Fifth Entry $100 Bonsai Art Contest

marsentryAcer palmatum (Japanese maple) by Mars Healey of the Greater Hartford Bonsai Society.

Keep ’em coming
We still need at least two more to make our minimum (I had to reject two that were just photos of trees).  So ga’head and send us yours. Really!

Contest details here

Pirates
At least one blog has been pirating our posts, lock stock and barrel; but without our links and without any attribution to bonsai bark, or Stone Lantern. If you are reading this on any website or blog that is not ours, and is not attributed to us, then it has been pirated. Please visit us at bonsaibark.com. Thank you.

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Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

Fourth Entry $100 Bonsai Art Contest

Viljakentry

Bristlecone teapot, by Mike Viljak. Here’s what Mike has to say about it:  “Attached is a photo of a bristlecone-inspired teapot I made out of porcelain. The outside is glazed in raw wood ash, but fired in a gas kiln. The base is made of local clay I collected. When doing both ceramic art and bonsai, the two tend to inform each other in lots of ways.”

There’s still time for you to enter
But don’t wait too long. Entries are coming in at a brisk pace, so we’ll probably close the contest pretty soon (my best guess is about a week). Here are the details on how to enter. Most people are writing short statements about their entries. You might want to do it too.

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Roy Nagatoshi Grafts Shimpaku Branches and Foliage onto a California Juniper

nagatoshi16

Shimpaku foliage grafted onto a California juniper by Roy Nagatoshi. All of the photos in this post are by Dale Berman. They originally appeared in Bonsai Today issue 108 in an article by Marcus Juniel.

Shimpaku foliage on California junipers
California juniper foliage is heavy and somewhat coarse (I think it looks fine on native stock, but Shimpaku foliage is beautiful and looks even better) and many bonsai artist opt to graft on Shimpaku foliage.

leftApproach graft. The Shimpaku (scion) still has it roots in soil when it is joined with the stock. Once the graft has taken, it is cut off from its roots in a place and way that best hides the graft so that no (or almost no) traces of the procedure show. How this is done is a big part of the skill involved in grafting bonsai. This sketch and the one below are also from Bonsai Today issue 108.

Continue reading Roy Nagatoshi Grafts Shimpaku Branches and Foliage onto a California Juniper

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Third Entry $100 Bonsai Art Contest

Le

Jimmy Le sent this entry in. He didn’t say anything about the medium or really anything at all, except “Here’s my entry Wayne.” If there’s anything else you’d like to say Jimmy, please don’t hesitate. Update: Jimmy just sent this (3/10/10): “I didn’t realize i needed to email a description as well, but this sketch was done while I was sitting in class, I was inspired to draw this because of a Hollywood Juniper i saw at Bonsai West in Littleton Massachusetts.”

Our $100.00 Bonsai Art Contest
Back in mid-February we started yet another contest. This one has generous prizes; generous enough to maybe motivate you to enter (see below). Check out the details here and give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose.

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

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Second Entry $100 Bonsai Art Contest

Ken T.

Here’s Ken To’s entry. And here’s what Ken has to say about it: “Here is my entry for the art contest.  This is a wire bonsai sculpture made entirely from 24 gauge wire.  It’s planted in a high quality Japanese mame bonsai pot.  I made this as a surprise present for my wife on Valentine’s day.  Just in time for the contest! “

Our $100.00 Bonsai Art Contest
Back in mid-February we started yet another contest. This one has generous prizes; generous enough to maybe motivate you to enter (see below). Check out the details here and give it a try. You’ve got nothing to lose.

Why is this the second entry?
Because the first one is Frank Kelly’s drawing that we used to kick off the contest.

We’ve got more
We’ve already received several more entries that we will feature over the next few days. We’ll wrap it up when we get our quota (at least ten, maybe a few more depending how fast and furious they are coming in); so don’t wait!

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

Deeply Discounted Bonsai & Japanese Garden Products at Stone Lantern

$25 Contest: Identify This Tree

contesttree

Identify this tree and win
Be the first to tell us what kind of tree this is, and who the artist is, and we will give you a $25.00 gift certificate to Stone Lantern. You can post your answers in the comments below.

We haven’t forgotten our other contest
Though we haven’t done anything about it yet (I’m still traveling), we have received several entries to our $100 Bonsai Art Contest. We’ll start posting entries when we get back next week. Meanwhile, don’t be shy; send us your entry.

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

A Moveable Feast European Style

rmaryBT85euro

Old Rosemary plants abound in Europe, so you’d expect to see some pretty good old Rosemary bonsai, and this semi-cacade certainly qualifies. It doesn’t hurt that it’s in a very cool pot. This photo is from Bonsai Today issue 85. Unfortunately, I don’t have the artist’s name with me (I’m traveling) so I can’t attribute. Anyone out there know?

Still on the road (thus the movable part of the title)
I’m still traveling so thought I’d just pluck this European gallery out of one of the folders I have on my desktop for just such occasions. Unfortunately, I can’t attribute because I don’t have access to the artist’s names. Maybe you can help.

junichineneuro

This twisty Shimpaku forest reminds me of Point Lobos (from the last time I was on the road). Like the one above, and the ones below, it’s from Bonsai Today issue 85.

Continue reading A Moveable Feast European Style

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Snow!

snowBT56Look familiar? The photo is from the editorial page, Bonsai Today issue 56. The snow is courtesy of Mother Nature.

When the whole world (well, almost) turned white
Someone told me that 49 of the 50 US states had snow this winter. In northern Vermont, we don’t think much of it. But we don’t leave our bonsai out in the snow like in this photo. At least not in the dead of winter when it’s way too cold for that. The photo above is from Japan. In much of Japan you can leave your hardy trees out most, or all, of the winter, provided they are protected from harsh winds.

On the road again
You might have notice that the number of posts has diminished a little the last few days. I’m traveling right now, so finding the time and space to post is a bit tricky. We’ll be back up to full speed next week. Meanwhile, enjoy the snow while it lasts.

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