Ramificato ad Extremo

An exercise in extreme ramification. Mario Komsta’s latest photo of his now famous Hornbeam (Carpinus laxiflora). The three photos below are earlier stages of the same tree. All have been featured on Bonsai Bark and at least two in Mario’s facebook photos.

Fine ramification can be the difference between average and exceptional bonsai

The photos in this post provide a chronology of a Hornbeam that belongs to Mario Komsta. Though there is much to say about this magnificent bonsai, it’s the fine ramification (branching) that I find the most compelling (taking absolutely nothing away from the trunk’s stupendous base).

In case you’re not familiar with the whole notion of ramification, it goes something like this: the heavy branches that come directly off the trunk are called main or primary branches. The branches that come off the primary branches are called secondary branches. The branches that come off of the secondary branches are called tertiary branches. The branches that come off the tertiary branches are be called quaternary branches (aka twigs) and so forth. The object is to develop these various branch layers, each finer than the previous.

When done well, ramification lends a feeling of maturity and depth to a tree. Unfortunately, you don’t see that many bonsai with highly developed ramification, at least here in the West. I think this is mostly about the time and patience it takes to develop highly refined branching. Once the bones (the trunk and the primary branching) of a bonsai are established it takes at least a year, in most cases, to develop each subsequent layer of ramification.

It also takes skill to develop good ramification. This has a lot to do with knowing what to prune and what to leave; removing branching that is too coarse, so that each layer is noticeably finer than the previous layer. This creates continuous taper from the base of the trunk along any line you chose to follow, out to the finest new twigs.

 

This photo appeared on Bonsai Bark exactly two years ago (December 2010). Like the other two, it was originally from Mario’s facebook photos.

 

This more profession grade photo appeared in Bonsai Bark in October 2010. It originally appeared on Mario’s website which seems to have disappeared (for many, it’s all about facebook these days). It’s hard to tell for sure, but it looks like it was taken just after the version in the photo below had been lightly pruned and cleaned up.

 

This photo appeared in Mario’s facebook photos three years ago (January 2010), though I suspect it’s from earlier, perhaps the winter of 2009?

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Kimura on the Rocks

The mature look. It helps to start with well developed trees. I think most of us would be happy to have trees like these Shimpaku as single bonsai, let alone as parts of group plantings.

Kimura’s rock plantings. These photos are all from a facebook posting by Alejandro Sartori that he took during a recent visit to Masahiko Kimura’s nursery. I’ve chosen to pick out some rock plantings from a much larger selection of Alejandro’s photographs of Kimura’s trees. I think they represent an aspect of Kimura’s revolutionary bonsai journey that may not be as familiar as some of his other bonsai, particularly his famous dramatic large bonsai that he sculpted using chainsaws and other power tools.

I believe that the rocks in these photos were constructed by human hands. Quite possibly even by Kimura’s famous hands. There is a chapter in The Magician, the Bonsai Art of Kimura 2 that shows how to construct a layered vertical rock. The second photo down features one of these.

By the way, all of the plantings shown here are root-on-rock style as opposed to root-over-rock style.

 

Are these trees Hinokis? It’s hard to tell for sure, but that’s my best guess. It’s also hard to tell the size of this planting without something to contrast it with, though you might imagine that it’s quite large. My guess is that the pot is somewhere around 30 inches (76cm), which would make the planting about 40 inches (100cm) across, but that’s just a guess.

 

Another Shimpaku planting. The trees aren’t quite as developed in this one, but they’re still pretty good. It’s fairly easy to see that the rock was constructed in layers. There’s an excellent chapter in The Magician, the Bonsai Art of Kimura 2, where he shows how to do this.

 

I like the way the trees (Hinokis again?) grow straight up along the side of rock on this one. This serves to help create a dynamic sense of vertical movement (something like that anyway). This is further enhanced by the way the crown of the rock reaches up to the sky.

 

The eccentric. I think this one is the most unusual of the lot. Perhaps a big part of that unusual feel is the distinctive shape of the rock. In contrast to the planting immediately above, these trees (Hinokis again?) create a whole different feel by growing down and away from the rock.

