Power, Movement & Texture

Power, movement and texture. This astounding Itoigawa shimpaku juniper (Juniperus chinensis Itoigawa) received an Honorable Mention at the 2015 Crespi Bonsai Cup which was held at the Crespi Bonsai Museum. It belongs to Gino Costa. The photos shown here are from the 2015 Crespi Bonsai Cup. I cropped them all to bring the trees closer and to eliminate background noise. You can see the uncropped photos of all 65 entries here.   Here’s the First Prize tree and I can’t say I disagree. It’s a Mugo pine that belongs to Paolo Riboli. I like the natural grey of the deadwood, … Continue reading Power, Movement & Texture

Wild Trees & Massive Trunks

Substantial, to say the least. You’d expect a heavy pot with such a massive trunk, still, to my eye this particular pot seems to dominate the tree just a bit. From José Gómez del Río’s facebook photos. All of the photos in this post are from José Gómez del Río on facebook, and I assume all of the trees are his. Even though I like his wild and wonderful olive bonsai, I seem to be just a bit nit picky this morning. We’ll chalk it up to mild case of pre-Holiday stress. BTW: the original images were a little dark … Continue reading Wild Trees & Massive Trunks

Rebar Fix

Contrast this with the before photo below to get a hit of what you can do with a piece of rebar, some nerve, and more than a little skill. All the photos in this post are of bonsai by David Benavente. I’m out of town and busy with things too numerous to mention, so I’m going to mine our archives once again. Apologies if you’ve already seen this one, but considering that it’s from over three years ago, my best guess is that most of you haven’t, and if you have, you’ve forgotten it by now. And just in case … Continue reading Rebar Fix

Fishing for Bonsai Muscle

European olives are often resplendent with character as well as muscle and this one is certainly no exception (to say the least). I found it on flickr and then, one thing led to another (see Gone fishing below) and to the conclusion that this tree belongs to Luis Vallejo (though I couldn’t find evidence on his very attractive but oh-so-slow site). Bonsai muscle There’s something grand about bonsai with thick, powerful trunks. Assuming that I’m not the only one that feels this way, here are three exceptional bonsai (that also happen to be quite muscular) for your enjoyment. Gone fishing … Continue reading Fishing for Bonsai Muscle

A Happy Bonsai Artist

  Reverse taper? No problem that a little carving can’t solve. I know it’s a Yew (Taxus), but I’m not sure which species (can’t find the original to confirm). It belongs to David Benavente. If you’re ever in Spain… … think about paying a visit to David Benavente’s bonsai studio. A while back we posted some photos of David’s studio/nursery. I was taken with the artistry of the display and of course, the trees. Here’s a few more trees and another display shot to whet your appetite.   Have you ever seen a display area this perfect? Full cascade Scot’s … Continue reading A Happy Bonsai Artist

Bonsai With Rebar by David Benavente

Some serious sh-t stuff! Take a look at the before photo below to get a hit of what you can do with a piece of rebar, some nerve, and more than a little skill. All the photos in this post are of bonsai by David Benavente. Before rebar.