The inspiration for this post arouse when I stumbled upon this remarkable tree on facebook. It belongs to Colin Lewis. Here’s his caption: “Colorado blue spruce, acquired 2008 from Harold Sasaki. Styled 2011-2012. Pot custom made by my old friend Dan Barton, 2013. I’m letting it grow this year to refresh some old congested areas. Maybe I’ll show it in 2016…”
Le raison d’être for this post is the tree above. More accurately, the tree and the pot. Both are delightful and together, even more delightful.
However, and in spite of the magic of the bonsai above, two questions arise. Does the turquoise glaze (where the rim of the pot peels open to accommodate the dragon-like jin) enhance the overall effect or distract from it? To clarify, I love the opening in the pot, it’s color I’m curious about.
The second question is; without knowing how it came into existence (only Colin or Harold know), would the trunk be better off without the shari? Would the age and character of the tree be better expressed if we could see more of the old bark? And, is it one too many elements in a tree that already has so much going on? Or does it provide balance for the powerful jin?
I don’t have answers, just questions. But I do believe that Colin is one of those people who is interested in exploring and pushing bonsai boundaries. Maybe that’s the answer.
Below are a couple more of Colin’s trees that you might enjoy.
Colin’s caption: “Oh what a tangled web we weave…. Crazy Ponderosa pine from Andy Smith 2005.” We’ve shown this one before, but it’s always worth another look (unquestionably). Colin posted it on facebook with the tree above and you can find it on his website as well.
This Tamarack forest is from Colin’s website. I have a big soft spot for Tamarack (Larch: Larix laricina). It’s one of several sub-arctic trees that reaches down into northern Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine (a little further south at higher elevations) and runs northwest through Canada’s great Boreal forest and all the way into Alaska (if you’ve been following the debate on the Keystone XL pipeline, you might have heard something about the Boreal forest).
Colin Lewis’ excellent Ho Yoku Bonsai Care Products are all available at Stone Lantern. Now’s a good time to stock up, everything is 20% to 30% off
I find the long downward jin overpowering. I’d like it better shortened to the leftward spike. The aqua doesn’t bother me.