I won’t say where juniper (looks like a shimpaku) bonsai came from, but will say why we choose it as an eccentric bonsai (see below) after an apology for it being slightly out of focus (it was enlarged a tad too much so it would fit our format).
The contest: win a $25 gift certificate to Stone Lantern
The first person to tell us whose tree this is and where we can verify that, will win a $25 gift certificate to Stone Lantern. Please put your answer in the comments below.
Eccentric?
I realize that eccentric is in the bleary eye of the beholder, and certainly mean no offense to the artist.
Continue reading ‘Eccentric Bonsai #3 & Contest #8′
This California juniper was awarded the Best in Show 2009 at the Midori Bonsai Club’s 40th annual show. It belongs to Peter Tea and comes to us via Bonsai Tonight (a great name for blog that lives up to it). The photo was taken by Jonas Dupuich, Bonsai Tonight’s author.
A tree with a story
In addition to the strikingly unusual section of deadwood that looks like it’s leaning against the trunk, this remarkable tree has its own story that involves some bonsai luminaries (Boon and Michael Hagedorn for instance), Boon’s backyard, styling questions and more. Check it out if you have time. Be careful though; you might get so taken in by what Jonas is up to, that you forget to come back here where you started.
It’s time to start thinking about dormant pruning. This page of simple illustrations shows pruning and pinching basics for beech trees. It’s the first of a series of posts on training deciduous bonsai. The illustrations are from Bonsai Today issue 41.
Wang Wusheng’s Celestial Realm provides one of the most powerful and beautiful photographic journeys you can take. And if you want to know where much of the early inspiration for bonsai came from, look no further.
Not too blatant
We try avoid too much blatant promotional stuff on this blog. Mostly you’ll find bonsai art, how-to instruction, bonsai news, bonsai galleries, and related content. Often links to Stone Lantern are included (you’ll find many more links to other sites and blogs), but only occasionally do we use a whole post to promote something we sell.
Continue reading ‘Celestial Realm: Nature’s Bonsai’
Nick Lenz calls this rugged heavily scarred old larch a ’super hack back job’ (performed with a chainsaw). It’s noteworthy for its excellent taper and nebari (among other things), things that doesn’t come naturally with most larches. I guess you could say that the Halloween carving is also noteworthy. The photo is from Nick’s book, Bonsai from the Wild (Stone Lantern Publishing).
Round these parts it’s a Tamarack
Here in Vermont we are right on the southern edge of the Larix laricina’s range. Most bonsai enthusiasts (and many others) refer to it as the American larch, but around here almost everyone calls it the Tamarack.
So many good qualities
Of all the trees that grow around here, larches are the most prized bonsai candidates. They are easy to grow, flexible, take to pruning and root pruning, have small bright green needles and excellent fall color, the wood is easy to carve and the resulting deadwood is attractive, they develop real character with age, and so forth…
Continue reading ‘In Praise of the American Larch: aka the Tamarack’
This remarkable broom style Ginkgo is from Classic Bonsai of Japan (Nippon Bonsai Association). 50 years old, 33 inches (82cm).
Not all that common
Ginkgo bonsai are not all that common. This may be because of the problems that the branching presents. Can you think of another type of tree (that is used for bonsai) whose branches just grow up? Let alone all tightly bunched together.
A couple more; this time from the West
You may not consider these next two Ginkgos to be masterpieces, but I think they both have qualities that set them apart.
Continue reading ‘Masters’ Gallery: Ginkgo Biloba’
Carl Morrow sent us this digitalized revision (and two others, see below) of a juniper that was originally submitted to our ‘Fearless Bonsai Warrior‘ program, by John Romano. This is the second critique of John’s juniper that has been submitted to Bonsai Bark (here’s the other).
Carl’s turn with John’s Juniper
The photos and text in this post were submitted by Carl Morrow. Carl has been here before with his own tree. Now he’s tackling John Romano’s juniper.
“A tree needs to tell a consistent story and when one has an outstanding feature or focal point then the theme created needs to be repeated through other parts of the tree to create a consistent image.
This is a lovely tree that I would happily play with. Deadwood is a very powerful focal point and it is difficult to look anywhere else when there is a stark white area on the tree. In the current form, John’s tree has single piece of deadwood that is not repeated anywhere else. What could have caused just one major branch to die without affecting anything else on the tree? The tip of the jin is firmly pointing downwards while the rest of the (trunk line and foliage) tree has an upward feel. For this reason I find the jin jarring and unnatural. I would do one of two things to solve this.”
Continue reading ‘Revisiting John Romano’s Almost Famous Juniper’
This Juniperus chinensis parsonii, that started as an urban yamadori in 2007 (height 26″), was submitted by Patrick Giacobbe. In addition to this submission, Patrick has contributed to Bonsai Bark with his comments on a bonsai that was submitted by John Romano.
Bunjin or not bunjin?
The pot and the almost branchless trunk with its twisted unconventional lines suggest a bunjin (literati) style tree. However the heavy top is unbunjin-like, and the tree is planted on one side of its round pot, rather than near the center as you normally find. None of this is necessarily a problem, you are free to do what you want with your bonsai. If you want to follow Japanese or other bonsai conventions, or not, is up to you.
Continue reading ‘Another Fearless Bonsai Warrior’
This twisty little Japanese white pine was submitted by Randall de Rijk of the Bonsai Society of San Francisco. The pot is by Wendy Heller. I like both the pot and the tree, but perhaps one is a little big for the other.
You can still win a $100 gift certificate
Six entries so far means we’ll accept four more before we close the contest. Don’t be shy, a $100 gift certificate to Stone Lantern could change your life (well, maybe not, but you could upgrade your tools).
Continue reading ‘$100 Unique Bonsai Contest: Four More To Go’
This One Seed Juniper (J. monosperma) was collected (see below) and styled by Michael Hagedorn. Michael is the author of Posted Dated, The Schooling of an Irreverent Bonsai Monk. Michael lives, teaches and practices bonsai in Portland Oregon. His company is Crataegus Bonsai.
Comparisons are odious
I don’t know that the oft use phrase ‘Comparisons are odious‘ is always true, but I think there is something there. A comparison that has been showing its (odious?) head lately has to do with European vs American (or North American) bonsai. Another is Asian vs Western bonsai.
Continue reading ‘Relatively Speaking…’
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