Bonsai that Don’t Bust Your Bank Account & an Important Natural Phenomenon

We’ve featured this tree before and we may well feature it again in a year or two. The tree is a yew. The artist is Harry Harrington. Sticking with our friend Harry Harrington. We originally put this post together in September, 2017… All the photos featured here are courtesy of Harry Harrington, an artist who specializes in what you might call found bonsai; bonsai from the wild or from hedgerows and gardens or wherever bonsai stock might come from that doesn’t bust your bank account.  For more found bonsai and other good news, you can visit Harry at Bonsai4me or on his … Continue reading Bonsai that Don’t Bust Your Bank Account & an Important Natural Phenomenon

Exceptional Before & After Bonsai

This has to be one of the most compelling bonsai I’ve seen in a while. It has that wild, not overly refined look and though the deadwood is prominent, it’s not dominated by deadwood like so many trees. But perhaps the best of all are are the brilliant living veins and the way they stand out against the deadwood Island hopping today, so to save precious time, we’re going to rerun a post on one of my favorite trees. This before and after is more about refinement than styling rough stock. Less daunting perhaps, but only someone skilled in the … Continue reading Exceptional Before & After Bonsai

It’s Taxus Time

This old Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) belongs to Mauro Stemberger. The color coordinated pot is by Petra Hahn (even the moss has reddish spots). I found the photo on The Art of Bonsai Project. Just for the fun of it, I searched our archives for the word Easter today. As you might suspect, all the posts with Cotoneaster came up. No surprise there. But so did several others, including this one (from December, 2015). My humble apologies… I didn’t realize that it’s tax time until after I dug up this old  ‘Taxus’ post. Once I did realize, I couldn’t resist … Continue reading It’s Taxus Time

The Finishing Touches that Make a Tree Stand Out

Is this a Yew (Taxus)? Thanks to Walter Pall we now know that this is a plastic sculpture (a very good one at that). “This tree was exhibited at Noelanders Tropyh 2012 ouside the bonsai exhibit. It is a PLASTIC tree wanting to show the ideal bonsai. There is a tree looking similar which is owned by Enrico Savini in Italy as far as I remember. it is still in the making. Enrico’s tree is alive and for real.” I don’t know much about this tree; its variety, its owner, where it resides…. What I do know is, some highly … Continue reading The Finishing Touches that Make a Tree Stand Out

When Was the Last Time You Saw a Trunk with so much Power and Character?

This has to be one of the most compelling bonsai I’ve seen in a while. It has that wild, not overly refined look and ‘just so’ deadwood (it’s not dominated by deadwood like so many trees). But the real deal is the trunk. When was the last time you saw a trunk with so much power and character? Hopelessly behind schedule with Thanksgiving and other family and friend obligations looming, not to mention my other job (Stone Lantern) and its daily demands… So to save precious time, we’re going to rerun a post on one of my all time favorite … Continue reading When Was the Last Time You Saw a Trunk with so much Power and Character?

Before & After – Refining a Very Compelling Bonsai

This has to be one of the most compelling bonsai I’ve seen in a while. It has that wild, not overly refined look and ‘just so’ deadwood (it’s not dominated by deadwood like so many trees). But the real deal is the trunk. When was the last time you saw a trunk with so much power and character? To save a little time, we’ll dig back into our archives today (I’m out west watching the grand kids while mom & dad attend the BookExpo America 2016 in Chicago and lunches still need to be made). BTW: this is one of … Continue reading Before & After – Refining a Very Compelling Bonsai

Focus on Bonsai

I found this rather unique tree in the gallery section of the Bonsai Focus website. There’s no mention of the artist or the variety, though I’m sure you can find this information in the hard copy of their magazine. I can’t make out the foliage all that well, but I’ll guess that it’s a Yew (Taxus baccata?). Bonsai Focus magazine lives on the cutting edge (no pun intended) of contemporary bonsai and is among the most outstanding bonsai magazines anywhere. It’s a quick click to their website and a trip worth making. Once there, in addition to enjoying some very … Continue reading Focus on Bonsai

Dragon!

It’s time to revisit Bonsai Master Masahiko Kimura, the man, who more than anyone, revolutionized the art of bonsai. Dragon is one of the best examples of Kimura’s bonsai revolution. When he did it, there was nothing like it anywhere and it still stands as one of the most amazing bonsai transformations ever. Unfortunately, The Bonsai Art of Kimura where the transformation of the Dragon is shown in detail, is long out of print. Fortunately, the transformation is also in Bonsai Today issue 2, which shows up time to time. If you want to get your hands on Kimura in … Continue reading Dragon!

Bonsai Crazy

I love these close-up deadwood shots that let you see every little scar and sliver. The tree is a big Yew that belongs to Mark Fields. Here’s what Mark Fields has to say about this tree: “Uchi-San just finished up styling the big taxus. It took about 16 hours to complete. Ready for the big show now! We know the pot is too big for the tree. We will repot in spring.” Mark Fields is an American bonsai artist and owner of Bonsai By Fields in Greenwood Indiana. Uchi-San is Bonsai Crazy Uchi (we’ll devote a whole post to him … Continue reading Bonsai Crazy

It’s All About Yew

The powerful tree with its heavy flowing deadwood (it reminds me of melting wax) and luscious reddish bark is truly wonderful, but then there’s that little companion too. Have you ever seen a piece of deadwood used as a bonsai companion? This Taxus (yew) and charming little piece of deadwood belong to Mauro Stemberger. The pot is a Tokoname. On the road again today, so we’ll go ahead and borrow from our archives once again. This one originally appeared in December 2012. Species specific series. I’ve been thinking about starting a species specific series (in this case it’s actually genus … Continue reading It’s All About Yew