It’s a mystery to me Though I can tell you where I found this tree (not yet though), and I do know the species, I genuinely don’t know who the artist is (he/she doesn’t seem to be listed on the site). So maybe you can help me, and win a twenty five dollar gift certificate [...]
A naturalistic Norway spruce (Picea abies) by Walter Pall (from Bonsai Today issue 106). This tree was awarded third place overall in the Bonsai Today/Art of Bonsai 2006 photo contest. Walter also won first and second place in the overall category. The Naturalistic Bonsai Movement? In the expanding galaxy of accomplished Western bonsai artists, Walter [...]
This Red escallonia (Escallonia rubra ‘Woodside’) by Mike Page is from the Bonsai Today/Art of Bonsai 2006 photo contest. If you are interested, you can find the winning photos in Bonsai Today issue 106. Don’t be shy Stone Lantern and Bonsai Bark are delighted to announce that we one of the sponsors of The Art [...]
These four stages of natural aging on deadwood are from an article by François Jeker that appeared in Bonsai Today 103 (out of print). Francois is a accomplished bonsai artist (and deadwood master), gardener, author (Bonsai Aesthetics) and more. Stage one A freshly peeled branch or trunk will have completely smooth wood. Stage two Over [...]
A unique technique The illustrations and photos used here are from an article by Kusida Matsuo that originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 20 (out of print). The unique technique featured is for shaping cuttings taken from seedlings. Though Japanese black pine are used here, the technique should work on any number of species. Share
Robert Kempinski (author of Introduction to Bonsai) has an excellent article at Knowledge of Bonsai on Shohin Willow Leaf Ficus (the photo above was borrowed from the article). Check it and a slew of other good stuff out, including a revealing exposé on nasty (but beautifully photographed) little aphids by Heather Hartman. While you are [...]
The pots in the post are from another Japanese book that has been in my library for a long time. So long, that I don’t even remember where I got it. Nor do I know who made the pots or basically much of anything about the contents (I don’t read Japanese). If you read Japanese, [...]
I don’t know who styled this wonderfully crazy azalea (I don’t read Japanese) but I do know that Master Potter Gyozan Nakano made the pot. A remarkable book about a remarkable potter Four years ago I was given a most remarkable book by the World Bonsai Friendship Federation, who received it courtesy of Masahiro Tokuo [...]
Defoliating to move energy down These illustrations show a few very simple points. In both methods we are trying to strengthen the the two weak secondary branches (the first two branches). These need help as energy tends to flow past them towards the tips of the primary branch. This movement of energy towards the outer [...]
