Micheal Hagedorn’s Respect for the Natural Way (& Newly Upgraded Website)

This shot is from the portfolio on Michael Hagedorn’s recently upgraded Crataegus Bonsai website. I’m too busy now to try search out the varieties (I couldn’t find them in his portfolio), but I could guess that this one is a Rocky Mountain juniper, though I wouldn’t carve that in stone. The thing that I really like about Michael Hagedorn’s bonsai is the respect he shows for the natural way of bonsai, by allowing each tree to speak for itself. And very skillfully too, with an equal respect for bonsai technique. If you know Michael’s bonsai, you already know what I … Continue reading Micheal Hagedorn’s Respect for the Natural Way (& Newly Upgraded Website)

Itty-Bitty Bonsai

This tiny Shimpaku juniper belongs to Yoshiyuki Kawada. We’ve long loved (and featured) Haruyosi’s tiny trees and pots. Yesterday I stumbled upon another Japanese mame* bonsai artist who also makes their own pots. His name is Yoshiyuki Kawada, and though I’m just becoming familiar with his trees and pots, so far I’m impressed. *Mame means bean and is sometimes used for tiny bonsai Continued below… Our Site Wide Sale is still rolling along 20% off orders 1.00 to 99.99* 25% off orders 100.00+* FREE Shipping on U.S. orders 50.00+ This tiny Shimpaku has a very powerful feel for such … Continue reading Itty-Bitty Bonsai

Eccentric or Just Twisted?

Doing the Twist. This tree belongs to Mauro Stemberger (Italian Bonsai Dream). Mauro has one of the most dramatic bonsai collections in the West, and though this one certainly qualifies, is there a line between dramatic and eccentric? Two of the trees in this post are naturally twisted and the other two were twisted by the hands of man. I don’t think you’ll have any trouble telling which is which. Site Wide Sale 20% to 25% off Everything* Including our large selection of Roshi & other Bonsai tools Even though there’s something unnatural about many of the twisted by-the-hands-of-man … Continue reading Eccentric or Just Twisted?

When Was the Last Time You Saw a Trunk with so much Power and Character?

This has to be one of the most compelling bonsai I’ve seen in a while. It has that wild, not overly refined look and ‘just so’ deadwood (it’s not dominated by deadwood like so many trees). But the real deal is the trunk. When was the last time you saw a trunk with so much power and character? Hopelessly behind schedule with Thanksgiving and other family and friend obligations looming, not to mention my other job (Stone Lantern) and its daily demands… So to save precious time, we’re going to rerun a post on one of my all time favorite … Continue reading When Was the Last Time You Saw a Trunk with so much Power and Character?

Contrasting Styles & a Bonsai that is Different from most of the Trees You See

Bonsai by Minh Hanh. I won’t bother to guess the variety. I know comparisons can be odious, but sometime contrasting things (bonsai in this case), without relying too much on value judgements, can help us see more clearly. In the 1980s Masahiko Kimura broke bonsai tradition with his outrageously sculptural deadwood that he carved with power tools. Looking back though, you can still see the influence of the Japanese bonsai aesthetic in everything he did. Continued below… SITE WIDE SALE Everything at Stone Lantern now 20% to 25% off* Including our NEW 2017 Calendars time to save and avoid mall … Continue reading Contrasting Styles & a Bonsai that is Different from most of the Trees You See

Expertly Rendered & Beautiful

This drawing is by Michele Andolfo, as are the others in this post. We just gave you three straight brand new posts. Now I need to catch my breath and catch up with some new products (including several new Roshi bonsai tools) and as always, continue the heroic quest to subjugate the horrible email beast (100 plus emails a day can wear on you). Long story short, this post is from our archives. October, 2015. All the drawings shown here are from a program Michele Andolfo led in Quebec this year (last year). You can view more of these expertly … Continue reading Expertly Rendered & Beautiful

More Broken Chains

Just in case you missed our last two posts, here’s another photo on the theme breaking through the chains that limit creativity. Here’s our third and final post (for now at least) on the recent 3rd National Xiaopin Penjing & Wild Grass Exhibition. Photos courtesy of Robert Steven. NEW Site Wide Sale Everything at Stone Lantern now 20% to 25% off* time to get a jump on December madness World’s longest cascade What’s he doing? More broken chains… Continued below… NEW Site Wide Sale Everything at Stone Lantern now 20% to 25% off* 20% off all orders from … Continue reading More Broken Chains

More Broken Chains & Blending Tradition Chinese Penjing with Something Much Newer & More Radical

Yesterday the chains were broken. Today it’s the chains and the arm. It’s a good thing the tree and pot survived. The photo is cropped so the nitty-gritty at the bottom will show when it’s magically transported to social media (the original is below). Yesterday, we featured some photos and text (courtesy of our friend Robert Steven) from the recent 3rd National Xiaopin Penjing & Wild Grass Exhibition. Today we’ve got some more for you (and even more tomorrow). The more I look at the photos the more fascinated I become. The scope and variety and especially the concepts behind … Continue reading More Broken Chains & Blending Tradition Chinese Penjing with Something Much Newer & More Radical

Breaking Bonsai Chains

This highly unusual bonsai display (previously highly unusual anyway – thanks to Robert Steven and others, displays like this are becoming more common) is from 3rd National Xiaopin Penjing & Wild Grass Exhibition. In Roberts words: “The hands sculptures with the broken chains symbolize the theme of breaking through in creativity.” The other day Robert Steven sent us a whole slew of remarkable photos from the 3rd National Xiaopin Penjing & Wild Grass Exhibition along with text that helps shed some light on the nature of the Exhibition. We’ll show you the text in full (below) and just a few … Continue reading Breaking Bonsai Chains

Buttonwoods, Books & Bonsai Wire

This powerfully compact Buttonwood belongs to Nacho Marin, as do all four Buttonwood bonsai shown here. Continuing with yesterday’s Buttonwood theme, while we pack for our journey back to the real world… all four trees shown belong to Nacho Marin and were featured on Bark in February, 2015. With Buttonwoods it’s nature that does the real work. Humans find them, dig them, pot them and eliminate branches and other parts that distract from the natural beauty of the tree. But nature does the twisting, turning and scouring by sand and wind that results in such unusual shapes and magnificent deadwood. … Continue reading Buttonwoods, Books & Bonsai Wire