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Natural Transformation: A Tree’s Life Story by Robert Steven

After. Robert Steven’s simulation of an Olive that was submitted by Gary Howes. There’s a lot to like about this simulation, including just how natural and untamed it looks (even the pot has an untamed quality); untamed in the sense of something that has managed to stay alive and even thrive under some of the harshest conditions that Nature can dish out.

Living on the cutting edge. It has been a while since we’ve featured a critique by Robert Steven. If you are new to Bonsai Bark, Robert is one of the world’s best known bonsai artists, whose renown has a lot to do with how he has managed to live on the cutting edge (so to speak) of bonsai design for a long time now. In addition to being a famous bonsai artist, Robert is also one of world’s leading bonsai experts (you could even say bonsai scholars) and the author of two benchmark bonsai books.

 

Before. This is the photo that Gary submitted to Robert.

Robert’s critique

Needless to say, this bonsai has outstanding features, especially the deadwood. Our task is to explore and express these features in a way that conveys a life story of a tree in nature; where it grows, how the deadwood is formed and how it is transformed from its original shape.

To do this, the design elements, the deadwood, the living trunk and branches, the foliage and the container, should all be composed in a way that creates a sense of consistency and unity.

I am sure the artist has the idea, but I am not so sure that he has a concrete blueprint of the design; for example the shape of the crown. Look at the shoots that are on the tips of the branches. If these are used to form the foliage pads, they will be too high (too far separated from the rest of the tree). If this is the case, then the overall composition will be leggy and less compact than is desirable.

Furthermore, although the deadwood is very nice, it should not take over the main object, which is the living tree. Instead, the deadwood is there to emphasize and enhance the tree’s character and its life story.

In this case, the deadwood is too busy. It needs to be reduced and simplified. Last but not least is the pot. Neither its size, shape nor color fit the design of the tree. The size is too big, the shape and the color are too feminine for the massive character of the tree.

My simulation with my solution is at the top of the post…

The existing deadwood is reduced, some branches are shortened and the end of the main branch is turned into deadwood. The ramification (branching) is restructured to be more compact but spare with more empty spaces. Then a smaller dark color container is used to enhance the overall effect. I believe the final result conveys a more natural transformation.

Robert’s general comments

There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste and personal preferences, but I always try to give my opinion based on artistic and horticultural principles.

To understand my concepts better, please read my books Vision of My Soul and Mission of Transformation which are available at Stone Lantern.

My new bonsai blog address : http://robert-steven.ofbonsai.org

Facebook  : www.facebook.com/robertbonsai

 

Point well taken. Robert sent this photo along with his critique.

 

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Gifts for Bonsai Lovers part 2

Masters Sword Shears. This incomparable tool with its long powerful blades and fluid cutting capabilities is one of the reasons that Japanese professionals get so much work done. You can use yours for routine spring and summer trimming, especially if you have lots of larger bonsai and not so much time. You can also use them in the garden for any number of tasks. I use mine more than any other tool on my field grown bonsai. Made in Japan by Koyo quality tools. List price 145.00. Our special price 119.00. You save 26.00 (actually you save 31.95 when you include our 5% discount for orders over 100.00).

Visit Stone Lantern for hundreds of wonderful bonsai items at great prices and transform your shopping experience from stressful to peaceful.

 

A jewel of a book and a classic in the bonsai world. The trees are magnificent, the illustration are perfect and the book itself is beautiful. Saburo Kato was the world’s most respected Bonsai master of his generation. Hardcover. Save 18.00. List price 34.95, our special price 16.95.

 


Ho Yoku Bonsai Care Products. These five excellent products will go a long way in assuring your bonsai are healthy and vibrant. Though there are other bonsai care products that I like, these Ho Yoku products are my favorites. List price 70.75. Special 49.00. You save 21.75.

Rounded blade concave cutters. Many bonsai professionals and enthusiasts prefer the deeper and narrower cut that this tool makes (and the resultant smaller callouses) when compared to regular concave branch cutters. Made in Japan by Koyo Tools. List price 85.00. Special 59.00.

