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canvas has as much to say about the composition as the artist. e essence of the art of bonsai lies in being able to see the tree that’s waiting to be born from the raw material. Artists spend hours staring at a raw piece of material, formulating a plan for its future develop- ment—replant it at a di erent angle; remove a branch here; nurse a nascent bud into a branch there.
Smith could see things in an instant that took most artists months to nd. ey would come to him with a tree and describe their vision. “Well that’s not bad,” Smith would say, staring at the plant intently. “But did you ever think about doing this?” he would ask, rotat- ing the tree around until a new front appeared with a more dramatic line.
For decades in Vero Beach, the fourth Sunday of each month was Bonsai under the Oaks, a free semi- nar that Smith gave for all interested. Jim gave the same care and attention to the novice who brought a bedraggled garden-center tree (derisively known as “mall-sai”) as he did to well-known artists who trav- eled hours for some expert advice on making a single change to a tree they had worked on for decades.
Bonsai is an established art form with elaborate rules about composition, trunk angle and propor- tion. Smith conducted hundreds of demonstrations around the Southeast where he styled trees for bonsai a cionados. Smith’s style was like the old joke about carving an elephant: He simply removed everything that didn’t look like a bonsai. ere was o en little le .
Many canny professionals on the circuit would trim a tree and wire it into something that looked like a bonsai—knowing that it would please the audience, even if it prevented the tree from becoming a good
bonsai. Smith became famous for treating every tree as if it were going to be a masterpiece. When he styled a piece of raw material, there would o en be only a bare trunk, three branches, and a shoot at the top, where the apex would grow. Truth be told, he secretly relished the shocked expressions. He was the ultimate sculptor, cutting and chiseling and bending to create living art.
In his last years his failing eyesight seemed destined to end his love a air with bonsai. But his knowledge of trunk, branch, and rami cation was so nely tuned he could feel the line, the branch structure, and work his magic mostly by touch.
Smith checked himself into a nursing home in Vero Beach about 18 months ago, a er health issues le him fragile. True to character he began teaching bonsai to some of the sta and residents.
Two sons, Gregory and David Smith survive him. Grandson Douglas Smith and granddaughter Cheryl Eakes and her son Tristan also survive him. His wife Wilma Elizabeth and three sons, Donald, Douglas, and Mark preceded Mr. Smith in death.
e family requests that donations be made to the Heathcote Botanical Gardens for the continuing sup- port of the James J. Smith Bonsai Gallery, a testament of appreciation to a man and his life’s work. Heathcote Botanical Gardens will be hosting a retrospective ex- hibit and memorial honoring Mr. Smith to coincide with his 91st birthday. e Gardens will be open free to the public, Saturday, September 24. e memorial service for Jim’s many friends, students and family will be held at 2:30 Sunday a ernoon.
Jim gave the same care and attention to the novice
who brought
a bedraggled garden-center tree (derisively known as “mall-sai”) as he did to well-known artists who traveled hours for some expert advice on making a single change to a tree they had worked on for decades.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Miriam Charles, director, Heathcote Botanical Gardens, 772-342-5506
Robert Kempinski, 3 21-259-0832; 817-300-3569 cell
Tom Kehoe, longtime student, 321-537-4784
Jack Sustic, curator of the bonsai collection at the National Arboretum, 240-602-5769
Johann Klodzen, president of the National Bonsai Foundation, 202-396-3510
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