The Magician Playing with Bonsai

rock forest

This rock forest is by the Magician, Masahiko Kimura. A master of the art of bonsai, professionally and at play

Bill Valavanis is in Japan again and we’re all the better for it. Especially if  you like a steady stream of great bonsai photos. In fact, I wouldn’t be offended if you just skipped out and headed over to Bill’s blog (after you take note of our book special).

Meanwhile, if you’re still here, today it’s Kimura at play. Here’s a quote from Bill… “Our first stop was the bonsai garden of Masahiko Kimura, The Magician. I immediately noticed the increased number of tall rock plantings he created after carving and painting the stones. He is “playing” with bonsai… I’ll explain later.”
Continued below…

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A closer look...

More on the Magician from Bill…”Through play, which he sees as the opposite side of professional work, he has been able to make use of his strong sense of inspiration in creating bonsai.”

 

yew

Quoting Bill again... "...a huge Japanese yew which is estimated to be 1,000 years in age"... "According to Mr. Kimura this tree is a rare world-class material" There's much more by Bill on this tree...

B1KIM2-61-500x6411The Magician 
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An island in Mr Kimura's nursery

 

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This magnificent tree is in the center of the photo above

All the photos in this post are borrowed from Bill’s blog. There are many more where these came from

30% TO 70% OFF BONSAI BOOK SPECIAL

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Rough & Rugged Old Bonsai – Two Day Book Special

rmain

This rugged old tree starkly contrasts with the way it's presented; the professional studio photo, the quality stand and pot cleaned and oiled to perfection. As you can see, it's a pine. I won't bother to guess the variety, but here's where I found it and here's the caption... Nippon Bonsai Sakka Kyookai Europe España a SAKKA TEN 2012 - PEÑISCOLA. Fotos de estudio realizadas por Alex Espuny (Studio Photos by Alex Espuny).

I’m mesmerized by this tree’s rugged, natural look. So even though we’ve shown it before (with two more photos today), I’m going to ask you to indulge me in a second time

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 A closer look. Though we know a human hand and eye has been intimately involved, the tree looks almost untouched

closer

Even closer. Old bark and aged deadwood add heaps of character

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Frosting on the cake. Only a yamadori (bonsai collected in the wild) could have this much completely unique, untamed action

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A Massive Bonsai Masterpiece

beech

This massive masterpiece is a Japanese beech (Fagus crenata)

Yesterday we featured an impressive Japanese beech and today we’ve got one that takes impressive to another level.  We’ve shown it before, but the best trees are always worth another look. There was no attribution with our source so we don’t know who it belongs to, though based on the level of development and the meticulous attention to detail that it expresses, you might guess it’s from Japan

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It helps to have something familiar for scale. Though we don't know how large the human is (or who he is for that matter), you can still get a good idea of the tree's massive size

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The powerful nebari augments the impression of age and stability.

Bonsai Today back issue are now only 5.00 each

 

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Fine branching is another indication of age. It takes  time and diligence to achieve such a filigreed look

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Bonsai, Babies & Roshi Tools

babies

Three photos of the same tree at different times. I think it's probably the same baby too. No identification of the tree is given, but it looks a lot like a Japanese beech

I try to focus on bonsai and stay away from babies and kittens (here on Bark at least), but for some reason I couldn’t pass this one up (it helps that the tree is magnificent). The babies and the photos below were posted by Matthijs Hartjes, a Bonsai Bark first timer

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maple

Japanese maple for sure, but no variety is given

 

pine

Here's a tree with a lot of potential. Again, no variety is mentioned, but it looks like it might be a Japanese white pine

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Bonsai Solstice

PMAIN

“A Bonsai Solstice’ is back! Bring your family & friends, take time for reflection, and enjoy the magic of bonsai by twinkle-lights“

5th Annual ‘A Bonsai Solstice’

This looks great. If I were driving distance from the Pacific Bonsai Museum I’d put it on my calendar. Fortunately this is not the only opportunity. The Museum is also a delight in daylight, just in case you haven’t had the pleasure. If you’d like more information, here’s their website and here they are on fb