 

It’s possible that Robert Steven has done more to promote and encourage a love and passion for bonsai in the last ten years than any other person. His tireless energy combined with his highly developed bonsai artistry, skill and knowledge, and his desire to share what he knows, has resulted in these two now classic bonsai books.

Or, another way of putting it…  these two brilliant ground breaking books are by one of the world’s most innovative and daring bonsai artists. Robert’s bonsai are exciting and inspirational and will light blazing fires in the mind of any bonsai lover. A must for intermediate to advanced bonsai enthusiasts and a finger that points the way to the future for daring beginners. List price for the set 84.95. Special price 68.00.

 

Stainless steel knob cutters by Roshi Bonsai Tools. Roshi stainless steel tools are famous for beauty, precision cutting, durability, and excellent prices. Knob cutters are designed for removing unsightly knobs from trunks and branches without leaving ugly scars, as well as for removing roots. Though not usually a beginner’s tool, most bonsai mavens wouldn’t be without one. 7″ (179mm). List price 62.00. Special 36.00. Save 26.00.

 

Set of 2 Bonsai DVDs by Andy Smith. Andy is one of our foremost experts on collecting and working with wild bonsai. Collecting wild bonsai requires both respect for the material and understanding of what it takes to be successful, and that’s precisely what these excellent DVDs are all about. I consider them (along with Nick Lenz’ Bonsai from the Wild) essential for anyone who would like to collect, grow and train their own wild bonsai. List price for the set 49.90. Our special price 29.00.

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There’s Bunjin and Then There’s…

Recognize this planting? It was posted day before yesterday, though now there has been some changes. Andy Rutledge did the digital pruning and repotting to enhance its bunjin-ness, though I’m not so sure he’d say it quite that way (here’s what he did say about it: Even with a very few, but vital adjustments (mostly reduction), the pines begin to take on the bunjin quality).

Wabi Sabi
Our previous post elicited one of our best discussions yet. Thanks in large part to Andy Rutledge‘s comments. Here’s a quote from Andy that goes to the heart of the matter: “Bunjin is almost entirely concerned with wabi-sabi. Wabi, expressing modesty, melancholy, poverty, simplicity, loneliness, quiet dignity. Sabi, portraying great age, transience, patina, impermanence.”


An indisputable bunjin. It’s a Red pine that I found on Andy’s Bonsai Journal (one of his wallpaper selections). I’ve seen this distinctive tree before with its triple humped back. In fact, I think it has been posted right here on Bonsai Bark.

 

There’s something about Red pines and bunjin. This display with scroll and suiseki is from Bonsai Today issue 69 (sorry about the background, I’m still trying to figure out our new scanning program).

 

I think this Shimpaku qualifies as bunjin, though I’m not so sure that it expresses wabi sabi quite as thoroughly as the two pines above. It was originally posted on facebook by Mario Komsta and we posted it on Bonsai Bark back in May.

It’s not everyday that you see a bunjin Pomegranate. I know it says flowering cherry, but why would a cherry have a pomegranate attached? Bonsai Today 69 is gone, but there are still 39 other back issues available.

 

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Moving Out of the Bonsai Mainstream with a Deft and Delicate Touch

Would you call this a Bunjin style bonsai? Whatever you call it, you don’t see too many bonsai that look like this. Even most bunjin are not quite like this; most are conifers and most don’t have such a meandering array of multiple trunks, especially multiple crossing trunks. And then there’s the leaf size (is this a Sumac?).

I’ve long had a soft spot for the type of bonsai shown here. The uncontrived elegance that shows no concern for our current interest in muscular trunks, wide nebaris, carved wood… even most bunjin bonsai don’t quite go where these trees seem to go (Kyuzo Murata‘s early to mid-twentieth century Japan comes to mind).

All the trees in this post were on display at the Hanyu Uchikutei Exhibition. The photos were all lifted from Michael Bonsai’s facebook photos. I cropped and enlarged them for more close-up views. Thus the slightly fuzzy effect on some.

