Semi Cascade Not Windswept

After by Kimura (aka the Magician). This photo is from a chapter in our Masters’ Series Pine Book titled Masahiko Kimura Transforms A Semi-Cascade. The tree is a Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora). I’m at the tail end of a short vacation of sorts, so we’ll indulge in one more rerun before it’s back to work full time. This one originally appeared in August 2012. It was titled The Other Cascade: Before & After. The other cascade Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seem to me that, with the exception of Junipers (especially the ever present Procumbens nana) you … Continue reading Semi Cascade Not Windswept

Grafting Lesson – Juniper on Juniper

Shimpaku foliage grafted onto a California juniper by Roy Nagatoshi. All of the photos in this post are by Dale Berman. They originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 108 in an article by Marcus Juniel. Still traveling, so once again we’ll dip into our archives. This one is from Bark’s early days (March 2010). The title back then was: Roy Nagatoshi Grafts Shimpaku Branches and Foliage onto a California Juniper. Shimpaku foliage on California junipers California juniper foliage is heavy and somewhat coarse (I think it looks fine on native stock, but Shimpaku foliage is beautiful and looks even better) … Continue reading Grafting Lesson – Juniper on Juniper

A Long Awaited Bonsai Event

This is the long awaited weekend of Robert Steven’s first International Bonsai Art & Culture Biennale. For those of us who were unable to make it to Indonesia, here are a few photos that Robert posted to promote the event. Many of these have already appeared here on Bark, but some are new to us. Stay posted for some photos of the event itself. Robert Steven’s Mission of Transformation and all of our other Bonsai Books are now on Sale for 30% to 40% off. Don’t wait though, the sale ends in a few days.

An Outrageous Explosion

This perfect curlycue has to be among the all time greats when it comes to distinctive deadwood. The tree belongs to the very talented Minoru Akiyama. The photo appears just the way I found it, with the apex and most of the pot missing. The art of carving bonsai deadwood was popularized by Masahiko Kimura and his custom power tools back in the 80s and 90s. Now a couple decades later amazing deadwood (and not so amazing deadwood) is everywhere with more and more outrageously wild examples popping up. Though this explosion of jin and shari is not everyone’s cup … Continue reading An Outrageous Explosion

Horst’s Pots & A Rare Event

This is the Horst Heinzlreiter pot that caught my eye and inspired this post. We’ve been featuring Horst Heinzlreiter’s bonsai pots here on Bark for several years now and since he is so productive and it has been a while, here are some of his newer offerings (there may be one or two older ones mixed in, but I suspect that’s okay). The links above are from facebook which is where I found the pots shown here. Here’s a link to Horst’s website. We don’t usually post on consecutive days, but I wanted to make sure you know about our … Continue reading Horst’s Pots & A Rare Event

Rim Shots, New and Improved

This striking formal uprignt Hinoki Cypress is the feature tree on the Pacific Rim’s new website (new to me at least). At a glance it brings to mind the Sierra’s towering Giant Sequoias. A great choice for a west coast bonsai site. First, a disclaimer. I’ve never been to the Pacific Rim Bonsai Museum. We’ve featured it several time here on Bark and have extolled its virtues based on bits and pieces we have been able to pick up on its historically woefully inadequate website and elsewhere. Now, at first glance at least, the ‘woefully inadequate’ piece has changed with … Continue reading Rim Shots, New and Improved

An Unusual Bonsai by An Unusually Gifted Bonsai Artist

Though it’s not as powerful as many other Kimura trees (see below), nor is it considered one of his classics, still… there’s that unusual trunk that give pause for thought. It’s a Japanese Yew that appears in The Bonsai Art of Kimura (long out of print). There is no explanation given for how the trunk was formed. Is it possible that Kimura split the original trunk and doubled it back on itself? It’s Saturday morning, the leaves are turning and it’s a beautiful day. Time to dig into our archives and then get outside and enjoy Vermont at its best. … Continue reading An Unusual Bonsai by An Unusually Gifted Bonsai Artist

Slow Learners and the Gradual Path

It has been a while since we’ve shown this familiar wood paneling from Michael Hagedorn’s workshop. BTW: the tree is a Limber pine styled by Michael and friends. Whenever I visit Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai Blog I’m impressed with Michael’s knack for simplicity (this view was reinforced when I studied with him for a few days last year). An important part of this simplicity is less concern with earth shaking transformations and more inclination to the long view with slower more natural development (you can visit Crataegus Bonsai and see if you agree). This long view is especially good for … Continue reading Slow Learners and the Gradual Path

An Act of Daring Departure

A once in a life time bonsai event. The deadline for registration for the International Bonsai Art & Culture Biennale 2014 is the 30th of September. I know that not everyone can make it to Indonesia for Robert Steven’s International Bonsai Art & Culture Biennale, but some of you can. And it’s not too late to register and go. A little spontaneity may be required, but what’s life without occasional daring departures from routine? Maybe you can catch this plane to the Biennale. This is one of my favorite Robert Steven bonsai (one of many favorites). It’s a famous … Continue reading An Act of Daring Departure

The Next Best Thing…

This photo from the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album is a good example of the quality photos you’ll find in all of the U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Albums. The tree is an old Japanese yew (Taxus cuspidata) from the Pacific Rim Bonsai Collection. It’s one of 248 fine bonsai that are featured in the 3rd U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition Album. The photos that we’ve been featuring from last weekend’s 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition are not the final ones. The official high quality professional photos will appear in 4th Exhibition Album and nowhere else (stay posted). Enjoying the photos in … Continue reading The Next Best Thing…