Monday is a new day
We are going to change our sale on Monday, so don’t wait if you like this one.
Next one
Our next sale will be 25% off tools, magazines and kenzans (flower pins). We’ll continue the extra 10% off for orders over $100.
A Simple & Instructive Little Quiz
Which branches would you remove?
I’ll look for your answers in the comments below. BTW: this quiz originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 21. But don’t go running to look it up before you answer!
Thinking Inside the Box
This radically tilted Prunus mume (Flowering Japanese apricot) is by Chiharu Imai. It’s from Bonsai Today issue 56.
After. Mr. Imai saw something when he put it in the box, and this is it.
Before the big tilt and some well executed artistry that included removing the strange second trunk that runs up to the first branch.
Bonsai Segment on CBS Sunday Morning
This Sunday, April 18th, 2010
We just received this email from Johann Klodzen, Executive Director, National Bonsai Foundation
“As many of you know, Rita Braver, a correspondent for the CBS News Sunday Morning program, has been working on a segment for that show on bonsai and the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum and the bonsai collection of Felix Laughlin, President of the National Bonsai Foundation.
We have just learned from Rita that this piece is on the schedule for the upcoming broadcast of that program on Sunday – April 18.
Please check your local television listing for the exact time of the broadcast in your area. In the event of a breaking news story there is the possibility that the show will not be aired as planned. In that case we will let you know when it will be rescheduled. We will also have a link to the segment on the NBF website Home Page after the segment is broadcast.
The contact with Sunday Morning was arranged by Janice Kaplan, a public relations consultant, who is part of the Marketing Alliance for the U. S. National Arboretum, a project that is jointly funded by Barbara Hall Marshall, the National Bonsai Foundation, Friends of the National Arboretum and Sharcon Management and Development Company.”
Still Speaking of François Jeker
Okay. More François. After all, he’s coming to the U.S., so why not? And, he just sent us these images and I like them and thought you might like them too. For more check out our previous posts, here and here.
A message from Mr. Jeker
Bonjour, Ci-joint le résultat du dernier stage sur la maturation des arbres. Il s’agit pour la plupart d’arbres qui avaient été travaillés lors de mes stages ces deux dernières années et qui ont fait l’objet d’un nouveautravail de maturation sur deux jours : interventions sur le nebari, la silhouette, la ramification et le bois mort.
Amitiés, François
Free translation.com’s somewhat butchered job
Hello, Herewith the result of the last training on the maturation of the trees. It is a matter for most of trees that had been worked at the time of my trainings these two last years and that were the object of a maturation nouveautravail on two days: interventions on the nebari, the outline, the ramification and dead wood. Friendships, François
Bonsai Aesthetics
Check out François’ excellent book, Bonsai Aesthetics, now on special at Stone Lantern.
2nd Chance: Win a Free Gift Certificate
A River in India, by Lew Buller. From his book, Saikei and Art: Minature Landscapes. Now on special at Stone Lantern.
Win a $25.00 (or $15.00) gift certificate
Send us a written critique of the planting above and you just might win. Even if you don’t, you can share your observations with our readers. Note: Do not put your entry in comments below. Instead email yours to wayne@stonelantern.com; after we have received them all we will post them for judging. For more info, check out our original post.
A Lost Treasure #5: Land of Paradise
Land of Paradise, our forth in a series of plantings from Toshio Kawamoto’s Saikei classic. The trees are seven 5 to 7-year-old rock cotoneasters (4″ – 7″ tall) and seven somewhat shorter 3-year-old satsuki azaleas. Though you can’t really tell in the photo, the pot (Tokoname) is very large (48″ x 16″ – 122cm x 41cm).
Side view diagram.
Speaking of François Jeker
It’s a little fuzzy (enlarged a tad too much), but you can still see the time consuming detail in François Jeker’s carving. It’s especially noteworthy because the tree is a yew (taxus), a genus known for the hardness of its wood. From the cover of Bonsai Today issue 103.
Continued
This post is a continuation of the day before yesterday’s post about François appearing at Rosade Bonsai Studio on May 15th.
Borrowed from François‘ website. I’m not sure what it is, but I know I like the pot, the tree and the creative presentation.
Also from François’ website.
A Wild & Wonderful Larch
Inspiration for your bonsai. This photo is from Bonsaimania. It’s on facebook in a gallery called “Inspirations to your Bonsai: (translated from Spanish). If anyone has any clues, I’d like to know where this photo was taken.
Bonsaimania gallery (in English)
Here’s what Bonsaimania has to say about their gallery in English: “These trees are real and they can be found in nature. They are on this album because they are models that should inspire us to create our bonsai. If you want to propose a tree in nature that will inspire us, send me a message through my Facebook profile: http://www.facebook.com/suiseki”
Y en Espanol
“Estos árboles son de verdad y se encuentran en la naturaleza. Están en este álbum porque son modelos que deberían inspirarnos para crear nuestros bonsáis.Si quieres proponer algún árbol en la naturaleza que nos sirva de inspiración, envíame un mensaje a través de mi perfil en Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/suiseki”
Speaking of Larch
Larch Master Nick Lenz’s Bonsai from the Wild has an extensive section on collecting and growing larch. Nick know larches like know one knows larch. Check it out, it’s on special.
Here’s another one from the same gallery. Buttonwood?
François Jeker Coming to Rosade Bonsai Studio
This soulful tree is exceptionally clean, fluid and well balanced; especially considering how far to the right it is leaning. I lifted it from François’ website. It looks like a very small needled pine, maybe a dwarf Scot’s of some kind, though I can’t really tell.
Dead-on deadwood artist
François Jeker does some of the most outrageous deadwood carving anywhere. If you don’t believe me, check this out. Or go to his site. Or buy his excellent book (en Espanol tambien). Or best of all, go see him at Rosade Bonsai Studio on May 15th.
These illustrations by François give you some glimpse into the depth his understanding of deadwood (and of his talent as an illustrator). They originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 103 and were featured last year in one of our Jin & Shari posts.