The following is from the Museum’s fb timeline… “BYOF (Bring-Your-Own-Flashlight or phone flashlight :)) to explore the bonsai by night. Sip a cup of hot cocoa or coffee and enjoy a sweet or savory crepe from Crisp Creperie Food Truck. Live acoustic music will fill the woods with soft sounds and add to the magical atmosphere. A pop-up Night Market will sell nature- and bonsai-themed gifts.”
Continued below…

 Staying on topic…

B1NATIVES6This photo is from the Museum’s dazzling book, Natives
with paintings that feature each trees’s natural habitat
Now available at Stone Lantern

 

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This one is from the 4th Annual 'A Bonsai Solstice' (2017). Photo by Tim Aguero.

Quote continued from above…
“Admission to the event and the Museum is free. (Donations to support the museum are always appreciated). For those who would like to take home a memento, commemorative mugs will be available with a $10 donation to the Museum.

“This event is the only time all year that we open the collection to the public at night. Take in the warm community feeling and the calm vibe.”

 

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Quoted from Nov 6… “Bonsai don’t care who wins elections. We are a haven for respite.”
.

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"Meet the latest addition to the family. Aarin and Kathy accepted Allgood Bonsai’s Winged Elm into the collection after seeing it at the 2018 US National Bonsai Expo in Rochester, NY. Here this beauty is, settling in to its winter enclosure.  Allgood Bonsai is an Atlanta, GA-area bonsai nursery and studio created and maintained by Rodney and Charlie Clemons."

 

P1

"Today we moved bonsai from our outdoor collection into their winter enclosures. They’ll be in these cozy boxes until spring, each with a little heater (the same type used in ATM machines). #staycozybonsai"
The tree is a Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) that has been in training since 1975. The original artist is Jiu Wei Huang.
 .

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Natives Is Here! Brilliant & Unique, Bonsai at Its Best

B1NATIVES

We’ve all waited long enough and now the Pacific Bonsai Museum’s Natives is here. We’ve featured some photos in the past, but now we’ve got the real thing. One hundred and five mind stopping pages. Now available at Stone Lantern

Here’s the Museum’s description…
“As artistic representations of trees, bonsai are collected from the wild to be cultivated as works of art. While the natural forces that shaped the tree are visibly echoed in its trunk and branches, the direct link between a bonsai and its native habitat has been lost. By displaying a tree with a portrait of its native domain along with herbaceous plants from the same environment, Natives reestablishes this connection between bonsai and habitat.”
Continued below…

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B1NATIVES1

Continued from above…
“American landscapes, painted by contemporary artist Iuna Tinta, serve as artistic representations of a bonsai’s indigenous ecosystem. Trees from Pacific Bonsai Museum are joined with those of bonsai artists Scott Elser, Michael Hagedorn, Randy Knight, Ryan Neil, & Dan Robinson, all of whom champion the use of native trees as bonsai.

“Completing each display are accent plantings by kusamono artist Young Choe and bonsai potter Vicki Chamberlain. Native plants from the featured habitats fill each container, which themselves are made from minerals collected from the same region.”
Continued below…

 

B1NATIVES7

Continued from above…
“Each of these elements combine to create a holistic representation of a precise location.

“These unique vistas demonstrate how strongly plants and people are intertwined as each artist and bonsai reflect the influence of a distinct landscape. Natives celebrates the diversity of North American trees and the unique terrains that shape them and us.”

B1NATIVES6

Natives is now available at Stone Lantern. And along with this stunning new book, we recently received two more wonderful new Bonsai Books. The time is right…

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B1MINCOVERMiniature Bonsai 

list price 16.95
Special 14.95

B2MINCOVER

Miniature Japanese Gardens

list price 19.99
Special 17.95

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Before & After Bonsai – Tie Pot Special Ends Tonight

ba

Before and after by Koji Hiramatsu. No species is mentioned, but given that Koji lives in Japan and that the tree looks like a Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii), that's probably a good guess. Though I have been fooled by Japanese red pines (Pinus densiflora), another two needle pine