 

I think you would call this graceful beauty (full moon maple?) a bunjin, though you don’t see many upright bunjin in cascade pots (or upright bonsai of any type in cascade pots), let alone deciduous bunjin. Speaking of the pot…

 

Such a heavy pot for such thin trunks is not something you see every day. Is this a type of Lilac?

 

This one is a little closer to what you might expect in a bunjin style bonsai. After all, it’s a conifer. But still, there’s something quite unique about it. It reminds me of the tall narrow pines you see driving though central Florida.

 

Too subtle? I wonder if many bonsai enthusiasts would give a tree like this a second look. Is it another Full moon maple?

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In Search of the Elusive Kingsville

This Dwarf Kingsville boxwood planting by Boon Manakitivipart was the winner of the Certre Award at the 2010 U.S. National Bonsai Exhibition. However, this is not the photo that appears in the Exhibition Album. Rather, it’s a cropped version of a photo that appears on Boon’s website. There’s a story behind this tree, but you’ll need the 2010 Exhibition Album if you’d like to read it.

The first two photos in this post are the best I could do after a web search for photos of Dwarf Kingsville boxwoods. The reason for this dearth is that true Dwarf Kingsvilles grow very, very slowly. So slowly that they never develop anything near those massive muscular trunks that most exhibition quality bonsai display.

Two solutions to the size problem are shown here. The first solution is plant a group of Dwarf kingsvilles (above). The volcanic rock provides some extra heft and character, which certainly doesn’t hurt. It also doesn’t hurt that the individual trees are forty years old and that the planting was done by a very accomplished bonsai artist.

The second solution (immediately below) is to find a perfect stock plant (field grown in this case) and then cut away growth that obstructs the view of the tree’s essential beauty. No wire or carving tools necessary. Just a good eye and enough wisdom to know when to stop.

 

Simple and sweet. A great pot and the finishing touches that the moss and soil present, don’t hurt this delicious little bonsai at all. This photo originally appeared on the cover of Bonsai Today issue 107. The tree belongs to Michael Persiano (co-editor of our Masters’ Series Pine book). You can see and read about its earlier stages of development in Bonsai Today issue 97.

 

You can rest assured that some significant time has passed since this little tree was a cutting. Dwarf kingsville trunks this thick are quite unusual. The photo is from Chinese Bonsai Garden.

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Gifts for Bonsai Lovers

Fine Bonsai. The vividly photographed Japanese maple with its outrageous nebari, luminous leaves and tunnel that allows you to see into its midsection, is from the uniquely powerful and soulful new gallery book, Fine Bonsai, Art and Nature (cover photo below). This tree resides at the Shunka-en Bonsai Museum in Tokyo. No artist’s name is mentioned.

Commercialism? No! (well maybe just a little)
I hope that you’ve noticed that we keep a safe distance from too much shameless commercialism here on Bonsai Bark (our newsletter is another story). However, it’s that time of year, when lots of goods and money change hands in remarkably short period of time. So…

 

Set of three Roshi high carbon steel bonsai shears. We are very high on our Roshi Bonsai Tools. Especially when you compare their very high quality to their very moderate price. Our original list price for this set is 114.00. Our special price is only 65.00.

 

It’s new, but unlike lots of new things, it will still be exciting years from now. The best and most beautiful book we have ever seen on Penjing. And, just in case you aren’t so sure about what penjing is, or whether you even like it, you can rest assured that this is a top notch bonsai book and a true work of art in itself. List price 26.95, our discounted price 21.55.

Forget about Felco. Okatsune makes the best bypass shears in the world. In fact, it’s not even close. I use mine in the garden and on tough bonsai branches and roots. You can purchase these as a set or individually.

Roshi stainless steel wire cutters. Roshi Bonsai Tools are known for precision, durability, affordability and beauty, and these remarkable wire cutters are no exception. List price 85.00, on special for only 45.00.

 

Hand-built table top turntable work stand by Meco. It’s a stunningly beautiful work of art for your bonsai works of art. Adjustable, super sturdy, durable. A tool to last a lifetime. List price 265.00. Our discounted price 235.00 (actually only 223.00 after you receive our 5% volume discount). We also offer Meco’s Delux free-standing turntable work stand.

