A Famous Olive by a Famous American Bonsai Artist

This dramatic European olive forest on a rooted burl is by Melba Tucker. It’s borrowed from The National Bonsai Foundation‘s 2008 calendar. Winging it back to the ice palace today, so we’ll plunder our archives once again. This one dates way back to the Stone Ages (so to speak). January 2010 to be exact. Though it goes without saying This old gem (above) looks like a forest growing on a rocky ledge somewhere in Spain (or anywhere else olives grow) and, though it goes without saying, I’ll say it anyway: it’s one of the most wonderful, natural looking burl style … Continue reading A Famous Olive by a Famous American Bonsai Artist

Bonsai Events, Dirty Pick Ups and a Few Loose Ends

This pine (looks like a Japanese white; Pinus parviflora) is from the 2011 Taikan-ten bonsai exhibition in Japan. The photo was borrowed from Empire Bonsai. You don’t see that many great multiple-trunk bonsai (here’s another one we posted recently) and I think this one qualifies. It’s hard to tell from this angle if all the trunks are sharing a single root-system. It could be a twin-trunk tree and a triple-trunk clump combined. Upcoming events. It’s time to catch up on some upcoming bonsai events and some other loose ends. Which reminds me, if you’d like to promote an event, just … Continue reading Bonsai Events, Dirty Pick Ups and a Few Loose Ends

What Happens When an Artist Tries His Hand at Bonsai?

You can see this bonsai and other examples of Pierre Leloup’s art on his facebook page and on his website. The luck of the draw Pierre Leloup and Sangi Drolet were my immediate neighbors in the vendors section of the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. As it turned out, they saved my life (in the not too literal sense). Not only did they help me load up at the end of the show (I was by myself and brought way too much stuff), but they fed me, offered me water when I was dry, and cheered me up during those … Continue reading What Happens When an Artist Tries His Hand at Bonsai?

Suiseki & Satsuki

This stone speaks of Death Valley or some remote spot on the edge of the North African desert. It”s from the California Suiseki Society’s 15th Annual Show, via Bonsai Tonight. A great debate? I don’t think we’ve ever featured suiseki (viewing stones) on this blog. We used to feature them regularly in Bonsai Today, with occasional objections by some readers. I’ve always felt that suiseki is a natural with bonsai, so mixing in a few makes sense to me. Perhaps this is a Japanese influenced view, as it seems that you see suiseki and bonsai together with much greater frequency … Continue reading Suiseki & Satsuki

Sixty Four Years of Bonsai in Sacramento

Coast live oak by Greg McDonald of the Sacramento Bonsai Club. If you want to see more detail, check out this larger image. California dreamin’ but no diggin’ Though I don’t know the history of the oak above, I imagine it was collected in the California Coast Range. California (and most of the West Coast) is blessed with some of the most spectacularly wild mountain ranges anywhere, and these ranges are covered with a multitude of collectable tree species. Enough to boggle even the most jaded tree lover’s mind. This is not to say that I think you should run … Continue reading Sixty Four Years of Bonsai in Sacramento

Master’s Gallery: Melba Tucker’s Olive & Suiseki

This dramatic European olive forest on a rooted burl is by Melba Tucker. It’s borrowed from The National Bonsai Foundation‘s 2008 calendar. Though it goes without saying This old gem looks like a forest growing on a rocky ledge somewhere in Spain (or anywhere else olives grow) and, though it goes without saying, I’ll say it anyway: it’s one of the most wonderful, natural looking forest plantings anywhere. If you are ever anywhere near Washington DC, check it (and a whole bunch of other world class bonsai) out. It’s at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. Melba found this distinctive … Continue reading Master’s Gallery: Melba Tucker’s Olive & Suiseki

Viewing Stone Exhibit at the National Museum

This wonderfully scenic suiseki is from the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum‘s current calendar of events (see below). A first for us This is the first time we’ve featured viewing stones on this so far exclusively bonsai blog. If you are a die hard bonsai lover who doesn’t care about the connection (it’s all about displays – see below), please don’t worry, we won’t do this very often. Otherwise, enjoy! And have Happy and Prosperous New Year while you are at it. In their words… The following is straight from the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum’s calendar: Asian Tradition of … Continue reading Viewing Stone Exhibit at the National Museum

Three New Books (Just in Time)

Some of you still read books. We know because we sell them. If you fall into this illustrious (if somewhat aging) group, good times await you. Take a look. Pocket Guide to Bamboos by Ted Jordan Meredith Really nothing about bonsai here, but our guess is some bonsai enthusiast somewhere also appreciates bamboo. And there’s nothing that says you can’t grow bamboo bonsai. The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation by Yoshimura and Covello A classic now back in print after a very long hiatus. Yugi Yoshimura was a great Japanese American bonsai pioneer. Though the thrust of the book is … Continue reading Three New Books (Just in Time)