Abstract Bonsai Art & Carving Deadwood, Sidiao Style

Abstract bonsai art. I think there’s a temptation to judge trees with elaborately carved deadwood (like this one). But maybe it’s best to just appreciate the the skill involved and not worry about too much deadwood or whether the result looks natural or not. Yesterday we featured Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s colorful side. Today we’ll touch upon his famous Sidao carving method and some results. Hopefully this will peak your interest. If it does, you can visit his website for more. Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s Sidiao method in a nutshell. There’s a lot more where this came from. Just another Shimpaku with … Continue reading Abstract Bonsai Art & Carving Deadwood, Sidiao Style

Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s Colorful Side

It takes a strong tree to handle a pot like this. This Pistacio (Pistacia chinensis Bunge) has at least two features that qualify: its muscular trunk which works well with the depth of the pot (deep pots with thin trunks just don’t work) and its lush, full, colorful crown (subtle, but still colorful) which contrasts with, and is not overpowered by, the pot’s brilliance. The trees shown here are all Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s creations. Cheng is famous for his Sidiao method (a technique for creating and enhancing deadwood – more on this tomorrow), but today, in keeping with yesterday’s theme, we’ll show his more colorful side. We’ve featured Cheng, … Continue reading Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s Colorful Side

Satsuki Bonsai – A Passion for Variety & Beauty

This wildly colorful Satsuki Azalea is from a Flowering Bonsai Gallery in Bonsai Today issue 65 (image courtesy of Bonsai Focus). If you take a close look at the flowers, you’ll see that there are a number of different shades and patterns. A mark of human passion for beauty and endless variation. There are few things as delightful as Satsuki azalea bonsai in full bloom. Especially in person. Lacking that, next best are high quality photos of Satsuki azalea in full bloom. Especially during the darkest and coldest days of winter. We borrowed this stunning (some might say gaudy) Satsuki … Continue reading Satsuki Bonsai – A Passion for Variety & Beauty

Refining Your Bonsai

I found this rather spectacular tree on Bonsai Nut. There was no caption but it’s part of a discussion on Korean hornbeam ramification. In these days of massive trunks and elaborate deadwood carving, it’s easy to overlook ramification. Even though good ramification is an essential mark of refinement. Especially on deciduous bonsai. In botany, ramification is defined as: 1. a structure formed of branches, and 2. configuration of branching parts. With bonsai, ramification is about branch development, starting with primary branches, then secondary, tertiary, quaternary and so forth, out to the finest twigs. Each level is thinner (and usually shorter) than the last, and when done well, the effect is … Continue reading Refining Your Bonsai

Coming up, Another Great Year for Bonsai

Looks like a Japanese winterberry (Ilex serrata). My apologies for the chopped off pot; our scanner is too small to accommodate the whole bonsai. 2016 starts tomorrow, so you’ll need a good calendar. Both the photos shown here are from our 2016 Bonsai Calendar. Our scanner is too small to fit whole pages, but I suspect these photos are enough to provoke your interest. If you’ve been paying attention, you’ve noticed the recent evolution of the art of bonsai. It’s a world wide phenomenon and it’s moving very fast. I’ll blame the web among other things; including a surprising youth … Continue reading Coming up, Another Great Year for Bonsai

May You Enjoy a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year

Just couldn’t resist posting yet another yew (there have been several lately). This time it’s an English yew (Taxus Baccata) by Stefano Frisoni. It’s almost 2016 and there are countless loose ends to tie up, so we’ll dig up part of a December 2012 post with some trees that I particularly like. Meanwhile, may you and yours enjoy a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! And thank you for helping to make 2015 a happy bonsai year. Nice tree. Fantastic pot! Eleven years from stump by Mario Komsta (a regular here on Bark). I originally guessed that it was an Ilex and of course, I … Continue reading May You Enjoy a Happy, Healthy & Prosperous New Year

A Full Grown Man Sitting in a Bonsai Tree

It’s not that often you see a full grown man sitting in a bonsai tree (why doesn’t the tree fall over?). The caption and the photo are from BCI magazine. Marc Noelanders is an accomplished bonsai artist, though he’s probably best know for his annual Noelanders Trophy Bonsai Exhibition. We’ve featured trees from the Exhibition numerous times over the years, though I can’t find any of Marc’s that we’ve shown. I’d like to redress the situation, but too much to do today, so we’ll settle for the mind stopping photos above. Some other time we’ll do the research and show you … Continue reading A Full Grown Man Sitting in a Bonsai Tree

Outstanding Japanese (Korean?) Red Pine Bonsai

Cork bark Japanese Red pine? I found this remarkably corked-up pine on the Art of Bonsai Project. It’s by Enrico Savini. I’ve never heard of a Cork bark Red pine (Cork bark Japanese black pines are fairly common), but that’s what AoB says. Whatever it is, there’s no denying that it’s an exceptional tree. According to Wikipedia, Japanese red pines (Pinus densiflora) should probably be called Korean red pines. “For Korean people, even today, it is considered to represent Korean spirit and mentioned in South Korean national anthem, Aegukga. Since it was introduced to the West by Japanese scholars during … Continue reading Outstanding Japanese (Korean?) Red Pine Bonsai

Brilliant Bonsai & Bougainvillea Bracts

This cheerfully bright Bougainvillea illustrates the principle that, when it comes to flowering bonsai, the tree should be designed and displayed in a way that, first and foremost, shows off the flowers (bracts in this case – see below). Success! For reasons that are easy to understand, we like to show flowering bonsai during these darkest days. The photo shown here is from Bonsaimania; Bonsái del álbum de Virgie Bambilla. We originally featured it in August, 2010. Cropped for a closer look. Did you know that Bougainvillea flowers are really colorful leaves (bracts)? Our 20% to 30% off Site … Continue reading Brilliant Bonsai & Bougainvillea Bracts

A Bonsai Lesson in Perception

After. This wildly flowing Shimpaku (Shin) expresses pure movement. It also presents a lesson in perception. It’s by Mario Komsta (aka Mariusz Komsta). If you have a moment, take a close look at this tree and see if you can figure out why, with almost noting on the left and almost everything on the right, this tree has an overall sense of balance. To my eye it looks like Mario did several things to make this tree appear to be balanced, and they all have to do with suggesting that you look to the left. Which is another way of … Continue reading A Bonsai Lesson in Perception