A Steady Stream of Good Bonsai to Choose From…

A little ‘after’ effect from a David Benavente ‘before and after’ on facebook. My only comment is that we don’t normally feature lead trees with an unfinished ‘wrapped in rafia’ look, but this little tree is so sweet, so why not? I just spent approximately 3 hours trying to decide on a post for today. Facebook, blogs, websites the whole e-catastrophe. Given that there’s a steady stream of good bonsai to choose from, sooner or later you have to surrender and just pick something. In this case, it’s David Benavente. He’s an old favorite and one of the very best. … Continue reading A Steady Stream of Good Bonsai to Choose From…

Some Question Marks

Judging by the background, this photo is from the 2013 BCI convention in China. Robert Steven sent us a bunch of great photos from this convention which we featured a while back (here, here and here). Maybe this is one that we missed. Anyway, I like the voluptuous, free-wheeling, unmanicured look. This photos and the others shown here are from Bonsai Phong. Lately we’ve been inundated with facebook friend requests from Vietnam. By the hundreds. This is in keeping with this statement by Robert Steven (from an earlier Bark post): “The interest in bonsai in Vietnam is amazing and unbelievable. … Continue reading Some Question Marks

Revisting a Gallerie de Francois Jeker

We’re back to our old tricks (this post originally appeared way back in 2010). Now my excuse is that Corey’s on vacation, so I’m swamped (as is Ric in the warehouse) and the best way out of the swamp is to take the easy path. There’s a good reason for picking this particular post from our achieves; Francois Jeker’s Bonsai Aesthetics 2 is now available. This means that you can complete your set, or if you don’t have either Bonsai Aesthetics volumes, you can buy the set at a discount. Carving with a French flare (from our archieves) We have … Continue reading Revisting a Gallerie de Francois Jeker

In Search of the Perfect Nebari #9

Grotesque is in the eye of the beholder. Every now and then, and only in Japan, you see a nebari like this (pancake nebari is an apt name). Aside from its somewhat strange quality, a couple things jump out about this one. First it’s is a clear example of a fused nebari (except for around the edges, all the exposed roots have fused together), and second is how thin the trunk is in relation to the size of the nebari. This photo and the others in this post were all taken at Fuyo-en by Bonsai in Japan. Back in the … Continue reading In Search of the Perfect Nebari #9

Real Fine Bonsai

This sublime shot of a radiant Golden Full Moon maple by Bill Valavanis is one of 281 brilliant full-page photos that appear Fine Bonsai. I tried but failed. I wanted to put up a fresh post this morning, but, after two hours of stops and starts and general and specific indecision, once again I’m taking the easy way out. Let’s just say it’s still summer and the soft siren song of the great outdoors still beckons… This one (with some changes) originally appeared almost exactly one year ago. I picked it because it features a remarkable book (and because our … Continue reading Real Fine Bonsai

New Bonsai Blog & Two More Events

This magnificent Sumac belongs to Hiroshi Takeyama. You can read about it and other bonsai wonders on Bill Valavanis new bonsai blog. First the new blog… It’s Bill Valavanis’ latest bonsai venture and already (after five posts) I’m a fan. It’s aptly called Valavanis Bonsai Blog, Welcome To My Bonsai World. As you might expect the photos are great (there’s lots of them too) and the writing is good. But then, I’ve long appreciated Bill’s passion for and devotion to bonsai, so I’m not at all surprised by yet another effort to share that passion with the rest of us. … Continue reading New Bonsai Blog & Two More Events

Upcoming Bonsai Events & Big Summer Book Sale Ends Soon

An example of Francois Jeker’s styling and deadwood carving. Francois is a headliner at the Eda Uchi Kai Bonsai-Ten 2013 (see below). He is also the author of Bonsai Aesthetics one and two. FREE ADVERTISING! Would you like to see your bonsai event featured here? If so, just send me a notice with a link to the event. That’s it. But remember, no link, no show. My email is wayne@stonelantern.com. You might also want to mention the event in the comments below. Big Summer Book Sale ends soon. 20% to 25% off all books. Don’t wait! Two classics, one old … Continue reading Upcoming Bonsai Events & Big Summer Book Sale Ends Soon

Eccentric Bonsai Revisited

Strange as this magnificent old tree is, it all works together to with a perfect blend of eccentricity and balance. But the nebari? That takes some getting use to. (This photo and the others in this post are from Peter Tea Bonsai.) Don’t worry, soon we’ll be back to working up never-seen-before posts. Meanwhile, it’s still mid-summer and we’re still borrowing from the past. This one originally appeared December 2011. A good place to start resurrecting Way back in 2009 and early 2010 we ran a series of posts that we called Eccentric Bonsai (here’s the last one). Maybe it’s … Continue reading Eccentric Bonsai Revisited

Revisiting Redwood Bonsai

Off to a very good start. Though the branching is young and has a ways to go, the trunk, with its power and character, bodes well for the future of this tree. You can find it along with other quality bonsai at Bonsai Smiths. Don’t worry, soon we’ll be coming up with new material. Meanwhile, we’re still digging into our archives. I picked this post (from Sept 2011) because I’m currently reading a book about Redwoods (and other things, but not bonsai) titled Trees in Paradise. It’s by Jared Farmer (published by W. W. Norton) but it’s an advanced copy, … Continue reading Revisiting Redwood Bonsai

Simple Bonsai Beauty

This Brazilian Rain Tree’s lush, perfectly balanced canopy almost shimmers with life. It comes from Photos from Bursa Bonsai Indonesia. It was added by Budi Sulistyo. Budi is a well known Indonesian bonsai artist and author. I don’t know if the tree belongs to Budi or someone else (though I imagine someone will clue us in soon). Another vacation resurrection (from March 2011). Thanks to our friend Jose Luis Rodriquez, we now know that the tree does in fact belong to Budi Sulistyo and that he grew it from a pencil sized cutting that he got in India, and that … Continue reading Simple Bonsai Beauty