Plan Ahead for Our Next Big Contest


Simon Carr styled this little gem from scratch (see below) for an artofbonsai.org contest way back in 2005. It later appeared in Bonsai Today issue 103 in an article entitled ‘Instant Bonsai’  (I’d like to see what it looks like now).

Bonsai from Scratch
It’s time to get start thinking about your entry in our upcoming Bonsai from Scratch Contest. We’re going to make it worth your while with a $250 Stone Lantern gift certificate for the winner and other gifts for outstanding entries.

Five easy steps to get you started

1. Find an untrained stock plant. Your choice of size, variety etc.

2. Photograph it from all four sides (and any other angels you want) before you do anything else.

3. Grab your tools and get to work. Take your time; the contest won’t close for months. This will give our snowbound northern friends a fair chance.

4. Take photos as you go. The more the merrier.

5. When you’ve got what you want, put it in a bonsai pot (if it isn’t already) and photograph it from all four sides (and any other angel you would like). Hint: an uncluttered background that shows the tree to its best advantage is a good idea.

Stay posted
We’ll be following up with more information, like: categories, judges, deadlines, and whatever else we think will enhance the contest. Meanwhile, it’s not too soon for you to start planning.


Before. The stock Simon started with. A good example of what we mean when we say untrained.

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Mistakes & Apologies All Around

Our first mistake (see below) has to do with those of you who have already ordered this book.

If you are not familiar with it, it’s our famous Pine book and it’s coming back in April (maybe May). We recommend it for anyone interested in growing pine bonsai.

If you are interested, you can pre-order now and you’ll receive two discounts: $5 (for pre-ordering and pre-paying) plus a 10% to 30% book sale discount.

First mistake (don’t read this unless you’ve already ordered our Pine book)

Yesterday we took our Pine book off our site because of our new book sale. We didn’t want to upset any of you that had pre-ordered it and had paid more than you would if you ordered now.

But we’ve had second thoughts, so we put it back up. Otherwise we’ll be inundated with people looking for it.

First solution (same as above: don’t read this unless….)

Because we made a big deal about pre-ordering the Pine book, we want to make good with those of you who already ordered it and aren’t getting the extra discount.

—Continue reading below the fold if you want to know the rest of our first solution, or if you are interested in overseas shipping rates.—

Continue reading Mistakes & Apologies All Around

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern
Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

A Virtual Bunjin Challenge Winner

John Geanangel’s final rendition. Not only did John make some fairly radical changes, including a brand new pot (actually a rock serving as a pot), but he did it on youtube.

Thank you
Thank you to the twenty four of you who entered our Bunjin Contest. It’s always refreshing to know that someone is paying attention, especially when you are motivated enough to do something about it.

A tough act to follow
John Geanangel’s was the sixth entry and as soon as I saw it I figured the party was most likely over (sure enough that’s what our panel of distinguished judges thought too). This is not to say there weren’t some good ones, cause there were. Some were excellent. Still, they were all written  (which is more or less what I asked for and expected), while the winner journeyed out of box and came up with something new.

Virtual bonsai skills
John created a video (below) that he put up on youtube. It’s comprised of step-by-step dynamic images that show how he got from there to here, along with clear spoken explanations of his thinking. I enjoyed John’s bonsai skills (virtual at least), his digital skills, and his explanations. My hunch is that you’ll enjoy them too.

watch?v=gKgVxc1M6Fw

Continue reading A Virtual Bunjin Challenge Winner

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

The Akio Kondo Bonsai Award


This awesomely stocky little Korean Hornbeam by Jonas Dupuich of Bonsai Tonight (photograph also by Jonas) recently won the Akio Kondo Bonsai Award at the Bay Island Bonsai Exhibit in Northern California (my apologies to Jonas for cropping his photo, but I wanted to show the tree as close up as possible).

Boon & Bay Island Bonsai
Boon Manakitivipart is one of North America’s most accomplished bonsai artists and the owner of Bonsai Boon (we’ve featured Boon’s trees several times on Bonsai Bark). He is also the driving force behind Bay Island Bonsai, which is one of North America’s paramount Bonsai Societies (maybe even the paramount bonsai society, though I could be asking for trouble). Boon is also teacher to several accomplished bonsai artists, including Jonas Dupuich.

Jonas Dupuich & Bonsai Tonight
Jonas Dupuich is Mr. Bonsai Tonight, which is one of my three or four favorite online bonsai destinations. In addition to being an ace photographer, Jonas is a bonsai artist in his own right, which brings us back to the Akio Kondo Bonsai Award and to the winning tree (above) that belongs to Jonas. For more on this tree, the award and a host of beautifully photographed high-quality bonsai, visit Bonsai Tonight.


You don’t see that many good slant style bonsai and this one qualifies in both respects: it’s good and it’s definitely slanting. Sierra juniper from Bay Island Bonsai’s 12th annual Exhibit. I don’t know who the artist is, but the photographer is (once again) Jonas Dupuich.

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Robert Critiques a Unique Trunk Line


Simulation by Robert Steven. The original, which was submitted by Ihwanuddin Lutfi is below.

Send us yours for a free critique
For a while we were getting regular submission, but now, the well seems to be a little drier. Don’t be shy. Robert can be very direct, but then, how many people have the expertise and confidence to be so direct?  And so helpful in viewing your bonsai in a new light? You can send your photos to me, or directly to Robert.


Ihwanuddin Lutfi’s original. Notice how Robert softened the background color in his simulation (above).

Robert’s critique

Pemphis acidula is an iconic bonsai in Indonesia. This bonsai is very simple, yet presents interesting material for a critique.

