A Wonderful Bonsai Event that just Keeps Getting Better

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This sumptuous Japanese maple is from the 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition website.

It’s time to start thinking about the 5th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition.  All of the previous Exhibitions were wonderful events and they just keep getting better. The dates are September 10-11 and fortunately the venue is the same as last year (if you were there you understand the ‘fortunately‘).

I won’t say more about the details right now, because everything you need to know is on the Exhibition site and we will post regular reminders. Meanwhile, enjoy the photos and start making your plans!

 

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A small part of the vast venue and extensive bonsai selection on display

LOGO-TREE

The 2016 logo tree

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A small part of last year's vendor section

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Spectacular Sargent juniper from 2014

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Mystery Bonsai with Looping Deadwood

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Mystery pine with looping deadwood. Here's a tree that anyone would like to have in their collection. Unfortunately, I don't know who the lucky owner is. I found it on pinterest, which tends to be a maze of dead ends when it comes to pinning down the source. It looks like it could be a Ryan Neil tree (Bonsai Mirai), but no luck finding it there. Thanks to several people (see comments) I now know that Ryan Neil did style this tree. It was a demo for Bonsai Focus.

We almost never do one tree posts, but circumstances insist that we move on to more critical issues. I made the mistake of upgrading my Apple operating system and now about half the programs I use are having nervous breakdowns (including this one and even worse, my email). The good news is there are some very smart people around, and one of them is coming by today to lend a hand. Wish me luck.

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Colin’s Moon Pot Bonsai

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The first time we showed this splendid Shimpaku was back in 2010. Now time and Colin Lewis' deft touch has wrought some positive changes. Here's Colin's caption for this latest iteration. His Majesty: Another last minute de-wiring before sleepy time.... I guess Majesty is Colin's way of saying he likes this one. Or maybe there's a fascinating story behind it...

At least two things unite the three trees shown here; they all below to Colin Lewis and they are all in moon pots. All three are from Colin’s facebook photos. Colin also has a website with an extensive gallery.

 

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Colin's caption for this one is... Shimpaku crammed into a concrete pot. Why not? You don't usually see bonsai in concrete pots, but I think this one works. I don't know where the pot is from. Perhaps Colin made it?

 

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This rugged moon pot looks like lava, though I imagine it's actually clay. Colin doesn't provide a  caption I won't bother to guess the type pine.

 

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Here's an earlier iteration of the tree at the top in yet another moon pot. We featured in an interview with Colin back in 2010. Normally I would link it for you, but I just upgraded to the latest Apple OS and now I can't search our archives or link back to them. What a mess!

 

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It Takes a Village of Bonsai Artists & Patrons

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This Itoigawa shimpaku juniper won the Finest Medium Size Bonsai prize at the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition (September 2014). Though it looks larger, its height is only 12" (30.5 cm).  It belongs to Troy Schmidt of Asheville North Carolina. Though I don't know this tree's whole story, I do know that both Boon Manakitivipart and Bjorn Bjorholm have worked on it (it takes a village of bonsai artists and patrons).

The photo above is from Boon Manakitivipart’s facebook feed. The other photos in this post (except the very last one) are from a 2012 workshop that Boon hosted. It’s my impression that all of these trees were worked on by Boon’s students.

Just in case you don’t know Boon, he is one of North America’s most influential bonsai artists and teachers. Several of his students have become important artists and teachers in their own right, and countless trees of Boon’s and his students’ have appeared on this blog, in magazines and books and elsewhere on the web. Most of the photos and text in this post are taken from a post we did back in 2012.

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From chuhin to shohin. I have a soft spot for stubby little trees. Especially ones with reams of character like this European olive that was originally a stump dug from Boon's garden.

 

Another muscular little tree. This one is a Coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia).

 

This Satsuki azalea's trunk reminds me of some of Antoni Gaudi's sculptural architecture that graces the great city of Barcelona.

 

Is this a Shimpaku juniper grafted onto a California juniper? Whatever it is, there's an abundance of power and movement that's hard to miss. Even for the untrained eye. There's another photo (also from Boon's workshop) of Janet Roth working on this tree that says, Janet is working on her show tree for Jan 2014 show. Yes 2014. 'Born in the USA' 


This is the same Sierra juniper that appeared on the cover of Bonsai Today issue 108 (our famous last issue). The first branch has been shortened, and there's more foliage peeking out to the left of the trunk, but otherwise, it hasn't changed very much.

 

The photo from the cover of Bonsai Today 108. Our last issue.

