Hedge Bonsai #2 and Some Loose Ends

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The other day we featured a bonsai hedge by Joe Selworthy (Dan Barton's talented twin) and now here's another one with this caption: "Picture of my first Cotoneaster hedge with Deshojo maple which I sold several years ago." Though you can't tell from here, there's some impressive detail on and around the little fence under the maple (see below).

 

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Recognize this tree? It's a Cheng, Cheng-Kung Shimpaku juniper that we featured last week. Here's part of our caption: ...there's something very unusual going on here. Not that I expect you to read my mind, but still, the first person to do just that and email me about it, will receive a 25.00 Gift Certificate to Stone Lantern. And here's what Alexander Hoffman wrote "I think that the way that the foliage is draped over and around the deadwood is quite unusual." Which is exactly what I was thinking.

 

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Looks like I might have some more egg on my face. Here's Rob Kempinski's comment (on facebook) about this crazy bicycle & broomstick bonsai that we featured last week: "Photoshop can do wonders and would be a good idea if it was real." One of these days I'll remember that we're living in the 21st century.

 

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Here's that detail I was talking about. I'm wondering if Joe/Dan made both the cat and the watering can (in real life Dan Barton is an accomplished ceramic artist).

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Another Excellent Blog by an American Bonsai Apprentice

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Close up of a famous old Japanese black pine named Zuio. This and the other photos in this post are borrowed from Danny Coffey's Tree the People blog.

I don’t how I missed Danny Coffey’s excellent Tree the People blog for so long (going on three years) but somehow I managed. Happily, and thanks to Felix Laughlin (President of the National Bonsai Foundation and tireless bonsai advocate) the veil has lifted.

Danny Coffey has been a bonsai apprentice under Mr. Junichiro Tanaka of Aichien Bonsai Nursery, Nagoya Japan, since 2013. During that time Danny also managed to become an intern at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum under the guidance of Mr. Jack Sustic, museum curator. There’s more but we’ll let you see for yourself. BTW: we’ve featured blogs and websites by many American and other Western apprentices who have studied, or are studying in Japan.

All the photos in this post were taken by Danny at the 2015 Meifu Bonsai Exhibition, one of Japan’s longest running bonsai shows. I have taken the liberty to crop them all (except the last one) in order to bring us closer to the trees. No varieties were mentioned, so the names below are my guesses. Feel free to set me straight.

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Looks like a Trident maple root-over-rock (with shadow).

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I'm guessing that these brilliant flowers belong to a Camellia.

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Looks like a Shimpaku with sunlit deadwood and living vein.

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Hornbeam? Japanese beech? Or...?

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Another Shimpaku (I'd bet my estate, for what it's worth).

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Gotta be a Japanese white pine.
meifu8Danny Coffey's upcropped photo of Zuio. Here's his caption: "And last but certainly not least, an old Japanese Black Pine named Zuio.  Zuio is a previous winner of the Kokufu prize and is a certified important bonsai masterpiece.  Additionally it took 1st place at Meifu this year.  Zuio has a long history at Aichien and is one of the most powerful pines I have seen.  Mr. Tanaka was kind enough to grant me the privilege of preparing Zuio for the show this year.  Exhibition aside, it was an honor just to spend a few days working on it.  Sometime in the near future I will be doing a blog post dedicated to Zuio’s history.  Keep an eye out!"

 

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Winter Silhouettes at the National Bonsai Museum

135Three point display with Trident Maple and shadow at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. The tree has been in training for over 100 years (since 1895). It was donated by Prince Takamatsu. The other two points are a Mt. Fuji scroll and a Japanese Blood Grass companion.

The U.S. National Bonsai Foundation invites you to visit their first exhibition of the new year. Winter Silhouettes opened at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum yesterday (Friday, January 8) and continues through Jan. 17.

“Winter is the best time to enjoy the true mastery of the art of bonsai by observing the ‘bare bones’ of the trees,” says curator Jack Sustic. “With no leaves, the structure of a deciduous bonsai reveals how well the artist has created a miniaturized version of nature.” Jack has selected trees from the Museum’s permanent collection for a formal display of these living artworks. Other trees from the permanent collection will be on view throughout the winter in the covered Chinese Pavilion and Tropical Conservatory.