We’ve featured Koji Hiramatsu several times over the last couple years, though mostly his Shohin bonsai (here’s our first and my favorite Koji post), though lately  I’m seeing more larger trees and fewer shohin on his fb posts. Either way, big or small, Koji is always worth a visit

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orig

Before. The bones are already there, but there's plenty of work to do. The shears are specially designed to trim pine candles, needles and small branches without crushing the needles

TOK207-2Okatsune Masters Grade Pine Shears

 

after2

After. The powerful, well-gnarled trunk is fully exposed

 

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Closeup

 

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Snow Shoes & Bonsai

which pot

One American larch, four pots (plus the original pot below). All this images in this post were borrowed from Boon Manakitivipart (the image above is a composite that we put together).

Boon is at it again. This time it’s our prized local larch (Larix laricina). Around here we call it Tamarack (the Algonquian name that means “wood used for snowshoes”). No matter what you call it, it is in my opinion, by far the best local wild species for bonsai. Bar none.

This is one of several Which pot do you prefer? posts that were pieced together from Boon’s facebook posts. We originally posted it April, 2015 with some changes today

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pot1

Pot number 1

 

pot2

Pot number 2

 

pot3

Pot number 3

 

pot4

Pot number 4

 

or

The original pot.

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They’re Back & Discounted! Green T Turntables

GTTRIDENTcropped

A brilliant Trident maple bonsai
 resting regally on its Green T Hydraulic Lift Turntable
this photo is cropped to fit on social media
the original showing the full Green T is just below

Order your Green T by Thanksgiving
and receive a
FREE 2019 Bonsai Calendar

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GTTRIDENT

The original photo
 Perfection. A brilliant Trident maple bonsai
 on a brilliant Green T Plus Hydraulic Lift Turntable
 for more information on this tree 
and others shown here see* below

GREEN T BASIC YOU PAY ONLY 345.00

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GREEN T PLUS YOU PAY ONLY 445.00

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for an additional 10.00

Plus your FREE 2019 Bonsai Calendar
if you order by Thanksgiving (November 23rd)

GreenTmugoMassive Mugo pine*
 on a Green T Basic

GTBJORN

Bjorn Bjorholm contemplates his next move
 while his pine* rests on a Green T Basic

A Green T Bonsai Turntable will help you work on your bonsai more efficiently and comfortably. In Japan hydraulic lift turntables have been the standard for years and now thanks to professional researchers and the collaboration of well-known bonsai professionals, we are able to offer you a tool inspired by the Japanese turntable and improved in several details (including price).

 

WBC - Green T Official sponsor

Green T was the official sponsor of the World Bonsai Congress
 in Saitama Japan last year
 Every demonstration took place on a Green T table

GRJMAPLE

Another brilliant bonsai. This time it's on a Green T Plus. The tree is a Japanese maple.*

Here’s a resounding Green T endorsement
by four Kimura apprentices

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Four Kimura apprentices with bonsai and Green Ts.

 

GTTEDESCHI

Micro Tedeschi with his majestic wild olive* on its Green T Basic

 

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Green T Basic works for most people, especially with larger trees. But if you work on smaller trees, or like to work standing up, then there's the New Green T Plus.

*For more information on the artists and trees shown here
visit Green T on facebook

A Green T Turntable will change the way you work on you bonsai and enhance the results… And you’ll enjoy the journey

 

 

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“How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days”

kmaincu

Mariusz Komstra's Sumac showing off its fall color. Sumac are everywhere here in northern Vermont, including outside my window and this is exactly how they look. Well, not exactly... they're much bigger and growing in the ground. l don't know anything about the scroll, except that it's beautiful and works with the tree. I cropped the photo just a bit for a closer look. Mariusz' original is below

Mariusz Janusz Komsta is celebrating autumn with these photos and this quote by  John Burroughs…”How beautifully leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days”

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k1

Mariusz' famous hornbeam. Here's a link t what I believe is the first time we showed this tree. It was October, 2010. Since then we've shown it maybe a dozen times.

 

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Closeup for better look at the leaves and the patterns they form. And some detail on the scroll

kmainorig

Back to the Sumac. This time the uncropped original

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