A Few Shots from the Asheville Bonsai Expo

This muscular olive is from the recent Asheville Bonsai Expo. The photo and the others shown here are by Owen Reich. I cropped most of Owen’s originals, including this one (see below) for closer looks All the photos shown here were taken by Owen Reich at the recent Asheville Bonsai Expo. Owen doesn’t mention the varieties or the owners, but this is common with photos taken at shows, where distractions (mostly people) are everywhere and it’s hard to keep track. For more photos from the Expo you can visit Owen’s timeline. I’m busy today, so I’ll spare you my usual comments TIE POTS ARE BACK … Continue reading A Few Shots from the Asheville Bonsai Expo

Bonsai through the eyes of someone who possesses the patience and skill to take photographs worthy of the subject

Appreciating bonsai is about feeling. This especially true when you experience the raw power and beauty of the best bonsai up close and personal. They vibrate with aliveness. Lacking this direct experience, the closest you’ll come is through the eyes of someone who possesses the patience and skill to take photographs worthy of the subject. This post is about what happens when you marry quality bonsai with the highest quality photography. The bonsai shown here were all on display at the Winter Silhouette Bonsai Expo on December 6-7, 2104, in Kannapolis, North Carolina. The photographer is Joseph Noga. Our source … Continue reading Bonsai through the eyes of someone who possesses the patience and skill to take photographs worthy of the subject

Bonsai & Some Great Stories Unearthed

This photo is originally from the from Kokufu-ten 47 (1973) and came to us via Owen Reich’s Bonsai Unearthed. We’ve been discussing root-on-rock bonsai lately, and by extension root-over-rock bonsai, and you must admit that this is a worthy and very unusual example of the latter (I’ll guess that it’s a Trident maple). Also, when have you ever seen a companion plant quite as large as this one? It’s about time we featured Owen Reich (an apprentice and instructor in Japan whose name came up in our last post). After all, it’s rare to find someone who knows his (or … Continue reading Bonsai & Some Great Stories Unearthed

Study Bonsai in the Old Country

I know I’ve seen this powerful little White pine-over-rock somewhere, and wonder if it hasn’t appeared right here on Bonsai Bark (a quick search unearthed nothing, but that’s no guarantee). It’s from the Fujikawa International School of Bonsai website. This post is about your chance to study at the Fujikawa International School of Bonsai, enjoy some great sushi (maybe even drink a little sake) and experience the wonders of life in Japan. In their own words (from Fujikawa’s website)… “The Fujikawa School is an extension of Fujikawa Kouka-en nursery and is located in Ikeda City, just north of Osaka, Japan. … Continue reading Study Bonsai in the Old Country