Close up. Cropped so you can see just the tree and its shadow up close.

 

Closer still.

 

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Living on the Edge

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My best guess is that most of you will appreciate the inventiveness and the humor expressed in this mixed-media bonsai creation, though perhaps a few purists will take offense. It's by Miyazato Rintaro (thanks to Colin Lewis for sharing it).

Two of the photos in this post are new to us. The others, including the one above are from December 2014 post titled Bonsai on Broomstick Bicycle.

I have soft spot for the outer edges of the art of bonsai. As long as the edges don’t slide over into novelty for novelties sake. In the photo above, the quality of the tree  and even the quality and placement of the companion are signs that serious skill and understanding of the art of bonsai are in play.

None of the other bonsai shown here are as unusual as the one above, but a couple others show some eccentricity and they all reveal the skill of the artist.

All the tree and photos in this post are by Miyazato Rintaro.

miyaHere's one we haven't shown before. I like the way the trunks are fused. Would you call this a clump or a raft (a claft or a rump)?

 

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A little more conventional, but still... the drum pot and the way the soil is mounded so high and the relaxed simplicity of the tree; all contribute to a unique and pleasing effect.

 

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Not mixed-media, but not so conventional either. One base, one root system, two elongated parallel trunks and one crown.

 

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Twirling dancer? This is the other one that's new to us. The narrow base of the trunk is usually a no-no, but not this time.

 

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Satsuki azalea variety in bloom. Satsuki means 'fifth month.' Something to look forward to.

 

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This cropped version gives a little closer look.

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Bonsai Hedge – Something You Don’t See Everyday

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'Joe Selworthy's' Cotoneaster hedge planting. Here's part of what Joe has to say about it. "I can't remember whether I posted this image before so I'm posting it now. It's my cotoneaster hedge (grown from seed) with a deshojo maple and a style with sleeping cat. The "accent" is a wee painted bronze wren waiting for the cat to leave so that it can go to its nest in the hedge!!!"

Running behind so we’ll borrow from our archives. This one was first posted just eleven months ago, but I like it (even though it’s a little embarrassing) and thought you might appreciate the bonsai hedge. Something you don’t see everyday.

I found the photo above thanks to a link from Colin Lewis. However when I tried to figure out who on earth Joe Selworthy is, I ended up on Dan Barton’s website.

So I called Colin this morning and asked him if he knew Joe Selworthy. He laughed and said, oh yeah I know him, he’s Dan Barton (which is a whole story in itself I’m sure). About five seconds later, from the deep recesses of an aging memory (that never was all that good anyway) it all came back. I already knew that Joe is Dan and Dan is Joe, though even with the obvious clue, I still hadn’t linked the two names. A little embarrassing for sure, but fortunately sense of humor hasn’t gone the way of memory.

 

sumacHere's something else by Joe Selworthy (aka Dan Barton, a highly accomplished bonsai potter and a bonsai artist in his own right).

 

Danpot

This very sweet pot turned up when I searched Joe Selworthy. So did this "If you like the above pot, then you may care to take a look at some of my other pots: https://danbartonbonsaipots.wordpress.com/.../shohinchuh.../" As I said... a little embarrassing.

 

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Cropped and blown up in an attempt to show the cat. With a little imagination, you get the idea.

 

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Robert’s Bonsai Challenge – Which One Is Best?

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Which one do you like best and why? This exercise is proposed by our friend Robert Steven. It's one thing to glance at something and decide if you like it or not. It's quite another to examine and express your reasons.

One of things I like about Robert Steven is the way he challenges us to think about what we like and the choices we make. You might even go further and say that he challenges our whole approach; how we view the art of bonsai and what we are trying to accomplish.

Robert posted this particular challenge on Komunitas Seniman Bonsai Indonesia. If you’d like to share your insights, please post your answer in the comments below. Or, you can go directly to the source and post them there. Or, if you’re ambitious you can post in both places. I look forward to your comments.

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Close ups. We'll put B first to because it's second in the photo above.

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Abstract Bonsai Art & Carving Deadwood, Sidiao Style

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Abstract bonsai art. I think there's a temptation to judge trees with elaborately carved deadwood (like this one). But maybe it's best to just appreciate the the skill involved and not worry about too much deadwood or whether the result looks natural or not.

