Photo from Crespi Bonsai (see September 10)
Just the beginning
This is it. Our first calendar. If you have a bonsai event you’d like to see in our next calendar, send it to wayne@stonelantern.com, or put it in the comments below (don’t forget the links). We can’t guarantee we’ll publish them all, but we might.
Sep 4-7: Bay Island Bonsai Workshop
Sep 9-12: Bonsai and Suiseki Prague 2010, 13th National Exhibition
Sep 10-12: International Bonsai’s North American Bonsai Symposium
Sep 10-19: Crespi Bonsai 9th International Bonsai & Suiseki Meeting
Sep 13: Ryan Neil Demonstration, The Bonsai Society of Upstate New York
Sep 17-19 Pacific Northwest Bonsai Clubs Convention with Dan Robinson, Kathy Shaner, Michael Hagedorn, David DeGroot and other notables
Sep 18-26: Potomac Bonsai Association Exhibit at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum
Sep 29 – Oct 12: BCI Fall China Tour
Sep 30 – Oct 3: International Stone Appreciation Symposium
Continue reading ‘Bonsai Events Calendar’
Sierra juniper after restyling by Daisaku Nomoto. From Bonsai Tonight. Photos by Jonas Dupuich.
Mr Nomoto visits Bay Island Bonsai
Jonas Dupuich is featuring a great series of photos on Daisaku Nomoto’s visit to Bay Island Bonsai. I’m on a short vacation, so this is an easy way to offer you something good with a minimum of effort. Enjoy!
Before.
Northern white cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) by Paul Chong of the Toronto Bonsai Society.
Friend out west?
Two of the three cedars in this post are by Paul Chong. Though there are several other notable cedars on the Toronto Bonsai Society’s website, Paul’s jumped out at me. And, incidentally, Toronto is actually west of Vermont, not north.
Another of Paul’s powerful collected cedars. Only Mother Nature (with a little help from a deft hand here and there) could accomplish something this spectacular.
Continue reading ‘More Cedars: From Our Friends Up North’
Promoting the art of bonsai
Bonsai Bark exists for at least two purposes. 1. To promote the art of bonsai, and 2. to bring people to Stone Lantern. In keeping with number 1, we are going start offering a regular calendar of bonsai events. At this point, I am not sure how often (maybe bi-weekly or even weekly), or exactly what will be included (we may treat non-profit organization differently than for profit businesses). In any case, if you want to promote your event, email me (put bonsai calendar in the subject line) or include it in the comments below, and, chances are, we will publicize it for you. FYI: Bonsai Bark averages about 16,000 visits per month (about 5,000 unique).
A piece of an 1871 Hindu calendar. Borrowed from Wikipedia.
Help us find your event(s)
We will actively seek out events by scouring the web. However, this does not assure that we will find your event(s). So help us out. Send us links. Again, you can email me (put bonsai calendar in the subject line) or you can include your link (with comments if you’d like) in the comments section of any Bonsai Bark posting.
This cheerfully bright bougainvillea (borrowed from Bonsaimania; Bonsái del álbum de Virgie Bambilla) illustrates the principle that: when it comes to flowering bonsai, the tree should be designed and displayed in a way that, first and foremost, shows off the flowers. Success!
Is there a problem?
This post is in no way conceived to criticize anyone. I understand that most people who post on facebook (or wherever) aren’t necessarily interested presenting highly finished professional type photos. No problem. However, in bonsai display, there are times when the quality of the photo is critical. And for good reason; a well thought out display with professional type touches, including minimizing background distraction, can greatly enhance our appreciation of a bonsai. Held to this standard, most photos on facebook and elsewhere, leave something to be desired.
Cropped. I took the liberty to crop the photo to try to minimize background clutter (noise). It’s impossible to get rid of all the distractions and a small part of the tree and much of the stand has been sacrificed, but you work with what you got.
This is the same cedar that we featured three days ago, only much improved after being prepared for exhibition at the 2nd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. BTW: it won the ABS Award for the finest North American Species Bonsai. It’s no wonder eh? Photo courtesy of Bill Valavanis of International Bonsai. The artist is Marc Arpag of the Bonsai Society of Upstate New York.
Our Site-Wide Summer Sale Ends Tomorrow Morning!
My Japanese is a little rusty (actually more like non-existent), so I have no idea what this little gem is. However, thanks to Willi Benz, I know that if it is displayed alone, you might call it a kusamono (or kusamono bonsai). If it is displayed as an accent or companion plant, then you could call it a shitakusa. This photo, just like the second photo in Friday’s post, is from one of our Japanese mystery books.
Is this perfection?
When I look at the two photos in this post, I can find absolutely no faults anywhere. Often with bonsai, something might be improved: the size of the pot, its color, the placement of the plant, its angle, the ratio of whatever to whatever, something. Am I missing something? Or maybe what I call perfection is just what suits my taste?
Here’s another one. Same book. Same problem (ie, no problem).
Our Okatsune bonsai shear. This is my favorite bonsai shear. In fact, I think it’s the best bonsai shear in the world (short of individually hand made $500 and up Japanese shears).
New shipment of tools from Japan due in next week
We are running out of many of our tools, but a new supply is due in next week. Order now and take advantage of our Site Wide Summer Sale, and as soon as they arrive, yours will be on its way.
I’ve seen most of the photos and much of the text, and I will stake my reputation (whatever it is) on this being one of the most inspirational and exciting bonsai books ever published. It’s due in October (November?), but if you order and prepay now, you’ll get your Summer Sale discount and you’ll be toward the front of the line for shipment.
I first saw this Northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) in International Bonsai magazine (2009 issue 4). It also appears on the Bonsai Society of Upstate New York’s website. It belongs to Marc Arpag and was part of the Society’s 36th Upstate New York Exhibition (2009). It jumped out at me because I have a thing for cedars, but can never seem to find any that begin to approach this natural wonder.
When is a cedar a cedar (or not)? Common names often create confusion. There are only four true cedar (Cedrus) species in the world, yet an abundance of trees that are commonly called cedars. These include Atlantic white cedar (Cham. thyoides), at least one juniper (Eastern red cedar – J. Virginiana), the Incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens), the Northern white (also called Eastern white cedar) featured above, the Western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and no doubt several others (anyone else?).
The tree of life All the Thuja genus are arborvitaes (the tree of life), though the tendency seems to be to call the wild species cedars and the domestic cultivars arborvitaes (if you’ve read this far, you are unusual (exceptional?) in the world of bonsai enthusiasts – it always amazes me how few bonsai enthusiasts seem to be interested in trees).
This shot puts the tree a little more into perspective (it looks a little smaller than I originally thought).
I lifted this from Bonsai Smiths’ gallery. I like the planting and I especially like the pot. I wonder who made it (I assume one of the Smiths did the planting).
Kusamono or Shitakusa? Willi knows best
In his book Bonsai, Kusamono, Suiseki, Willi Benz says “Kusa = grass and Mono = object.” He goes on to say “If a Kusamono-Bonsai is the main object of a display, we use the term Kusamono. But if a Kusamono-Bonsai is used as an accent or complementary plant, we say it is a Shitakusa.”
This one is from one of our mystery Japanese books that found its way into our library. As you can see from the caption, it’s a…….
What about Willi’s book?
Willi Benz’ book (see above) is the best on the topic (in English, at least), and it’s still in print.
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