 

Enjoy beautiful bonsai every time you check the date. This lovely little piece of our 2013 Japanese Bonsai Calendar should give you some idea of its beauty. We’re going to sell out of these, so don’t wait too long.

 

 

Monster book. Here’s that cover shot of Fine Bonsai I promised you. It’s truly a monster. Don’t believer me? Take a look at these specs. Hardcover with slipcase, 12″ x 15″  x 1.75″ 416 pages with 281 full page photos. That’s correct, 281 full page photos. Just like the one at the top of this post. And it weighs almost a ton. List price 150.00. Our low price only 95.00.

There are a lot more gifts for bonsai lovers where these came from. Here are a few more suggestions for you.

Marco Invernizzi’s famous Ichiban Multi-use bonsai tool.

Roshi Heavy duty stainless steel root shears.

Bonsai Aesthetics 5 piece bonsai carving set

Roshi set of five stainless steel bonsai tools

600 other great items at Stone Lantern

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Spring Versus Fall: A Grafting Lesson

A few stills captured from Capital Bonsai’s video on grafting that features Ryan Neil.

Capital Bonsai (the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum‘s excellent blog) is at it again. This time it’s an outstanding video on grafting featuring Ryan Neil of International Bonsai Mirai.

Fall versus spring grafting. Here’s what Ryan has to say about fall versus spring grafting (loosely paraphrased): Grafting in the fall is more successful than in the spring if you can provide winter protection from freezing. If you graft in spring you have to protect from sun and wind. In the fall you have to protect from freezing.

The right tool for the job. A quality grafting knife is essential for quality grafts.

This compelling photo of suiseki at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum is from Capital Bonsai.

Here’s an opportunity to do something that will have a long-lasting positive effect on our world.

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Three Bonsai: Artists Unknown

On fire. If you look closely, you can see a little reddish hue in the trunk, pot and even the soil. Does this mean this fiery thread leaf Japanese maple was color enhanced? My guess is, yes, it was. Unnecessarily so. If it were slightly less blazing, this would still be a beautiful bonsai. In fact, even if the foliage were green, the age and movement in the nebari, trunk and the rest of the tree, would be enough to qualify this tree as beautiful.

The pot is excellent too, though it’s difficult to tell if it’s round or oval. If it’s round, then placing the tree in the center would be in keeping with traditional (Japanese) guidelines on placement (traditionally speaking, you would also expect a glazed pot for a deciduous tree). If it’s oval, you would expect the tree to be off center a bit. But then, guidelines are simply guidelines.

Attribution free. The three photos in this post are from Bonsai Do (Argentina). Unfortunately, none are attributed. This is very common, especially on facebook. I’m never sure why people don’t bother, though I sometimes wonder if their motives are less than pure. In this case Bonsai Do does go to the trouble to explain that the tree’s are not theirs, though the information is posted in a spot removed from the photos (Las fotos son recopilaciones de libros, revistas y sitios de Internet, pertenecientes a maestros, aficionados y coleccionistas del Arte del BONSAI (The photos are from collections of books, magazines and websites that belong to teachers, enthusiasts and collectors of the Art of the BONSAI).

 

All is forgiven if there are enough flowers (the rest of the year, a tree like this sits unnoticed on a back bench somewhere). There are few things more gorgeous than a Wisteria in full bloom. Let alone a Wisteria in a quality pot, in front of a gold screen and on a bright red rug (piece of satin?).

I have a soft spot for scenes like this. Especially when the feature tree is spectacular enough to easily stand on its own, and the slab works so well with the planting (check out the perfect color and texture match of the slab and the tree).

 

It wasn’t my intention when I posted the Penjing planting above to promote this book, but once the thought arose, I couldn’t resist. The good news is that this book by Zhao Qingquan is truly an excellent, beautiful work of art. The best book on Penjing I’ve ever seen (and no, the photo immediately above the book, is not from the book).

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