The focal point of this bonsai is the unique trunk line. The artist obviously realizes this, but the overall composition needs to be improved in order to emphasize the focal point in better unity and create an overall sense of harmony.

The three main design elements: the trunk, the foliage and the pot, seem to be separated. The main object (the tree) is biased by the over-size pot. This is made even worse by the dark color of the pot, which creates extra visual weight and dominates the tree.

The composition can be improved by:

-Developing a bigger crown, which overlaps the trunk, and covering a little bit of the “neck” in order to create unity.

-Using a smaller round pot with a lighter color that doesn’t overwhelm the tree.

-Letting some leaves grow on the small lower branch and in the back to create accentuation, fill the  wide-open space and to create depth.

-Carving the blunt cut of the jin at the top in order to create a more natural look.

The improved design in the simulation below shows a charming bonsai…however, yellow is not an ideal background color for bonsai.

General comments
There is more than one way to design any bonsai and my critiques and recommended solutions might not always fit your taste because of 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.

You can also visit my bonsai blog.

Continue reading Robert Critiques a Unique Trunk Line

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Imperfect, Yet Compelling

Imperfect, unfinished and unbalanced… yet, still compelling in its naturalness and with its luminous foliage, aged bark and deadwood (if you ignore the unfinished jin at the top). By Andrei Darusenkov.

Just a little luck
This larch is a little different from the one in our last post, which featured a near perfect little collected larch (the kind you could spend a lifetime looking for). This one shows a type tree that us ordinary collectors with our limited experience and just a little luck might find sometime.

Taking a few liberties and indulging in a little imagination
I don’t know what this tree looked like when Andrei collected it, but you might imagine that the trunk was quite tall, thus the unfinished jin on the top. You could easily surmise that the older grey jin and shari were there when he found it, as was the aged bark. He probably noticed that the strong second branch would make a good apex and that the smaller branch just below it would make a good first branch. Perhaps he was disappointed with the lack of trunk taper (though the little swell at the bottom helps), but then he probably realized that this is the way of most larches, and that he could correct it a bit with some carving to narrow the top and by lowering a couple branches to soften the lack of taper on the lower trunk.

Oriental hornbeam (Carpinus orientalis). Another compelling collected tree by Andrei Darusenkov. Andrei treats us to a progression from collected to what you see in this photo, on Internet Bonsai Club.

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Wouldn’t You Like to Find a Tree Like This?


Wouldn’t you like to find a tree like this when you are out collecting? This is a cropped version of Autumn, by Giacomo Pappalardo. From his facebook wall photos. I assume it is Giacomo’s, though I find no mention of it anywhere; just the photo.

A trunk with everything
This funky (in the good sense) trunk has everything: shape, massive girth, aged bark, a natural looking hollow (sabamiki) and a perfect touch of deadwood. Though you could make an argument for hiding some of the trunk’s heaviness near the top (the dark hole above the jin), I imagine Giacomo decided to show it because it expresses even more of the tree’s age and character.


The uncropped original.

Suspiciously like a larch
Giacomo doesn’t say, but this gloriously aged, powerful little tree looks suspiciously like a larch. What other conifer has fall color (yellow no less)? And larch bark? I wonder which larch it is? European (Larix decidua)? Giacomo lives in Spain. Or maybe Japanese (L. kaempferi)? I imagine some Japanese larch have found their way to Europe, though this one definitely looks like a yamadori (collected in nature), so it’s more likely local. Anyone out there know more about this tree? Anyone care?


Though it’s not just about larches (that’s a Northern white cedar on the cover), still, this is the ultimate larch book, by the Larch Master, Nick Lenz. Available at Stone Lantern (discounted, no less).

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Root on Rock Bonsai

Root-on-rock Juniper chinensis from Michele Andolfo’s Bonsai Studio.

Leaving it up to you
I need to get our next newsletter out, so there’s little time to say much about this bonsai; other than I like the tree, rock and pot, and the way the line of the rock and the tree flow into each other. Beyond that, maybe you could write your own comments.

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Contest: Unusual Pot, Unusual Tree & Free Shears!

Bunjin Black pine from an article entitled ‘The Use of Unusual Pots‘ in Bonsai Today issue 31. The article shows how you can make unconventional pots (like the one above) using ceramic tiles, wire & glue.

Bunjin
Bunjin (aka literati) bonsai are marked by delicacy, grace and for some, the feelings they evoke, with their long narrow trunks, spare branching and sparse foliage. Sometimes you’ll see trees that have some bunjin characteristics, but with perhaps a heavier than usual trunk, or thicker foliage. In this case, there’s no doubt it’s a bunjin; the trunk is long and narrow, their are only a handful of branches, and the foliage is very light.

Win a free pair of Koyo Satsuki bonsai shears
I’d like to know what you think this of this bunjin. What you like or don’t like about it. Or perhaps something about how you would improve it and why. Or why you would leave it just as it is. Or….? I have my opinions, but I’d be interested in hearing yours. So interested in fact, that I’d like to offer at least one of you a free pair of Koyo high-carbon-steel Satsuki bonsai shears (or comparable shears of your choice) for your answer.

Don’t post your answer in the comments…
…unless you want to be at a disadvantage. Send it to wayne@stonelantern.com, with Bunjin as the subject line.

Disclaimer
If you are unhappy in any way with how the contest is run, or the results, or anything else; just remember that it’s just for fun, I’m human, and, best of all, it’s free.

Good news!
Speaking of Japanese black pines, our famous pine book is going to be back in print soon. You can save $5.00 if you order and prepay now.

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern