Naturally Dramatic Bonsai

A particularly dramatic and complex Pemphis acidula. Not that Pemphis don’t tend to be dramatic anyway, but this one is almost unrivaled. It was collected and styled by Gedemerta. Height 82cm (32″). Continuing from yesterday with more bonsai by Gedemerta, we’ll borrow a few photos from our archives (June, 2015). All but one of the trees here are Pemphis acidula which has to be one of the most naturally dramatic trees in the world. It’s a safe bet that they were all collected from the wild. In fact, it might not be too far fetched to assume that Pemphis bonsai only originate in the wild, … Continue reading Naturally Dramatic Bonsai

An Old Bonsai Favorite

If you know Gedemerta’s bonsai, you’ll recognize this as one of his many Pemphis acidula. The rough bark, preponderance of deadwood and the tiny leaves give it away The photos shown here are from an old favorite of ours, Gedemerta Bonsai Bali. Though I just discovered these (on facebook of course), I also just noticed they date all the way back to 2012, so they may be familiar to some of you. In fact, at least one of them has been shown here on Bark (the Barbados cherry, but with a different pot) and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more than one. MID-WINTER … Continue reading An Old Bonsai Favorite

Robert’s Bonsai & Our Disclaimer

Premna is all Robert Steven says about this remarkable tree, but maybe that’s enough; it can tell its own story of a wild life with more than its fair share of abuse (like some people we might know). As you may have noticed, we feature Robert Steven’s bonsai more than any other artist, so maybe it’s time to issue a disclaimer. But before we do that, we’ll note that Robert is one of the most prolific and talented bonsai artists we know. Beyond that, he teaches bonsai to a depth seldom seen and he expresses boundless energy and enthusiasm in … Continue reading Robert’s Bonsai & Our Disclaimer

Very Red and Very Rare

You don’t see very many bright red bonsai pots. Red glazes are expensive and I suspect that they are not that easy to do. Then there’s the conundrum they present; what do put in a bright red pot? Not always so easy, but in this case, problem solved (or is it?). The tree is a Elaeagnus pungens (Siverthorn in English, Kangumi in Japanese). Both the tree and pot are by Haruyosi as are all the trees and pots in this post. Red glazes are not that common. Bright red glazes are even less common. Yellow glazes are not all that … Continue reading Very Red and Very Rare

Still Scratching (the Judges backs)

New England’s best. Teddi Scobi’s easy-going personal style is a big reason for New England Bonsai’s success for the past 27 years (photo is from New England Bonsai’s Kaikou School of Bonsai). If you don’t believe me, visit New England Bonsai and meet her for yourself. Be sure to tell her I said hello. Still scratching Judges Though we already featured our judges once, for some reason I feel compelled to do it again. I think it’s because I’m already getting excited about our next Bonsai from Scratch Contest (here’s an early post on the just completed 2011 contest) and … Continue reading Still Scratching (the Judges backs)

High Energy Bonsai

Premna serratifolia (Wahong) by Robert Steven. Two years in training. All the photos in this post are from Robert’s ‘My Studio’ on facebook. If you don’t do facebook, you can visit Robert’s blog (though it’s not very up-to-date), or you can just peruse Bonsai Bark for a large range of posts on Robert’s bonsai. Mr. High Energy Bonsai I’ve been watching the bonsai scene for close to thirty years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more prolific bonsai artist than Robert Steven. Prolific at a very high level at that. Or, for that matter, prolific at any level. … Continue reading High Energy Bonsai

Local Bonsai Styles 2: Growing Conditions, Native Species & Culture

This venerable, naturally dwarfed Ponderosa belongs to American/British bonsai artist and teacher, Colin Lewis. Colin lives on the coast of Maine. Ponderosa pines grow in the inland mountains of the western U.S.; two distinctively different environments. Climate, native species and culture If you get a chance, take a look at the comments from the last post. They expand and provide insight into what started as a simple post with a single idea: the effects of culture (human rather than biological culture) on local bonsai styles. The first three comments deal mostly with nature (climate and other growing conditions, and native … Continue reading Local Bonsai Styles 2: Growing Conditions, Native Species & Culture