About three weeks ago we bought back an entire selection of
Bonsai Today magazines (issue 1 – 108)
This was the first time in over a year that we had every issue for sale
Now several have already sold & more will be gone soon
(we are long on some issues and short on others)
As they sell down we will increase our discount
Right now it is 30% off

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The cover of Bonsai Today issue 100
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Some Astoundingly Brilliant Bonsai, though…

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Though this extraordinary bonsai is unidentified (and unattributed), still I'm confident that it's a Japanese beech. I'm also confident that it makes its home in Japan. For a little perspective on just how massive this tree is, there's that partial human torso on the right. The original shows the whole human, but I've taken the liberty to slice him up a bit in an attempt to limit distraction (the original is below).

All the photos shown here were posted by Tae-Kukiwon-Bonsai (aka Eduardo Mourão Guedes) and even though they are unnamed and unattributed, I couldn’t resist.

In case you are wondering, they come from a number of sources and as far as I know, none actually belong to Tae-Kukiwon-Bonsai, though I can’t be sure. In Mr. Guedes defense, he does mention that he doesn’t know the sources and asks his reader to let him know if they do (in Portuguese). Also to his credit, he posts phenomenal trees.

 

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This delicate flowering beauty looks a lot like a New Zealand Tea tree (Leptospermum scoparium).

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This dynamic twisty pine with its perfectly chosen pot is the first one that caught my eye. I was going to lead this post with it until I saw the Beech.

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Looks like an Needle juniper (and looks familiar too). Like the Beech above, I'll venture that it makes its home Japan.

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Is this an Hinoki forest? Whatever it is, it's a perfectly natural looking masterpiece. And again, I'd bet it's Japanese.

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Uncropped. I don't know who he is, but I'd bet his mind was blown when he first saw this exquisite monster up close and personal. Photos are great, but they almost never do justice.

 

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FREE Bonsai & All-Purpose Scissors

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Our amazingly sharp and durable All-Purpose Scissors are now FREE with your Stone Lantern order of at least 15.00 (but only if you put FREE Scissors in the comments when you check out). Our list price is 9.95 each and our discounted price 6.95 each, though given just how good they are, they are worth a whole lot more.

Here’s what you have to do to receive yours. Place an order for at least 15.00 at Stone Lantern and put FREE Scissors in the comments when you check out. No FREE Scissors in the comments, then no FREE scissors.

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Laid-Back Scot’s Pine

scotspine

This comfortably laid back bonsai is a Scot's pine. Its feeling of relaxed informality is accentuated by the somewhat shaggy foliage and overall barely-touched-by-human-hands look. We always have an eye out for trees that are both compelling and unusual and I think this one fits the bill. It belongs to Pierre Robbach (Tenkei Bonsai Club, Mulhouse, France). I found the photo on Jean-Paul Polmans' facebook feed. Jean-Paul is also associated with Tenkei.

 

penelopeThis is what sprung to mind when I saw the tree at the top of the post. It's Nick Lenz' famous Penelope. The tree is an American larch and the photo is from the 4th U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition album (a treasure of great North American bonsai). It's owner is Michael McCallion.

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Whoops! Apologies & a Correction

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This colorful tree is from the 2016 BCI - Philippines Bonsai Convention that was just held in Makita City last weekend. I borrowed the photo from Bill Valavanis bonsai blog.

Looks like I messed up yesterday’s post (Another ‘Newly Discovered’ Bonsai Artist). My apologies to all concerned. 

I found out my mistakes when I received a note from a friend who knows the Philippine bonsai community a whole lot better than I do. Here’s part of his note:
“Jun Llaga is not a member of PBSI and did not conduct a demonstration at the BCI-Philippines Convention. Mr. Llaga is a member of another group, affiliated with the Black Scissors Community, that is independent of PBSI.

The picture you posted was from the First International Bonsai Biennale, held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (last fall).“

I hope this clears things up and again my apologies for the confusion.

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Brilliant Bonsai, Brilliant Books

machiko

Daring and brilliant. I think the daring part is combining such a strong and unique pot with such a brilliant little flowering tree. Each could stand on its own, no problem. But together the brilliance is multiplied. Based on the flowers, I'd say the tree is a quince. The photos trees and pots shown here all belong to Michiko Koide.

I don’t know much about Michiko Koide and google didn’t help. All I could find is her facebook timeline. Turns out, based on the photos, that’s plenty.

new books jan 2011

Our Brilliant Bonsai Book Sale ends tomorrow night. 30% off our already discounted prices is one of many great deals at Stone Lantern.

 

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Machiko's pots are excellent, with or without little trees.

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Simplicity.

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Contrast in trees and pots, but both very sweet. I’m guessing that the tree on the right is a Cryptomeria (Japanese cedar). The Shimpaku is too easy.

 

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Another quince? This one is value added - the rest of the photos in this post appeared here on Bark back in 2014.

 

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Feast your eyes and then imagine what you could do with such a brilliant selection of pots.

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