Styling

Wendy Heller’s Bonsai & Companion Pots

One of Wendy Heller’s pots with a hen-and-chick type succulent that I dug up in my yard. Some very sweet little pots A couple years ago I worked with Wendy Heller on a publishing project. In the process, I had the good fortune of getting to know Wendy a bit (phone and email) and decided to purchase a few of her very sweet little pots. I’ve been gradually filling them with little plants (mostly companion type plantings, though I do have one small bonsai in the works), and the more I see them and feel them in my hands, the … Continue reading Wendy Heller’s Bonsai & Companion Pots

Contest #5: We’ve got a Winner (Sort of)

Still a mystery I lifted this shohin black pine is from the American Shohin-Bonsai Association gallery. I couldn’t find who the artist is anywhere (and their contact link isn’t working), so I figured if I used it for our contest, someone would let me know. No such luck, so it’s still a mystery to me. No longer Mr. Second Place! However. two people did answer some of the of questions correctly (at least I think they were correct; the site doesn’t say anything, so I’m guessing). Of the two Vinicius Costa (formerly known as ‘Mr. Second Place’) was first, so … Continue reading Contest #5: We’ve got a Winner (Sort of)

Contest #5: Mystery Bonsai

It’s a mystery to me Though I can tell you where I found this tree (not yet though), and I do know the species, I genuinely don’t know who the artist is (he/she doesn’t seem to be listed on the site). So maybe you can help me, and win a twenty five dollar gift certificate to Stone Lantern in the process. Be the first to correctly answer all four of these questions and you’ll be declared the winner 1. the name of the artist 2. the species and sub-species (if applicable) of the tree 3. the height of the tree, … Continue reading Contest #5: Mystery Bonsai

The Great Debate part 3: More from Walter

A naturalistic Norway spruce (Picea abies) by Walter Pall (from Bonsai Today issue 106). This tree was awarded third place overall in the Bonsai Today/Art of Bonsai 2006 photo contest. Walter also won first and second place in the overall category. The Naturalistic Bonsai Movement? In the expanding galaxy of accomplished Western bonsai artists, Walter Pall’s bonsai skills and dedication to teaching and promoting the art of bonsai make him one of the brightest stars. Walter is also one of the most prominent proponents of what could be called the Naturalistic Bonsai Movement (or something like that). In our last … Continue reading The Great Debate part 3: More from Walter

Get Out Your Camera! AoB Awards Coming Up

This Red escallonia (Escallonia rubra ‘Woodside’) by Mike Page is from the Bonsai Today/Art of Bonsai 2006 photo contest. If you are interested, you can find the winning photos in Bonsai Today issue 106. Don’t be shy Stone Lantern and Bonsai Bark are delighted to announce that we one of the sponsors of  The Art of Bonsai Project’s annual photo contest. The contest provides an excellent opportunity for you to delve into preparing and photographing your bonsai. Two practices that will open your eyes in ways that may surprise you. Really, don’t be shy and don’t think your trees have … Continue reading Get Out Your Camera! AoB Awards Coming Up

Speaking of Pots…

The pots in the post are from another Japanese book that has been in my library for a long time. So long, that I don’t even remember where I got it. Nor do I know who made the pots or basically much of anything about the contents (I don’t read Japanese). If you read Japanese, scroll down and check the text at the bottom of this post and let me know if you can make any sense of it.

Master Potter: Gyozan Nakano

I don’t know who styled this wonderfully crazy azalea (I don’t read Japanese) but I do know that Master Potter Gyozan Nakano made the pot. A remarkable book about a remarkable potter Four years ago I was given a most remarkable book by the World Bonsai Friendship Federation, who received it courtesy of Masahiro Tokuo (President of Kindai Publishing). Since then, it has spent most of its time just sitting on my shelf, though occasionally I thumb through and marvel at the photos (and wish I could read Japanese). The book is about Master Potter Gyozan Nakano and consists mostly … Continue reading Master Potter: Gyozan Nakano

The Great Debate part 2: You Be the Judge

This Scot’s pine (Pinus sylvestris) by Walter Pall is from the cover of Bonsai Today issue 104. It was presented by Walter as an example of a naturalistic bonsai. “… too many of these bonsai look like they are made of plastic…” The whole quote, which was written by Walter Pall, and appears in Bonsai Today issue 104, goes like this: “I have seen that the trend in styling is toward more and more refinement, which often takes away all the naturalness. I find that too many of these bonsai look like they are made of plastic and are not … Continue reading The Great Debate part 2: You Be the Judge

Bonsai from Nursery Stock – part four

After All this sweet little juniper needs is a good cascade pot and a little time to fill out. It was styled and photographed by David Chauvin. It appeared in Bonsai Today issue 103 (out of print) in article entitled ‘Instant Bonsai’ by Will Heath and Wayne Schoech (pronounced Shay and sitting is this chair typing this at this very moment). Before it showed up in Bonsai Today, it appeared in an Instant Bonsai photo contest held by The Art of Bonsai Project.

Mystery Tree Contest Winner

Here’s the mystery tree two years later (2006). The owner/artist is Jay McDonald of Marin County (that beautiful place at the north end of the Golden Gate Bridge). We lifted this image from the Bonsai Society of San Francisco. And the winner is… The contest winner is Lawrence LeClaire. Lawrence teaches beginner’s bonsai classes and is the editor of BSSF’s newsletter, Fog City Bonsai, so he had a bit of an inside track on this tree, and apparently on reading my mind as well. From formal to informal It’s still the same tree two years later, though it’s in a … Continue reading Mystery Tree Contest Winner