You Be the Judge (& We’ll Grease Your Palm)

Judge our $100 Unique Bonsai Contest and receive a $5.00 gift certificate Become a bonsai judge and receive a $5.00 gift certificate to Stone Lantern. The basics The 11 bonsai below (placed roughly in the order we received them) have been entered in our $100 Unique Bonsai Contest. The winner will be determined when 25 judges have sent in their decisions, or by March 31st (whichever comes first). Anyone can judge (see below if you entered a bonsai in the contest), but only one time per person.

Contest: Where in the World Did We Find It?

Win a twenty five dollar gift certificate. Be the first to tell us exactly where we found this weeping literati (bunjin) style pine (I actually don’t remember and would like to know) and you’ll win a $25.00 gift certificate to Stone Lantern. To win, your answer must appear in the comments below.

Eccentric Bonsai #3 & Contest #8

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 … Continue reading Eccentric Bonsai #3 & Contest #8

$100 Unique Bonsai Contest: Four More To Go

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).

Bonsai Warriors: A Critique & A Pleasant Surprise

This powerful Trident maple was submitted by Carl Morrow of Cape Town South Africa and is our first Fearless Bonsai Warrior award winner (a fifteen dollar gift certificate to Stone Lantern-see below). A free critique (for what it’s worth) There’s a lot to like about this tree, and a few things that might be done to improve it. I think it needs a different pot (actually, I like the pot a lot, just not with this tree). It’s shallowness sets off the trunk’s thickness, and that’s a good thing, however, the pot is too big from side to side and … Continue reading Bonsai Warriors: A Critique & A Pleasant Surprise

Enjoy Life! Enter Our $100 Unique Bonsai Contest

I found this little gem on the giardinipiscine website while I was looking for something else (that’s one of the wonders of the web). It looks like an azalea of some sort, but it’s the size (or lack of it), not its ID, that gives it juice. A bonsai in hand… … might be worth a $100 gift certificate from Stone Lantern. It doesn’t have to be small… … but, small enough to be held up by the fingers of one hand. The winner won’t necessarily be the smallest tree, but rather the tree that we feel is the most … Continue reading Enjoy Life! Enter Our $100 Unique Bonsai Contest

And the winner is…

First place Finally, after building excruciating suspense, here it is, our winner of our bonsai art contest ($50.00 gift certificate to Stone Lantern)! This sweet tree on a cliff by João Pires has captured my imagination. Not that it’s the only one I like, actually I like them all. So much so that we are awarding a second places ($25.00 gift certificate), and three honorable mentions ($10.00 gift certs each).

Contest Critique #1: Slanting in the Rain

This painting was submitted by John Burrows of Burrows Art. The paintings on John’s site are oils, so I assume this is also an oil painting. Feel free I’ve decided to critique each entry before I decide on a winner. Feel free to disagree (or agree) with my comments. Just remember that it is not my intention to offend anyone. First the good news I find the overall feeling of John’s painting (above) to be harmonious and pleasing (the same goes for the paintings on his site), and I think the suggestion of rain ads fluidity and a sense of … Continue reading Contest Critique #1: Slanting in the Rain