Bonsai Paradise

I think this magnificent convoluted beast belongs to Yusuf Sirait; at least it appears on his facebook page. It’s a Pemphis acidula (Santigi). Yet another mid-summer vacation resurrection (from January 2012). The original was a little wordy so I’ve chopped it down just a bit. Bonsai paradise I wonder just how common naturally contorted wild bonsai stock are on the islands of Indonesia. Based on what you see online and elsewhere, it’s easy to get the impression that they are quite abundant and easily accessible, though, I doubt that’s really the case. In fact, photos from Robert Steven’s Mission of … Continue reading Bonsai Paradise

Two Bonsai Firsts (at least)

A formal upright collected European olive? I’ve seen a lot of magnificent collected European olives, but I’m not sure I’ve ever seen any as perfectly shaped and stupendously gnarled at the same time. The artist is Gabriel Romero Aguade. Noelanders Trophy 2012 The four trees shown here are all from the 13th Noelanders Trophy Exhibition, which was held in Heusden-Zolder, Belgium, way back in January. I borrowed the images from Bonsai – Living Art, the English version of the Slovenski blog (I recommend a visit, it’s a great bonsai blog, one of the best). A couple firsts I don’t know … Continue reading Two Bonsai Firsts (at least)

Three Rare & Wonderful Yamadori Bonsai

Even the most jaded collector has to be amazed when they stumble upon a tree with this much character. It’s from Walter Pall’s conifer gallery. The tree looks a lot like a Ezo spruce, but then, if it was collected in Europe, it couldn’t be. Walter Pall’s conifer gallery The three bonsai shown here have been borrowed courtesy of Walter Pall. They represent a small sampling of Walter’s wonderful conifer collection. Naturalistic bonsai Walter Pall has long been a strong proponent of what he calls ‘naturalistic bonsai.’ To my eye, all three trees in this post speak with a strong … Continue reading Three Rare & Wonderful Yamadori Bonsai

Nature, Picasso & the Hand of Man

Here’s an exquisite, powerful old tree that features some wild twists and turns. I found it here. My guess is it’s a Shimpaku juniper that was originally collected in the mountains of Japan. A further guess is that it fell into the hands of one of the Japanese masters. One more guess; it was professionally photographed and appears in a Japanese bonsai book or Bonsai magazine Okay, I stand corrected (see comments) That Old Question: Naturalistic vs Highly Styled Bonsai Though nature originally grew, shaped and aged this wonderful old tree, there is no pretending that humans didn’t have a … Continue reading Nature, Picasso & the Hand of Man

Pushing the Limits

This wild and gnarly yamadori (collected bonsai) exhibits some classical flaws. Two of the most obvious are the long straight taperless section of mid-trunk and the cluttered roots around the base. However, that’s the way this tree grew and those flaws tell part of the story of its struggles to survive and thrive in an inhospitable environment. Without them, the story might not be so interesting. Classical vs Eccentric There have always been classical bonsai (ones that conform to accepted norms of an earlier time) and there have always been more eccentric bonsai that push classical forms and norms into … Continue reading Pushing the Limits

Imperfect, Yet Compelling

Imperfect, unfinished and unbalanced… yet, still compelling in its naturalness and with its luminous foliage, aged bark and deadwood (if you ignore the unfinished jin at the top). By Andrei Darusenkov. Just a little luck This larch is a little different from the one in our last post, which featured a near perfect little collected larch (the kind you could spend a lifetime looking for). This one shows a type tree that us ordinary collectors with our limited experience and just a little luck might find sometime. Taking a few liberties and indulging in a little imagination I don’t know … Continue reading Imperfect, Yet Compelling

Deadwood South Dakota: Yamadori part 1

This Limber pine (Pinus flexilis) is going to stay put right where it is. Photo by Andy Smith, from the home page on Andy’s Golden Arrow Bonsai. Andy Smith Andy Smith is a bonsai artist and professional woodsman who specializes in collecting trees from nature. Though I’ve only met Andy once, and have never been collecting with him, I can say with some degree of certainty, that Andy knows what he’s doing when it comes to collecting and caring for yamadori. If you would like to learn how to collect the right way, check out Andy’s DVD, How to Collect … Continue reading Deadwood South Dakota: Yamadori part 1

North American Bonsai

An old Sierra Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) by John Romano. Height 42″. In the next few months, Bill Valavanis’ 1st US National Bonsai Exhibition Commemorative Album will be back from the printer and ready for your enjoyment. Meanwhile, there is another very noteworthy book that features some great home grown American (and Canadian) bonsai. It’s the American Bonsai Society‘s North American Bonsai (compiled and edited by Martin Schmalenberg). When I first saw it, I was impressed with some of the trees but not completely taken by the collection as a whole. I think my bias towards Japanese bonsai clouded my vision. … Continue reading North American Bonsai