A Bonsai Artist on a Mission

This rugged beauty with its luminous fall foliage is a Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia). Like most of the photos shown here, it’s from Harry Harrington’s bonsai4me website It has been a while since we visited our friend Harry Harrington, a bonsai artist on a mission to style ten thousand bonsai in one lifetime (or so it seems). In addition to being one of the most prolific and visible bonsai artists we know (Harry’s timeline and his website provide ample evidence on both counts), Harry often specializes in bonsai that come from humble origins… Continued below… SPECIAL ENDS TONIGHT HIGH IMPACT PLASTIC BONSAI POTS 25% OFF LIST PRICES ENDS … Continue reading A Bonsai Artist on a Mission

Messages from Our National Bonsai Treasure

John Naka’s famous Pomegranate (Punica granatum) has been in training since 1963. It was donated to the North American Collection at the U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum by Alice Naka in 1990. There’s something about a quality bonsai displayed with a beautiful scroll. Our thanks to Alexander Voorhies for this and the other photos shown here. Our friends at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum invite you, as a fellow lover and supporter of bonsai, to sign up for Museum Messages today. Once you join the mailing list, we hope you will see and appreciate all the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum has … Continue reading Messages from Our National Bonsai Treasure

Mossy Bonsai Glade & Other Brilliant Forests

Here’s what Felix Laughlin, the president of the National Bonsai Foundation wrote about this outstanding forest… “Wayne, the photo of the forest of Chinese elms is from the North American Collection at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, and was donated by Susanne Barrymore; it’s been in training since 1988.” Two full pallets of Green T turntables just arrived, and a large shipment of Bonsai Aesthetics wire and tools is due any minute, so it’s time for a shortcut. This post originally appeared here February, 2017. As usual, I’ve made a few changes. Speaking of Bonsai Aesthetics Wire & Tools… OUR SITE WIDE SALE ENDS SOON SEE … Continue reading Mossy Bonsai Glade & Other Brilliant Forests

Bonsai Brilliance in Brooklyn

Cork bark Chinese elm in fall brilliance at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. You don’t see that many good Chinese elm bonsai. This photo and the others in this post are from the bonsai collection on the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens website. The positive response to yesterday’s post, got me looking for Wisteria bonsai in our archives, and finally to this post on some bonsai at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden from October, 2015 (the Wisteria is below). Enjoy! Bonsai Aesthetics Tool Special Ends Tomorrow Night 40% OFF OUR LIST PRICES see below – This large root-over-rock bonsai is a Trident maple; the most … Continue reading Bonsai Brilliance in Brooklyn

Korea Bonsai Artists Exhibition

In addition to the strong trunk and nebari, there’s so much dynamic and expansive movement with this tree. The fruit looks like what you might find on a Chinese quince (Pseudocydonia sinensis) and the tree could certainly pass, so quince is a safe guess. I don’t know who the artist or owner is This post is the first of a series on the recent Korea Bonsai Artists Exhibition. The photos were taken by Mu Jong Park and posted on facebook. The trees aren’t identified, nor are the artists or owners, so I’m already breaking my New Year’s resolution not to post unattributed bonsai. However, I think … Continue reading Korea Bonsai Artists Exhibition

Bonsai – Small – Medium – Large

Based on the brilliant little apples and what look like apple leaves, you might conclude that this is a crab apple. The whole tree is shown below All the photos shown here are from a post titled Small – Medium – Large on Morten Albek’s Shohin-Europe blog, though medium and especially large bonsai are pretty scarce. Here what Morten wrote about them… “The Danish Bonsai Society – and the local group mainly – did an exhibition over the past weekend. I visited and found some very nice displays. Autumn is a great time to display, especially Shohin that express the seasons … Continue reading Bonsai – Small – Medium – Large

Art Shots from a Famous Bonsai Museum

The bark on this tree speaks of age and combined with the low somewhat twisted shape of the trunks, creates a story of harsh conditions (most varieties of deciduous trees that grow in open easy conditions, tend to grow more upright). The photo was posted by Luis Vallejo. Based on the leaves, I’m guessing it’s a Chinese elm (but that’s just a guess… see below). All the photos shown here are from Luis Vallejo’s Museo De Bonsais Alcobendas. Some are what you might call art shots, with emphasis on features rather than the usual straight on full bodied front shots. Luis doesn’t identify the trees, so I’m … Continue reading Art Shots from a Famous Bonsai Museum

How Much Would You Pay for a Bonsai?

Would you pay 6,000 dollars (5,500 euros) for this bonsai? How does someone who wants to sell a bonsai arrive at a price and how does someone who wants to buy that bonsai decide if that price is fair? There really are no firm guidelines on valuing bonsai, at least that I know of. The best I can say is the value of a bonsai depends on what at least one person is willing to pay. Unless of course, you’re in the business of buying and selling bonsai. Then there are at least two values involved. The three trees shown … Continue reading How Much Would You Pay for a Bonsai?

Working Tirelessly to Promote Bonsai in North America & Beyond

A piece of a sinuous root Larch the belongs to Bill Valavanis. A photo of the whole tree is below. The other day Bill Valavanis generously sent us some photos for a project we’re working on for Stone Lantern. If you know Bill, you know this generosity is not out of character. Bill has been working tirelessly to promote bonsai in North America (and beyond) for a long time, all the while generously giving his energy, knowledge and encouragement to our community of bonsai artists and enthusiasts. Because of Bill’s generosity and dedication, we periodically encourage our readers (that’s you) … Continue reading Working Tirelessly to Promote Bonsai in North America & Beyond

Calligraphy & the Origins of Bonsai

Calligraphy anyone? I don’t know if calligraphy was on Mario Komsta’s mind when he styled this remarkable tree. I do know that there was a time when bonsai that looked like calligraphy was popular and that many scholars agree that bonsai was, in part at least, inspired by the calligraphy of the old Chinese masters. This is especially true of literati style bonsai (bunjin in Japanese). Headed out of town this morning, so we’ll make this quick and easy. This post originally appeared here on Bark in 2013. I started out to continue our Hornbeam series, but got distracted by … Continue reading Calligraphy & the Origins of Bonsai