Happy Bonsai Holidays – Merry Bonsai Christmas

Though most Christmas trees have their charm and some are genuine works of art, this one by Nacho Marin has to be one of the best we’ve seen Peace on earth and goodwill to you, your loved ones and everyone else on this lovely troubled planet. This is not the first time we’ve shown this bonsai Christmas tree by Nacho Marin (2013 was first), but until we find one we like more, it won’t be the last NEW SPECIALS at STONE LANTERN SEE BELOW we’re done shipping on time for Christmas but that doesn’t mean we’re done for the Holidays Just before and just after. … Continue reading Happy Bonsai Holidays – Merry Bonsai Christmas

Deconstructing Nacho

Even though Nacho Marin doesn’t mention the species, the origin of the crazy pot or give any indication of the tree’s size, I couldn’t resist. Here’s Nacho’s caption… “El estudio de la dinamica y el movimiento en el proceso de la deconstruccion de la imagen siempre arroja resultados impactantes.” And here’s my translation… “The study of the dynamics and movement in the process of deconstructing the image, always yields impressive results” All the images in this post are from Nacho’s timeline It has been awhile since we visited Nacho Marin, someone who was an accomplished artist before he started with bonsai. This … Continue reading Deconstructing Nacho

Elevated Company

The sheer power of this magnificent tree places it in elevated company. It’s a 50cm (20″) tall Ficus microcarpa by one of our favorite South American bonsai artists, Nacho Marin of Venezuela. The pot is by John Evans of the USA. Yesterday we featured a Ficus from Taiwan, so picking up that thread… and because I’m still on mini-vacation, we’ll take the quick path This one originally appeared here in May, 2015 Though this post was inspired by Nacho Marin’s powerful Ficus (above) and though Nacho is South American, when we start looking at Ficus bonsai we seem to circle back to Taiwan NEW FALL … Continue reading Elevated Company

Bonsai Beasts of the Southern Wild

Beast of the Southern Wild. We don’t know the dimensions of this monster, but we know its name. It’s a Pithecellobium unguis (Catclaw black bead), a genus and species completely new to us (and probably new to you too). As you can see, this particular bonsai is about as unique as they get with nature doing most of the work and Nacho Marin providing the finishing touches. Getting ready to head out of town for a little mixed R&R and work (there’s always some work), so we’ll take a shortcut today. This post originally appeared in February, 2015, though from where we sit now, it … Continue reading Bonsai Beasts of the Southern Wild

Tiger Bark Bonsai

We’ve shown this magnificent Tiger bark ficus (Ficus retusa) before, but not this cropped front shot. The photo of the entire tree is below along with several other shots that focus on sections. The photos and the tree belong to Nacho Marin. Bonsai Aesthetics Wire SPECIAL 100 gram rolls Only 2.95 500 gram (1.1 lb) rolls Only 8.95 1 Kilo (2.2 lb) rolls Only 15.95 I know we’ve shown this front view of the entire tree before, but it’s worth another look The base of the trunk NEW BONSAI TOOL KIT SPECIAL 30% OFF LIST PRICES ALL BONSAI TOOL KITS plus an extra … Continue reading Tiger Bark Bonsai

Bonsai Stories

The smaller trunk was blown over in storm and saved when it landed on a tiny rock island. Fortunately, just enough of the roots are intact and a surviving branch has grown up to become the new crown. One of several stories told by this remarkable planting. The artist is Nacho Marin, a frequent presence here on Bark Traveling today so it’s archive time. This one is from one year ago yesterday The best bonsai tell stories. Usually it’s about hostile environments and hardships, though you could have a robust and stately tree that speaks of a more gentle climate … Continue reading Bonsai Stories

Michelangelo, Picasso & Other Great Bonsai Artists

Even though we know this tree has been worked by human hands, the link to its natural state hasn’t been lost. If anything it has been enhanced. No variety is given, though it looks like a collected juniper. Back from vacation for well over a week and still locked in mortal combat with paperwork demons. Time for a short cut. This post originally appeared almost exactly one year ago. Nacho Marin is someone who was already an artist when he discovered bonsai and who brought his vision, talent and experience to the art. And though people often say that we … Continue reading Michelangelo, Picasso & Other Great Bonsai Artists

Buttonwoods, Books & Bonsai Wire

This powerfully compact Buttonwood belongs to Nacho Marin, as do all four Buttonwood bonsai shown here. Continuing with yesterday’s Buttonwood theme, while we pack for our journey back to the real world… all four trees shown belong to Nacho Marin and were featured on Bark in February, 2015. With Buttonwoods it’s nature that does the real work. Humans find them, dig them, pot them and eliminate branches and other parts that distract from the natural beauty of the tree. But nature does the twisting, turning and scouring by sand and wind that results in such unusual shapes and magnificent deadwood. … Continue reading Buttonwoods, Books & Bonsai Wire

Handle with Care & Only When Sober

I’m not sure how Nacho Marin did this. Carefully I suppose. His caption reads: “Ceiba Stick, drunk, choricia…. 65 cm (25.5″)” BTW, drunk refers to drunken stick (palo borracho*) a common name for Ceiba, and not, you can assume, to Nacho’s condition while working on the tree. I don’t know anything about Ceiba speciosa (aka Chorisia or Silk floss tree) beyond what I just read on Wikipedia. And though you might wonder why anyone would bother to bonsai such a difficult tree, there’s always the challenge that some humans seem to thrive on and perhaps there’s an interest in novelty … Continue reading Handle with Care & Only When Sober

The Best Bonsai Tell Stories

The smaller trunk was blown over in storm and saved when it landed on a tiny rock island. Fortunately, just enough of the roots are intact and a surviving branch has grown up to become the new crown. One of several stories told by this remarkable planting. The artist is Nacho Marin, a frequent presence here on Bark. The best bonsai tell stories. Usually it’s about hostile environments and hardships, though you could have a robust and stately tree that speaks of a more gentle climate and easy living. In the case of the tree above, you can see tough … Continue reading The Best Bonsai Tell Stories