Creative, Daring, Fascinating & Maybe…

I like the tree’s powerful dynamic movement, but it’s the pot that floors me. It’s creative, daring, fascinating and maybe just a little overcooked. We’ll leave it with both an exclamation point and a question mark. I found both of these trees on facebook. They were posted by Bonsai Hegar Cipariuk from Indonesia. I can’t read the text, but I can see the trees and especially the pots. As mentioned in the caption, I’m not sure what to make of the pot above, though it gets very high marks for being completely unique and over-the-top creative. The pot below however, is … Continue reading Creative, Daring, Fascinating & Maybe…

Bonsai Elegance with Painted Trunks

Stately bonsai elegance. Here’s the original caption for this photo “The customer wanted the trunk brown and the quickest way was to paint it. This is my first time using paint on my sculptures and I’m very happy with the results.” The person who wrote that is Ken To, the creator of the bonsai wire-sculptures that you see here and in several previous Bark posts. You can find even more of Ken’s exquisite little delights on his website, on facebook and on deviantART. Ken To’s marvelous miniature wire bonsai sculptures just keep getting better. And now, because Ken has started … Continue reading Bonsai Elegance with Painted Trunks

Bonsai That Speak for Themselves

Rugged natural beauty refined by the eye and hand of man (something like that anyway). The tree and photo belong to Colin Lewis. You can see more good stuff on his website. All the bonsai in this post belong to Colin Lewis. Colin is a transplanted Brit who now finds himself working and living on the coast of Maine. You can find him there too (at his Ho Yoku School of Bonsai) if you would like study with someone who know their stuff I won’t say much about Colin’s bonsai, rather let them speak for themselves. My best guess is … Continue reading Bonsai That Speak for Themselves

Celebrating Bonsai

I’m feeling a little daring today. Even revolutionary. This is the first time we’ve used cartoon images. Let alone head up a post with one. Both cartoons are promotions for Robert Steven’s big Bonsai Biennale and they work for me. Hopefully for you too. All the images in this post are from Robert’s facebook feed. It has been a while since we’ve featured Robert Steven’s masterful bonsai and his other numerous doings. Doings so numerous that I suspect he seldom sleeps (Bill Valavanis is also suspect, but that’s for another time). We’ll focus mostly on images that feature Robert’s upcoming … Continue reading Celebrating Bonsai

Sweet, Beautiful & Otherwise Adjectival

Looks like a quince. I’ve said this before, but quince flowers are one of best things on earth. Really. People travel all over the place looking for beauty, when all they need is a flowering quince. This photo and the others in this post are from Haruyosi on facebook. Haruyosi again. Maybe I should just turn this into his blog. But here’s the deal; his little bonsai are so sweet, beautiful and otherwise adjectival, that I just can’t resist. Particularly his flowering bonsai. Others too though. And his pots of course (he makes his own). Anyway, enjoy! This time … Continue reading Sweet, Beautiful & Otherwise Adjectival

An Almost Forgotten Promise

One of several great Shimpaku junipers from Bjorn Bjorholm’s Bjorvala Bonsai Studio. I picked this one in part because of the little curlycue jin (dead branch) hanging down. I’ve seen plenty of other intriguing jins, but this one is so distinctive and in a place so prominent that it comes close to stealing the show (in spite of the light background that diminishes its effect, and in spite of the many other wonders of this tree). Not that anybody remembers or cares… still it’s time to come through on an old promise. In February of last year we posted some … Continue reading An Almost Forgotten Promise

Continuity, Charm & the Chinese Century

Root-over-rock bonsai. When we originally showed this photo, we (that’s me) missed the rock part, even though it’s obvious (especially once you know it’s a rock). Here’s the caption from last year: At the risk of getting carried away, how about ‘wandering sage stops for a moment to contemplate an ancient tree by the light of the moon.’ In any case, I don’t blame him. You don’t see trunks (or trees) like this one every day. Our last two post have featured Penjing, so for continuity (and charm) we’ll make it three in a row. This one is borrowed from … Continue reading Continuity, Charm & the Chinese Century

Strong, Wild and Full of Character

There’s a lot to like here. First, there’s some of that same funky (in the good sense) quality that you see in the feature tree in the previous post. Both are strong, wild and full of character. In this case so strong and clearly defined that the background noise doesn’t distract all that much. All the photos in this post are from Bonsai Quinn. Our last post featured a couple Penjing plantings so we’ll stay on topic. All the photos shown here are from a newly discovered blog (for me at least) called Bonsai Quinn. The man behind the blog … Continue reading Strong, Wild and Full of Character

Win a $25 Gift Certificate

I love this funky bonsai. Though I suspect someone like Robert Steven could place it in a category, to my eyes it’s one of a kind. Though it wouldn’t be a stretch to place it in the Chinese Penjing tradition (there’s just nothing Japanese or Western about it). A couple people have posted it on facebook without attribution, so rather than reward their laziness with links, we’ll turn this into a quick contest. The first person to identify the owner and the species of this tree, along with a link that provides proof, will win a 25.00 gift certificate to … Continue reading Win a $25 Gift Certificate

Practically Small

This banyan style dwarf Snow rose serissa (Serissa foetida microphylla) was styled by David Fukumoto of Fuku Bonsai in Hawaii. The pot is a Tokoname from Japan. Living in the tropics really helps when it comes to growing aerial roots. Based on thirty years experience in bonsai business, I’d guess that the majority of our readers and customers are into their middle years or beyond. To be sure, there are some younger bonsai enthusiasts, but clubbing and couch surfing don’t mix all that well with bonsai care. Nor do small children and the rigors of a budding fast track career. … Continue reading Practically Small