Another ‘Newly Discovered’ Bonsai Artist

Landscape bonsai by Juan Llaga. Juan doesn’t say what kind of tree or how large it is. Still, it’s easy enough to enjoy, with or without the vital statistics. Just the other day we featured a post from the Philippines (photos courtesy of Bill Valavanis). Now we have another, and even though I found the sources independently, it turns out they are related by more than just the Philippines. I always enjoy discovering previously unknown (to me) bonsai artists. This time it’s Juan Llaga of the Philippines. All the photos shown here are from Juan facebook feed. Same planting as … Continue reading Another ‘Newly Discovered’ Bonsai Artist

Be Careful! Pinching Might Be Deadly

Was this foliage pinched in order to achieve that dense, perfectly refined shape and texture? The answer, according to Michael Hagedorn is an emphatic NO! Except when it isn’t. The image is borrowed from our Masters’ Series Juniper Bonsai book. I’ve been ripping off valuable tidbits from Michael Hagedorn’s Crataegus Bonsai for a long time (always attributed and linked of course). Micheal is a noted American bonsai artist, teacher and author and a voice for a common sense approach to bonsai. Continued below… Michael Hagedorn’s famous Post-Dated Still the best bonsai read in the English language Back in 2012 Michael … Continue reading Be Careful! Pinching Might Be Deadly

Powerful Jaw Dropping Bonsai Six Months Later

The second place tree at last fall’s Artisans Cup. It’s a Sierra Juniper that belongs to Tim Priest. The other winners are below (if you’re wondering why we’re leading with the second place tree… we’ll we’ve already lead a post with the winner and I’m not so sure I care that much about winners (and by extension losers) anyway. Which begs the question… It has been a few days short of six months since the Artisans Cup; a ground breaking event at the Portland Art Museum that featured more powerful jaw dropping bonsai than most people will ever see in … Continue reading Powerful Jaw Dropping Bonsai Six Months Later

Taming & Redirecting Growth on a Shohin Japanese Black Pine

After styling. The tree is a Cork bark Japanese black pine. The hand belongs to the Ben Gliffin. If you compare this photo with the before photo just below, you can see some real progress with needle thinning and reduction. You might also notice how Ben has left the needles on the far left longer than the needles on top. This will encourage vigor in the direction of the longer needles. The sweet little tree featured here is a Shohin Cork bark Japanese black pine that belongs to Ben Gliffin. If you know Japanese black pines you also know that … Continue reading Taming & Redirecting Growth on a Shohin Japanese Black Pine

Tiny Bonsai, Tiny Pots

There are few things more delicate and beautiful than fresh spring Maple leaves (Trident maple in this case). This exquisite tree and exquisite pot are perfect expressions of the artistry of Haruyoshi. Out of town and running late today, so we’ll dip back into our archives. This one originally appeared April, 2014. It features a few of Haruyosi’s exquisite small bonsai. If you’ve been following Bark for a while, you know that Haruyosi is one of our favorites. Red on red. In our last Haruyosi post (Very Red and Very Rare), we mentioned that red glazes are expensive and not … Continue reading Tiny Bonsai, Tiny Pots

Armed for Bonsai

This rather surprising photo is from Bill Valavanis’ blog. After an initial whoa! what’s going on here, I wondered what he was listening to. Strange. Though these two photos speak very clearly for themselves, a little context might be in order. But I think I’ll leave that to Bill and his Welcome To My Bonsai World! blog where you can go and see for yourself. Aside from whatever interest the photos provoke, it’s always a link worth clicking. 30% off Bonsai Books our book prices are already discounted, so 30% off is a very good deal plus FREE Shipping … Continue reading Armed for Bonsai

Black Hills Bonsai, Before & After

Another Suthin bonsai on a rock. This one is a Black Hills Spruce (Picea glauca var. densata). The contrast with this photo and the before photo below will give you a good idea of Suthin’s vision and skill. These two photos beg more questions than I can answer right now (time constraints, you know). So we’ll leave them for another time. Meanwhile, take a close look if you have the time and see what questions come to mind. Both photos shown here are from Suthin’s facebook feed. Before. It’s hard to believe this is the same tree. In fact if … Continue reading Black Hills Bonsai, Before & After

Power, Elegance & a Bonsai Youth Movement

Sheer power. This impressive Japanese white pine was styled by Naoki Maeoka. In his own words: Every single branch of each tree was looked at carefully, and strong branches were cut, while leaving the soft ones to balance the foliage. Then I detail wired the entire tree to put the remaining branches in an ideal position. Trees were simply wired in these positions for the time being. It’s not the final goal of styling. It’s a new beginning towards achieving that eventual goal. The two trees shown here couldn’t be that different in terms of styles and effects. The Japanese … Continue reading Power, Elegance & a Bonsai Youth Movement

The Art & Science of Watering

This drawing is from our Masters’ Series book; Junipers, Growing & Styling Juniper Bonsai. This is at least the fifth time we’ve featured this post (with some text added and some edited), but spring is here for many of you and summer is coming, so the time is right. I know that many of you have mastered or at least are proficient in the art of watering, but you might be surprised how many people need help. In fact, failure to become proficient in watering is no doubt the single most common reason people give up on bonsai. So, don’t … Continue reading The Art & Science of Watering

Bonsai Yesterday, Bonsai Today, Bonsai Tomorrow

Wallpaper. From the cover of Bonsai Today 100 For the first time in eons, we have a full complement of Bonsai Today issues. Every single one, from issue 1 through issue 108 is sitting in our warehouse waiting to fill out your collection. Prices range from 6.00 dollar up to 80.00 (all are now on sale for an extra 25% off). The higher the price, the more scarce they are. Now to see how long they last. This California juniper was styled by Michael Hagedorn in issue 88 (a scarce one). If you’ve been around a while, you’ve no doubt … Continue reading Bonsai Yesterday, Bonsai Today, Bonsai Tomorrow