Eccentric Bonsai: Too Strange, or Just Strange Enough?

Strange as this magnificent old tree is, it all works together to with a perfect blend of eccentricity and balance. But the nebari? That takes some getting use to. (This photo and the others in this post are from Peter Tea Bonsai.) A good place to start resurrecting Way back in 2009 and early 2010 we ran a series of posts that we called Eccentric Bonsai (here’s the last one). Maybe it’s time to resurrect the series. If so, this absolutely unique Trident maple seems like a good place to start. Borrowing from Peter… As you may have noticed, we’ve … Continue reading Eccentric Bonsai: Too Strange, or Just Strange Enough?

Kathy Shaner & Friends in Carolina

Ficus forest by Randy Clark. Bonsai Learning Center, Charlotte, North Carolina. It’s in Charlotte and it’s not really summer yet Bonsai Learning Center is hosting a Summer Time Picnic & Open House, May 20, 21 & 22. Aside of the fact the Randy Clark (BLC’s owner and resident bonsai artist) is a customer and a friend (if you can call someone you’ve never met face to face a friend), what really caught my attention was that Kathy Shaner will be doing two free demos and a workshop. Kathy Shaner Here’s what Bonsai Learning Center says about Kathy Shaner: “Starting her … Continue reading Kathy Shaner & Friends in Carolina

Three Monster Satsuki Bonsai

A prize winning Satsuki azalea from Bonsai -Matsuda Seishoen displaying it power, balance and tranquility. A rare and wonderful trunk The trunk on this Satsuki azalea (above) is near perfection; heavy and powerful with great texture, color and a well balanced yet completely natural looking nebari that adds stability with the way its fingers clutch the soil (okay, okay, getting a little carried away, but still…). Japanese style Some people say that Japanese bonsai are often overly stylized. If you are of that opinion, then you might think that the foliage pads on this tree are too neatly trimmed and … Continue reading Three Monster Satsuki Bonsai

New Leaves & Broken Conventions

Spring! Japanese maple by Morten Albek, author of Majesty in Miniature: Shohin Bonsai. Could it really be? Today we are experiencing our first real taste of spring here in northern Vermont, though we’re still a ways from leaves and flowers (unlike in Denmark, where this little maple lives, and where it never gets real cold). A sweet little tree I don’t know what the variety is, but it’s obvious that this very sweet little bonsai is a Japanese maple. Even though the tree is very small, the nebari is quite strong and lends a feeling of both age and stability. … Continue reading New Leaves & Broken Conventions

Photoshop Enchanced Fall Color – Not!

This remarkable Trident maple turned up on Bonsai Mania via facebook. It’s from the photo album of Alex Probst. A little update (1/7/2011) Now I know that this tree belongs to Walter Pall. I also know that it most likely was not photoshopped. My apologies to Walter. Enhancing color I realize that everyone’s monitor isn’t the same, but still, this looks like a case of photoshopping to enhance color, when color is the point of the photo. In this case it’s yellow that’s enhanced. You can tell by the yellowish trunk and the yellowish wooden slab that the pot rests … Continue reading Photoshop Enchanced Fall Color – Not!

In Search of the Perfect Nebari #8

Do you like this nebari, or is it a bit much? If you just look at the bottom photo, does the nebari seem to strong for the trunk? That’s the way it strikes me, but when I look at the whole tree, it works just fine. The image is a whole page from Bonsai Today issue 63. 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 … Continue reading In Search of the Perfect Nebari #8