The Most with the Least

Even though the crown is leaning back a bit in this shot, still, I’m going to call this side the front. Especially if we take front to be the best view of the trunk and deadwood rather than imposing some imagined rule. The four photos of this tree are by Haruyosi, as is the tree itself. We don’t usually show four shots of the same bonsai, but I like this little tree a lot and the shots were just sitting there begging to picked up and shared. It’s a Shohin (you could even say Mame) Shimpaku juniper by Haruyosi. From … Continue reading The Most with the Least

A Bonsai Story (Sometimes You Just Can’t Tell)

You can get some idea that this might be a pretty big bonsai from this photo (the little leaf at the bottom helps). But how big, you could only guess. This and the other photos in this post are from Peter Tea Bonsai. I started this post with the title Sometimes You Just Can’t Tell. That’s because I wanted to talk about how difficult it is to tell just how big some bonsai are without something to indicate scale. In photos that is. Now you might not think this is a big deal, but it is. Photos, even when there … Continue reading A Bonsai Story (Sometimes You Just Can’t Tell)

Earth and Fire

Mottled beauty with just right mix of tradition (form) and innovation (glaze). One of many great pots by Peter Krebs. All the photos in this post are from Peter’s Earth and Fire website. We are well into our sixth year here on Bark and we’ve never devoted a post to Peter Krebs’ exquisite hand made bonsai pots. Fortunately, the time is right to repair this oversight. Potting season is here for some of us and soon to be here for most of us. This is not to say that everyone should hurry over to Peter’s website (Earth and Fire) and … Continue reading Earth and Fire

Capital Bonsai Shadows

Here’s Capital Bonsai’s caption for this photo: Three point display with Trident Maple. In training since 1895. Donated by Prince Takamatsu. Mt. Fuji scroll and Japanese Blood Grass. A few years ago there was a lot of buzz about bonsai being a fine art. Now, the issues seems settled. If you start with the right material and add a masterful eye and touch, both the process and the result can be called art. Photographing bonsai, when done well, is also art, and the photos shown here are no exception. They are a small sampling (I chose just one tree) from … Continue reading Capital Bonsai Shadows

Can’t Really Pick a Favorite, But…

Suthin has a way with Hinoki cypress. And a way with bonsai altogether. The more I look at this tree, the more I like it. If I were to go back through our nine hundred or so posts so far and pick my favorites, this one would surely make the grade. This photo and the others in this post are from Suthin’s facebook timeline. It would be very difficult if we had pick a favorite bonsai or a favorite bonsai artist. There are simply too many good ones, with so many different types of trees and styles. However, if I … Continue reading Can’t Really Pick a Favorite, But…

Good News for Bonsai Art & Culture

A good example of the kind of results Cheng Cheng Kung gets with his Sidiao method. Hint: it’s the deadwood. We just heard that Cheng Cheng Kung has confirmed to be one of the demonstrators at Robert Steven’s International Bonsai Art & Culture Biennal 2014. This is good news indeed for those of us who are planning on attending (here’s the registration form if you haven’t gotten around to it yet). Just in case you don’t know Cheng Cheng Kung, here’s the short version: Mr Cheng is one of the most famous bonsai artists in the world and the creator of … Continue reading Good News for Bonsai Art & Culture

Fairy Tale Bonsai

This wild and wooly Honeysuckle belongs to Walter Pall. Here’s his caption: “Tatarian honeysuckle, Lonicera tatarica, collected in Norway in 2010.. This species is quite interesting and very rare as bonsai. It throws hundreds of shoots in early spring. But after wiring most of them die – in my garden at least. Anyway, slowly but gradually the tree starts to look decent. This may be classified as Fairy Tale Style.” We usually go for a more finished look, but these rough lightly-styled collected trees are too good to pass up. They are from Walter Pall’s Bonsai Adventures. I’ll just mention … Continue reading Fairy Tale Bonsai

Trout Fishing in America (off the Bonsai Mainstream)

I like this full cascade with its flowing lines and unusual perspective. It’s from Ed Trout’s facebook photos as are the other four bonsai photos in this post. I’m going to guess that it’s a Lantana, but my guessing record isn’t all that good. Ed Trout’s bonsai are unique. Distinctive is another word that comes to mind. It’s as though he branched off from the bonsai mainstream (please accept my apologies – twice) years ago and followed his own inclinations and now those inclinations have borne fruit. You might have to see more of his bonsai to get a feel … Continue reading Trout Fishing in America (off the Bonsai Mainstream)

Snow & Flowers

Ume (aka Flowering apricot, aka Prunus mume). This fantastic tree resides at Bonsai Aichien in Japan. Both the photos here were just posted on facebook by Juan Andrade who is an apprentice at Bonsai Aichien and a great source of excellent bonsai photos. Bonsai Aichien Nursery. This photo could almost pass as black and white with the snow and the diminished light. It’s snowing here in Vermont too. More than 14 inches of fresh pow so far the last couple days. BTW: have you ever noticed all the power lines in photos from Japanese nurseries?

A Wild Weather Beaten Story

After styling. This wild looking tree is a Phoenician juniper. The artist is Salvatore Liporace. All three images in this post are from Salvatore’s facebook photos. Several things caught my attention when I first saw this tree. First, it’s a Phoenician juniper, a tree you don’t see very often, especially here in North America (we’ve only featured one in all our years of posting). Second, it’s a compelling bonsai styled by an accomplished bonsai artist (Salvatore Liporace). Third, there’s the almost scary deadwood. Like a tree you might see at a haunted house in a spooky movie. One thing that … Continue reading A Wild Weather Beaten Story