Imperfect, Yet Compelling

Imperfect, unfinished and unbalanced… yet, still compelling in its naturalness and with its luminous foliage, aged bark and deadwood (if you ignore the unfinished jin at the top). By Andrei Darusenkov. Just a little luck This larch is a little different from the one in our last post, which featured a near perfect little collected larch (the kind you could spend a lifetime looking for). This one shows a type tree that us ordinary collectors with our limited experience and just a little luck might find sometime. Taking a few liberties and indulging in a little imagination I don’t know … Continue reading Imperfect, Yet Compelling

Wouldn’t You Like to Find a Tree Like This?

Wouldn’t you like to find a tree like this when you are out collecting? This is a cropped version of Autumn, by Giacomo Pappalardo. From his facebook wall photos. I assume it is Giacomo’s, though I find no mention of it anywhere; just the photo. A trunk with everything This funky (in the good sense) trunk has everything: shape, massive girth, aged bark, a natural looking hollow (sabamiki) and a perfect touch of deadwood. Though you could make an argument for hiding some of the trunk’s heaviness near the top (the dark hole above the jin), I imagine Giacomo decided … Continue reading Wouldn’t You Like to Find a Tree Like This?

Root on Rock Bonsai

Root-on-rock Juniper chinensis from Michele Andolfo’s Bonsai Studio. Leaving it up to you I need to get our next newsletter out, so there’s little time to say much about this bonsai; other than I like the tree, rock and pot, and the way the line of the rock and the tree flow into each other. Beyond that, maybe you could write your own comments.

Contest: Unusual Pot, Unusual Tree & Free Shears!

Bunjin Black pine from an article entitled ‘The Use of Unusual Pots‘ in Bonsai Today issue 31. The article shows how you can make unconventional pots (like the one above) using ceramic tiles, wire & glue. Bunjin Bunjin (aka literati) bonsai are marked by delicacy, grace and for some, the feelings they evoke, with their long narrow trunks, spare branching and sparse foliage. Sometimes you’ll see trees that have some bunjin characteristics, but with perhaps a heavier than usual trunk, or thicker foliage. In this case, there’s no doubt it’s a bunjin; the trunk is long and narrow, their are … Continue reading Contest: Unusual Pot, Unusual Tree & Free Shears!

Michael’s Return (x 2 + Kokufu)

A luscious white pine that Michael Hagedorn wired in hopes that it will be accepted into the famous Kokufu Exhibition. Michael Hagedorn is back After a two plus month hiatus, Michael Hagedorn has suddenly resurfaced on Crataegus Bonsai, and in Japan no less. This is good news. Not only does it solve my problem (another day, another post; how can I keep this interesting?), but it also gives us a further glimpse into the life and times of our favorite American apprentice in Japan (Michael has a delightful book on the subject). We won’t spill all the beans Rather than … Continue reading Michael’s Return (x 2 + Kokufu)

Bonsai Indonesia & Sherlock Holmes

Graceful simplicity contrasted with a wild shape and texture make for a striking bonsai. I lifted this photo off of a facebook page titled ‘Bonsai Indonesia‘ by Silky Jemiran. The owner is listed as Zhylonk Kiakiz Alfarizhy. I did not commit the sin of chopping off the pot, though I did adjust the image to take out background noise. Sherlock Holmes Sometimes tracking down the real owner of a bonsai that appears on facebook requires the imagination and determination of a Sherlock Holmes. Even then, you can’t always be sure you’ve got it right. Problem solved? When I first saw … Continue reading Bonsai Indonesia & Sherlock Holmes

Dead for One Thousand Years

Only countless years and the ceaseless ravages of weather born hardship can account for the character that this astounding dead tree displays. It looks like a Bristlecone pine from the White Mountains just east of Owens Valley in California (I found it on Bonsai Mania and they’re not saying anything, but I’d bet my first born grandchild on it). Dead for one thousand years?! I’ve heard that Bristlecones can stand for up to a thousand years after they have died. It’s hard enough to fathom living for up to five thousand years (really!), but dead trees standing for another thousand … Continue reading Dead for One Thousand Years

A Little Change of Pace: Robert’s Tokonoma &…

Definitely not Japanese. From Echo of My Heart, a series of photos of the bonsai art of Robert Steven. Tokonomas Not too long ago we featured a tokonoma by Bill Valavanis. To me, Bill’s tokonoma stands clearly in the Japanese tradition, with maybe a touch of Bill to distinguish it. In this case, we’ve got something a little different. It’s a tokonoma by Robert Steven, and though I’d say there’s a nod to the Japanese tradition, there’s clearly something quite different going on. A little Indonesia? A little something else? And, as is often the case with Robert Steven, more … Continue reading A Little Change of Pace: Robert’s Tokonoma &…

A Touch of Spring

The flowers are white, and we’ve got plenty of white stuff on the ground here in Vermont. That’s as far as it goes, but we can dream. The photo is from Bonsai Guest House Osaka (facebook). Here’s their website. It’s hard to tell for sure, but I’m guessing it’s a Ume (Flowering apricot). I’m told that Ume is one of the few deciduous trees holds deadwood for a long time. More than just a touch. I like it when azaleas show some leaves when they bloom, like this one. Sometimes you see them completely covered with flowers, which can seem … Continue reading A Touch of Spring

That Natural Look

This popped up on Bonsai Mania from a photo of Roelof Jansen van Vuuren’s. It caught me because of its light airy feel and natural look. A small cut or two? This sweet Japanese maple (var?) planting reminds me a bit of the Sugar maples on the edge of my property. Sometimes I imagine them small and then start making mental cuts. These trees have the same effect on me; I wouldn’t mind grabbing my scissors and making a small cut or two. Especially on that long left branch on the tree on the right (I think I just disturbed … Continue reading That Natural Look