I pulled this distinctive bonsai off of a gallery on facebook that was posted by Francesco Santini. There isn’t much information provided and I don’t read Italian anyway (Free Translation nonwithstanding), so I can’t say much about this tree except that the hollowed out trunk caught my eye.
An unusual tree
I have seen very few trunks that have been so completely hollowed (from side to side anyway, if not in depth). It looks like it might be a Ezo spruce though I could be mistaken. If it is an Ezo, it must be quite old to attain such size as Ezos are very slow growing. I like the first branch, it almost serves as a second trunk and is not a bad little bonsai in itself. Overall, I think that this is a excellent tree with great balance, and would be noteworthy even without the distinctive hollow trunk.
Here’s another tree from the same gallery that caught my eye. Though it’s a juniper, the reddish bark and the deadwood remind me of the Manzanitas in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
Pirates
At least one blog has been pirating our posts, lock stock and barrel; but without our links and without any attribution to bonsai bark, or Stone Lantern. If you are reading this on any website or blog that is not ours, and is not attributed to us, then it has been pirated. Please visit us at bonsaibark.com. Thank you.
The Suzuki piece of this puzzle. This poster is also on Santini’s facebook galley. Shinji Suzuki is Michael Hagedorn‘s teacher. Suzuki and Michael have both been featured in Bonsai Bark.
This spruce is in fact a Bird’s Nest Spruce (Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’), styled by mr. Kimura, a mere 15 years ago.
Here the full posts on the Franchi Bonsai Blog:
– http://www.franchi-bonsai.it/blog/tag/abete/page/2/
– http://www.franchi-bonsai.it/blog/tag/abete/
Regards,
Ferry
This spruce is in fact a Bird’s Nest Spruce (Picea abies ‘Nidiformis’), styled by mr. Kimura, a mere 15 years ago.
Here the full posts on the Franchi Bonsai Blog:
– http://www.franchi-bonsai.it/blog/tag/abete/page/2/
– http://www.franchi-bonsai.it/blog/tag/abete/
Regards,
Ferry
Thanks for coming through once again Ferry. It’s good to know someone is paying attention.
I love the juniper and I almost love the spruce.
I find myself distracted by the lime sulfur job on the spruce (sure, I know it will age) and some of the other conifers receiving big carve jobs. In nature, rarely do you see dead wood that bleached–it is often yellow, brown or gray. I’ve only seen one person dye his lime sulfur but I think that’s a practice worth experimenting more with.
Al
Thanks Al and good point. Too white tends to look a little strange. Just carving and putting lime sulphur on will never achieve a natural look anyway. You need to add some time into the mix.