Happy New Year Jan;

Alas, finding a copy of this was on my list of things to do in 2005 and is now on the top of the list for 2006.

I will PM you if I come up with something........

Michael

Thanks Michael I appreciate your offer. I wonder if Koichi Kobayashi might know. He is in China but Don Brooks is the head gardener at the gardens and he might know. I will try to contact them and see if they have the information.

Thanks June

Hi June
Thank you for all things you did for me. I never forget it.
sorry, I can not help your question now, if I find it'et's you know....................mike

Update, I found the Seven Common Threads as listed in Tom Robinson's Thesis entitled "Traditions in Translation" from 1992.

1. Expressing 'perfected Nature'
2. Passive Acceptance/Dynamic Action
3. Multi-modal Sensory Experience
4. Asymmetrical Balance
5. Incomplete View
6. Indirect Approach
7. Japanese Aesthetics

Michael had a great idea, get a copy of the thesis to fully understand the meaning of the Seven Common Threads.

This gives me something to ponder in the meantime. The second and sixth threads give me the most trouble understanding.

Hi Mike and welcome back.

Cheers Jando

June: just a thought. is it possible that the six impossible joinings , of vastness, solemnity, endeavor, venerability, abundant water, and vast views that edzard mentioned on another thread or my vastness, seclusion, artifice,antiquity,flowing water and majestic views amount to the same seven common threads?

Who is Tom Robinson?
Wasn't he the guy on trial in "To Kill a Mockingbird?"

Please let's not ruin yet another thread. Bahamababe, you have asked a number of questions regarding photography in the past and received generous replies, now it is time to repay that generosity. If you have nothing useful to say this is not a problem, you can repay us with your silence.

Tony similar yet some differences I think. I will know more later. I will also post some other thought provoking information. but tomorrow. LLLLLLLLLong day.

Cheers Jando

More to ponder:

If you introduce vastness will you then lose the intimacy and a sense of quiet in the garden?

If artificial elements are introduced will antiquity be weakened?

If a lot of water is introduced will distant views be possible.

Any thoughts on the above????????

Also I think it might be interesting to take each of the seven common threads and find meanings for each.

I'll start with

1. Expressing "perfected nature". Creating a miniture landscape using natural materials to recreate what we see in natural landscapes. Examples of this would be using boulders as mountains, pruned shrubs could also represent mountains, aligned stones on the ground representing a running stream, boulders arranged down a hill side representing a waterfall are just a few. Using the foliage color of plants light to dark to create depth and expand a space. Shaping plants to appear aged and weathered by time.

The interplay of light and dark like a painting only using nature instead of paint. The theme is nature but the arrangement makes it art.

I welcome additions or corrections to this definition. I know so little and I am hoping the statements above are close to what expressing perfected nature means.

Tony and Edzard, I am not sure the lists from Tony's above post match this particular common thread. It could be a combination. What are your thoughts.

Cheers June

Who is Tom Robinson?

The frontman of TRB, part of the UK punk/new wave movement. One of the very first rock bands to ever try to bring the gay rights issue into the music scene. I thought everybody would know that Bahamababe ?

I thought everyone would know that Tom Robinson was the guy on trial in "To Kill a Mockinbird." Guess not.