$100 Bonsai Art Photo Contest

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This photo was sent to us by a friend down under (I’ve lost his name, so if you happen to be him, or know him, please let me know just found him: it’s Richard Warner of New Zealand and the tree is a Southern birch) is an example of a bonsai related photo (this one might be a bit of a stretch, but close enough).

Bonsai (or at least tree) related photo contest
When this mystery photo came, it triggered the idea of a bonsai art photography contest. What we’re looking for are photos that include bonsai (or trees suggestive of bonsai) that are artistically presented. In other words, it’s the artistic quality of the photo that matters most. The quality of the bonsai or tree matters too, but just straight shots of beautiful bonsai won’t hack it.

The prizes
First prize is a $60 gift certificate to Stone Lantern. Second prize $30 gift certificate. Third prize $10 gift certificate.

Only one per person
One entry per person please and the photo you enter must be yours.

Other rules
See under rules in our $100 bonsai art contest.

Send your entries to wayne@stonelantern.com

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Larch Master Lenz

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One of Nick Lenz’ famous larches as it appears in Wikipedia.

A little Nick
Yesterday, we featured a couple of Candy Shirley’s bonsai that I believe had their start with Nick Lenz, so this seems like a good time to offer a little more Nick for your enjoyment.

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The same tree: different angle, different time. Photo is from Nick’s book, Bonsai from the Wild (now on special at Stone Lantern).

Continue reading Larch Master Lenz

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Perfect Just As It Is?

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A daring presentation from Candy Shirley’s bonsai collection. Here’s an example of a rather intriguing bonsai and pot relationship. Your eye (if it behaves like mine) goes straight to the pot. Its mass is at least equal to the tree, it’s at the same elevation as the tree, and it’s just so strong and unusual. Do you think that the tree is a bit overwhelmed? What about its pincher shape? Would you have done it differently or is the whole presentation perfect just as it is?

And another question while we are at it
Is it just me, or has Candy been influenced by Nick Lenz? This presentation does seem a little Lenzian, as does the larch below. If Candy has been influenced by Nick (or if either, or both, of the bonsai in this post originated with Nick Lenz), she could do a lot worse.

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I would bet my retirement fund (for what it’s worth) that this wonderful larch started in Nick Lenz‘ talented hands. If I am right, this takes nothing from Candy. She is responsible for its health and for maintaining its distinctive beauty. Not to mention that she had the eye and the wherewithal to recognize its character and value. My guess is that Nick’s trees couldn’t find a better place to land than in Candy’s collection. I hope that, over time, I am proven right.




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Flowering Bonsai #3

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I’m not sure what this is and I apologize for the somewhat blurry image. Beyond that, it’s another example of a flowering bonsai that is designed to show off its flowers rather than its bonsai chops. In fact, without its flowers, it’s quite conventional with its commercial spiral S shape and funky nebari. I got it from the April page on our 2010 bonsai calendar.

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Aha! A little better. This satsuki azalea holds its own as a bonsai, with or without flowers (though the power of the ‘with’ is hard to deny). I borrowed the image from Classic Bonsai of Japan, a one-of-a-kind standard that never goes out of date.

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More Flowering Bonsai

BT36 covertreeAn informal upright English hawthorn (Crataegus oxyacantha) from the cover of Bonsai Today issue 36 (only two copies available). When it comes to flowering trees, Japanese bonsai artists (and many others) often look at how the design of the tree shows off the flowers, rather than looking for how the tree conforms to classical bonsai styles. In other words, this tree, without it showy display of flowers is nothing special. With its flowers though, it lights up and becomes a thing of great beauty.

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This flowering azalea would stand as an excellent bonsai even without its flowers. With it showy display of white blossoms it becomes and even more excellent. From Bonsai Today issue 11 (only 3 copies available).

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River Critiques: We Have Two Winners!

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Way back on April 4th, we asked our readers to critique this planting (from Saikei and Art). Now, we have two winners. First place ($25 gift certificate to Stone Lantern): Donna Lynn. Second place ($15 gift certificate): Zack Clayton. (winners can contact wayne@stonelanten.com to find out how to get your prizes).

Why we picked these two

Lew’s charming planting is both compelling and flawed. For the contest, it’s the planting’s overly symmetrical nature that caught my attention (the two forests are almost exactly equal in mass; this contributes to a somewhat static rather than a more dynamic feel), so I decided to add extra weight to those that noticed and best expressed it. We do understand that one person’s flaw is an others perfection, but we decided to defer to a classical design perspective.

Continue reading River Critiques: We Have Two Winners!

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Flowering Bonsai

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This wildly colorful Satsuki Azalea is from a Flowering Bonsai Gallery in Bonsai Today issue 65. If you take a close look at the flowers, you’ll see that there are a number of different shades and patterns. Mother nature needed a little help from her friends to accomplish this kind of striking variation. For the best information on Satsuki Azaleas in print, check out Robert Callaham’s Satsuki Azaleas for Bonsai and Azalea Enthusiasts.

Speaking of Bonsai Today
We have finally decided to put up parts of our out-of-stock and now rare Bonsai Today collection of older long gone issues (except for the few we either saved or somehow got our hands on. So far three issues (5, 6 and 7) are up, with more to follow.

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America’s Oldest Bonsai Collection

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Two trees from one at The Larz Anderson Collection. I borrowed this image (and the others in this post) from Colin Lewis’ Bonsai Art website in the Larz Anderson section. Here’s what Colin (The Curator of the Collection) has to say about this photo: Known as “Mother and daughter,” these two trees were originally one, until a lower branch, with its own set of roots, became separated from the main trunk in 1969.

In Colin’s own words
“The Larz Anderson Collection at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University in Boston is the oldest collection of bonsai in the United States. Many of the trees have a documented history going back two centuries or more.

Continue reading America’s Oldest Bonsai Collection

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Prune or Wire? How About Both?

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This wavy image is from Bonsai Today issue 21. The instructions are geared for beginning bonsai enthusiasts.

Pruning
You can grow decent bonsai without wiring. However, I know of no bonsai that doesn’t require some pruning. If just pruning without wiring works to achieve a desirable effect, then just prune. Trunks and branches that grow without wiring tend to look more natural (as you might expect).

Wiring
Not all trunks and branches that grow on their own look good. In the top drawing above, the branches are too straight and uninteresting, so wiring is appropriate. Most bonsai artist use wire. Some use it a lot, some more sparingly.

Need wire? How about Pruning tools?

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