Selling Out & Going Fast

This gracefully flowing Hornbeam is from Bonsai Today issue 94. It seems to me that deciduous bonsai are somewhat under-appreciated and under-explored in the west. Along those lines (so to speak) you might notice the near perfect taper from the base of the trunk out to tip of each twig. This level of detailed development is still somewhat rare in Western deciduous bonsai, but quite common in Japan. Bonsai Today issues are now 75% off. We just increased the discount to 75% off on Bonsai Today back issues. In case you’re not familiar with the wonders of Bonsai Today, each … Continue reading Selling Out & Going Fast

A Man With a Mission (and a Vision)

This calligraphic bonsai seems perfectly balanced between stasis and movement (something like that anyway). The relationship of bonsai to calligraphy goes way back to the old Chinese masters. Not only is Robert Steven an artistic heir to this tradition, but he is also an expert on the tradition and its history. This post features five trees that I grabbed from a Robert Steven gallery on facebook. Two things immediately jumped to mind when I first saw them: one, Robert just keeps producing top-notch bonsai, and two, these are undeniably Robert’s trees. If you’re familiar with his distinctive touch and vision, … Continue reading A Man With a Mission (and a Vision)

Finally! A Very Good Start

Shimpaku juniper by Suthin Sukosolvisit. I’ve been waiting for years for Suthin Sukosolvisit to update his website and finally the wait has paid off. Well, sort of… Suthin’s classy looking new site is a very good start, but only two of Suthin’s world-class bonsai are featured so far (the two shown here). I’m hoping we don’t have to wait much longer to enjoy more of Suthin’s magnificent trees. Just in case you don’t know who Suthin (pronounced Su tin, BTW) is, well… in no uncertain terms, he is one of the world’s foremost Shohin bonsai artists (and a foremost bonsai … Continue reading Finally! A Very Good Start

Bunjin Lives (Lungo vive il bunjin!)

I like the movement on this tree, with its sudden changes of direction. I also like the way the moss and lichen are growing up the base of the trunk. I wonder if it’s a Scot’s pine. Robert at the Crespi Cup The photos here were culled out from a large selection that was taken by our old friend Robert Steven at the 2012 Crespi Cup in Italy. I’ve cropped and otherwise fiddled a bit, but mostly they are pretty close to how I found them. Some don’t have any identification and some do. Speaking of Robert, it has been … Continue reading Bunjin Lives (Lungo vive il bunjin!)

Four New Books

I liked this book at first glance and still like it after spending a few days with it. I can say with some confidence that it’s the best book yet on Penjing, at least in English. It goes way beyond Zhao’s earlier Worlds of Wonderment in all respects: quality and variety of the Penjing, quality of the photos, amount and level of information and overall production value of the book itself. This is to say that this is a very handsome and very useful book. Zhao Qingquan is one of thee world’s most renowned Penjing artists and when you see … Continue reading Four New Books

Delightful Points of Color & More…

There’s much to say about this magnificent tree: First the gem-like male pine cones that cover much of the tree add delightful points of color; and they go perfectly with the well-chosen (and beautifully cleaned up) pot. Then there’s the way the undulating twin trunks harmonize so well; one slanting style and one semi-cascading style. You might also notice that there isn’t much in the way of counter-balancing branching, yet the whole planting seems stable. I think this is mostly due to the weight of the pot and mounded soil, and also to the anchoring effect of the gnarly nebari … Continue reading Delightful Points of Color & More…

A Boon to Bonsai

From chuhin to shohin. I have a soft spot for stubby little trees. Especially ones with reams of character like this European olive that was originally a stump dug from Boon Manakitivipart’s garden. Bonsai Boon Boon Manakitivipart is without doubt one of North America’s most influential bonsai artists and teachers. Several of his students have become important artists and teachers in their own right, and countless trees of Boon’s and his students’ have appeared on this blog, in magazines and books and elsewhere on the web. All of the photos in this posts (except the very last one) are from … Continue reading A Boon to Bonsai

What a Difference a Day Makes

Large juniper that was styled by Michael Hagedorn in 2007. Though it looks like a Juniperus chinensis, the variety is unidentified. This photo and the before photo (below) are from Michael’s Crataegus Bonsai. What a difference five hours makes Michael Hagedorn restyled this monster juniper in five hours, and though I guess that doesn’t really qualify as a whole day, still, we’ll stick with ‘What a Difference a Day Makes’ (ask your grandparents). The operation took place at Miami Tropical Bonsai in 2007 and was captured on a video that you can watch on youtube. Artisans Cup I found the … Continue reading What a Difference a Day Makes

2013 Bonsai Calendars

Close-up of a section of the February page. Just arrived Our beautiful 2013 bonsai calendars have arrived from Japan. Now you can enjoy 26 world class specimen bonsai trees while you keep track of the date. 30″ x 14″ – 13 pages. We ran out last year, so don’t wait to order yours. Cover page Close-up of a section of the April page.

The Finest of the Fine

This luminous Tensho Satsuki Azalea belongs to Joseph Noga of Winterville, NC. You can find it and the other photos in this post, in Fine Bonsai, Art and Nature. The finest of the fine It’s not that these are the finest bonsai in the world and it’s not that they aren’t either. It’s more the combination of top quality bonsai and top quality photography has resulted in some of the finest bonsai photos you’ll see anywhere. In this vein, it’s important to bear in mind that these digital images, though very good, are inadequate. For the full effect and for … Continue reading The Finest of the Fine