Styling

Critiques: A Simple Request (In His Own Words)

This photo will give you some idea of what Robert Steven is up to. Well, this and critiquing your trees. Your photos and Robert’s request (in his own words) “…one more thing, you’d better suggest people to send the picture taken with plain background with the proper front angle, plus back and sides if they wish.” None of the photos so far… … have completely conformed to what he wants. This isn’t to say he won’t accept them (he might), just that it will make it easier on him if the photos are closer to what he is looking for. … Continue reading Critiques: A Simple Request (In His Own Words)

Robert Steven World Famous Bonsai Artist, Teacher & Author Will Critique Your Tree For Free

Robert Steven at work. A very easy decision I just received an email from Robert Steven suggesting that we offer his critiques of your trees on Bonsai Bark. Needless to say, I hesitated about 1/10th of second (maybe less) in accepting his offer. About Robert Robert Steven is one of the most innovative and prolific bonsai artists in the world. Robert possesses enough vision, daring, imagination and masterful control of technique to fuel dozens of us more ordinary bonsai lovers. If you don’t believe me (overstatement is not unknown around these parts) check out his books: Vision of My Soul, … Continue reading Robert Steven World Famous Bonsai Artist, Teacher & Author Will Critique Your Tree For Free

Don’t Be Too Shy to Win a $25 Gift Certificate

This is the planting that I want you to critique. It’s from from Kiki Bonsai. Go ahead, make my day Just write a little critique of the planting above. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it doesn’t even have to make sense. We’re short on entries, so anything is better than nothing. And who knows? You just might win, and even if you don’t, you might learn something in the process. The details are here Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment The only English language penjing book is now on sale for $14.95 (originally $39.50).

North American With An International Flavor

Subscribe and recieve two free back issues…. …if you mention Bonsai Bark International Bonsai, issue one, 2010. Inside you’ll find: Training Dwarf Japanese Five-Needle Pine Bonsai; Magic Moments, the Artistry of Kimura; Japanese Five-Needle Pine: Cultivation and Training; Foliage Size Reduction for Pines; A Little Magic with Shohin Bonsai; Suiseki & Bonsai; Pruning, Masterpiece Gallery; Shohin Bonsai Symposium 2; 10th Asia Pacific Bonsai & Suiseki Exhibition. One of the very best International Bonsai has long one of my favorite bonsai publications. It has been around since 1979 (no mean feat, especially if you are familiar with the deadline grind) and … Continue reading North American With An International Flavor

$25 Critique Contest

This photo is from Kiki Bonsai. Win a $25.00 gift certificate to Stone Lantern Send me (wayne@stonelantern.com) your written critique of the planting in this photo. Try to keep it to 100 words or less. I will pick the winning critique based upon two criteria: 1. Content. How insightful your observations are. 2. Clarity. How clearly and simply you express your observations. DO NOT PUT YOUR CRITIQUE IN THE COMMENTS BELOW. Email it to me at wayne@stonelantern.com. Put ‘Critique’ in the subject line. You will become famous I will post the winning critique and perhaps one or two others that … Continue reading $25 Critique Contest

Laying An Old Misconception To Rest

Flowering cherry (Prunus apetala) by Kyuzo Murata. From his book Four Seasons of Bonsai (sadly, long out of print). Misconception “in Japan, flowering bonsai, need to be displayed with only few flowers. It is considered bad taste to present a bonsai in full flowering.” (from a comment on facebook). Rules vs guidelines There are a host of misconceptions about bonsai. They often arise when we think there are fixed rules (there aren’t any in bonsai, except maybe in judged contests, and these are often fluid). There are however, plenty of useful guidelines. Pinching flowers One guideline that can be helpful, … Continue reading Laying An Old Misconception To Rest

Maximizing Flowers, Miniminzing Distractions

This cheerfully bright bougainvillea (borrowed from Bonsaimania; Bonsái del álbum de Virgie Bambilla) illustrates the principle that: when it comes to flowering bonsai, the tree should be designed and displayed in a way that, first and foremost, shows off the flowers. Success! Is there a problem? This post is in no way conceived to criticize anyone. I understand that most people who post on facebook (or wherever) aren’t necessarily interested presenting highly finished professional type photos. No problem. However, in bonsai display, there are times when the quality of the photo is critical. And for good reason; a well thought … Continue reading Maximizing Flowers, Miniminzing Distractions

Perfection? Or Just the Eye of the Beholder?

My Japanese is a little rusty (actually more like non-existent), so I have no idea what this little gem is. However, thanks to Willi Benz, I know that if it is displayed alone, you might call it a kusamono (or kusamono bonsai). If it is displayed as an accent or companion plant, then you could call it a shitakusa. This photo, just like the second photo in Friday’s post, is from one of our Japanese mystery books. Is this perfection? When I look at the two photos in this post, I can find absolutely no faults anywhere. Often with bonsai, … Continue reading Perfection? Or Just the Eye of the Beholder?

Jinning: A Tidy Two Tool Tecnique

The type is almost microscopic, so we’ll synopsize a bit (see below for a slightly magnified version): 2. Use a concave cutter to score around the base of the branch you are jinning. 3 and 4. Crush the bark with pliers. 5. Pull the bark off with your fingers. 6. Create a natural shape by using concave cutters to apply small cuts and to pull of the resulting wood threads (you can use pliers to pull the threads if you want). From a article by David Benavente in Bonsai Today issue 85. An elegant solution, but what about other tools? … Continue reading Jinning: A Tidy Two Tool Tecnique

Drawing Your Bonsai

A page from Bonsai Today issue 34 (all in stock Bonsai Today issues are currently 25% to 35% off). The artist (bonsai and sketch) is Yukio Karino (mistranslated last name?). You can do it! We’ve featured bonsai drawings way back in the early years of Bonsai Bark (2009). We still think it’s a good idea and suggest you try your hand at it. Contrary to the pervasive poverty mentality many of us have about these things, you can do it if you just take your time. The drawings (you can call them sketches if that helps) don’t have to be … Continue reading Drawing Your Bonsai