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)

Achieving that Natural Look

We found this forest and plenty of other excellent trees (and stones) here. The photo is by Nicola Crivelli. I don’t know who the artist is. Anyone? There’s a lot to like There’s a lot to like about this forest. It has a natural feel that looks easy to achieve, but isn’t. The trees are planted in a way that might looks random, but is actually well thought out. The dead trees add to the natural feel and convey a sense of age, as does the other deadwood. Older larger trees contrast well with the small ones and add to … Continue reading Achieving that Natural Look

9th International Crespi Cup

This gnarly, natural looking old tree is from the 9th International Crespi Cup which took place last weekend. It looks like some kind of spruce (Ezo?), but that’s just a guess. The photo is by Nicola Crivelli. I took the liberty to crop it a bit. The Cup The Crespi Cup is a world famous bonsai, suiseki (and more) exhibition that is held every two years by Crespi Bonsai in Milan. Though I’ve never been, I’ve heard that the turnouts are huge, almost beyond comprehension for those of us in the States who are used to shows that attract a … Continue reading 9th International Crespi Cup