Yesterday we featured Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s colorful side. Today we’ll touch upon his famous Sidao carving method and some results. Hopefully this will peak your interest. If it does, you can visit his website for more.

 

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Cheng, Cheng-Kung's Sidiao method in a nutshell. There's a lot more where this came from.

 

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Just another Shimpaku with lots of deadwood? Well, maybe, but there's something else very unusual going on here. Not that I expect you to read my mind, but still, the first person to do just that and email me about it, will receive a 25.00 Gift Certificate to Stone Lantern <wayne@stonelantern.com>.

 

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There a lot going on here. Movement, power and maybe even a sense of freedom and joy (imho).

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This magnificent Ficus with its also magnificent pot, has nothing to do with the Sidiao carving method. Just thought I'd throw it in because it's such a masterpiece bonsai.

 

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Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s Colorful Side

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It takes a strong tree to handle a pot like this. This Pistacio (Pistacia chinensis Bunge) has at least two features that qualify: its muscular trunk which works well with the depth of the pot (deep pots with thin trunks just don't work) and its lush, full, colorful crown (subtle, but still colorful) which contrasts with, and is not overpowered by, the pot's brilliance.

The trees shown here are all Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s creations. Cheng is famous for his Sidiao method (a technique for creating and enhancing deadwood – more on this tomorrow), but today, in keeping with yesterday’s theme, we’ll show his more colorful side.

We’ve featured Cheng, Cheng-Kung’s bonsai several times here on Bark. You can also find his bonsai and Sidiao technique featured on his website, on facebook and in dozens of other places on the web.

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One of two brilliant Satsuki azaleas featured on Cheng-Kung's web gallery.

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 The other one.

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Pomegranate (Punica granatum Linn).

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Satsuki Bonsai – A Passion for Variety & Beauty

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This wildly colorful Satsuki Azalea is from a Flowering Bonsai Gallery in Bonsai Today issue 65 (image courtesy of Bonsai Focus). If you take a close look at the flowers, you'll see that there are a number of different shades and patterns. A mark of human passion for beauty and endless variation.

There are few things as delightful as Satsuki azalea bonsai in full bloom. Especially in person. Lacking that, next best are high quality photos of Satsuki azalea in full bloom. Especially during the darkest and coldest days of winter.

07-flowering-azalea-bonsaiWe borrowed this stunning (some might say gaudy) Satsuki photo from Bonsai Empire.

 

Satsuki_NikkoThis Nikko Satsuku Azalea, with its soft flowers and perfect trunk is from the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum’s Japanese collection. It was donated by Masayuki Nakamura.

 

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Refining Your Bonsai

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I found this rather spectacular tree on Bonsai Nut. There was no caption but it's part of a discussion on Korean hornbeam ramification.

In these days of massive trunks and elaborate deadwood carving, it’s easy to overlook ramification. Even though good ramification is an essential mark of refinement. Especially on deciduous bonsai.

In botany, ramification is defined as: 1. a structure formed of branches, and 2. configuration of branching parts.

With bonsai, ramification is about branch development, starting with primary branches, then secondary, tertiary, quaternary and so forth, out to the finest twigs. Each level is thinner (and usually shorter) than the last, and when done well, the effect is of continuous taper from the base of the trunk all way out to the tip of each twig.

Another effect is a profusion of fine filagreed twigs at the outer reaches of the tree. This effect, which lends a sense of age and grandeur is most often found on deciduous trees, and is why they are often shown and photographed in the winter. 

For more on ramification, especially the how-to part, here are some posts you might find useful.

 

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The first thing you notice on most bonsai is the trunk. However, if you linger for a moment and follow he branching out from the trunk to the tips of the finest branches, you can see the importance of ramification. As an aside, you might notice how, with this tree, the first branch is less developed than the rest of the branches. This can be corrected overtime by allowing the branch in question to grow more freely than the other branches. Here's a pretty good explanation from a 2009 Bark post).

 

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Ramification is highlighted by the reddish buds at the tips of the twigs. This reddish color is further highlighted by contrast with the blue (or blue-green) of the pots. You can find this tree and the other two shown here on Bonsai Nut. No artist(s) is listed.

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