai Kokufu-ten) in February. It is quite an accomplishment for a non-Japanese to have a bonsai accepted for such an important display!
The collected Japanese red pine is matched beautifully with the display table. It is displayed with a collected Korean hornbeam and a small grass planting. The photography is excellent.
Although I think this is the finest of the 40 bonsai displays entered, I feel it could be refined a bit. The display table for the Korean hornbeam is rectangular and is the same shape as the main display table for the Japanese red pine. It is also a bit small and too delicate for the heavy, powerful Korean hornbeam. At first glance I thought why display two bonsai, but it is important to realize that this display was assembled for the Japan National Bonsai Exhibition and each entry is allocated approximately five feet. One large size bonsai would easily fill this area with a small accessory. However, this Japanese red pine is a small size bonsai and it would seem lost in such a large area. Including a large accessory planting would not look balanced, so another smaller bonsai was used. The Korean hornbeam was an excellent choice, because it is deciduous and created a striking contrast with the bright green evergreen needles. Also both bonsai are of different style. The containers, although both are oval, are of different colors.
The small fern accessory plant does not seem necessary in this display, and I personally do not like it in the rear area of the display. Perhaps the artist thought it was necessary to fill the allotted area.
Congratulations Mario!
"
Comments from Award Certre International
"Absolutely stunning marriage of tree to pot. Movement and rustic quality of pot work well with
movement and texture of trunk. Placement of the tree in pot is perfect. Branch development and
balance between branches beautiful. Absolute perfection !
" By Cheryl Manning
