A Piece of Rebar, Some Nerve & More than a Little Skill

This before and after by David Benavente provides a look at what you can do with a piece of rebar, some nerve, and more than a little skill. I originally posted this in 2010 and can longer find David’s original, but if memory serves, the tree is a Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) Continuing with David Benavente (see yesterday’s post) and our before and after from the day before… The photos for this post are from a a 2010 Bark post. I’ve reworked them some, and the text is new. For more on David, you can visit his website and you can visit him … Continue reading A Piece of Rebar, Some Nerve & More than a Little Skill

Coming Soon! Another Great Bonsai Expo

Based on what we’ve seen and heard about their past shows, this one promises to be a real winner. I wish we could say see you there, but we’ve got other plans. Still, I hope you can make it. I’m sure you’ll be happy you did. Here’s your link to their website Our Enormously Popular Tie Pots Are Back! We just got a shipment of 81 Tie Pots Monday and 36 more yesterday, and already there are only about 40 left. We’ve got more coming in 3 or 4 weeks, but if you’d like some sooner, better order yours now… 18.00 each for 1 or … Continue reading Coming Soon! Another Great Bonsai Expo

A Few Shots from the Asheville Bonsai Expo

This muscular olive is from the recent Asheville Bonsai Expo. The photo and the others shown here are by Owen Reich. I cropped most of Owen’s originals, including this one (see below) for closer looks All the photos shown here were taken by Owen Reich at the recent Asheville Bonsai Expo. Owen doesn’t mention the varieties or the owners, but this is common with photos taken at shows, where distractions (mostly people) are everywhere and it’s hard to keep track. For more photos from the Expo you can visit Owen’s timeline. I’m busy today, so I’ll spare you my usual comments TIE POTS ARE BACK … Continue reading A Few Shots from the Asheville Bonsai Expo

Brilliant Bonsai in Full Fall Colors & Other Famous Trees

Always nice to lead with a little color. This cheerful full fall color Trident maple belonged to Suthin Sukosolvisit when we first showed it way back in 2009. I don’t know who the lucky owner is now Still trying to catch up from vacation so it’s archive time again. I used to have a 30 hour a week office person, but now it’s just me (with a little help from a friend), so keeping up, let alone catching up, requires more time, though new technology and other innovations help, but only to a point. The photo at the top of this post originally … Continue reading Brilliant Bonsai in Full Fall Colors & Other Famous Trees

One Sweet Little Tree While Waiting for More

Our first photo from the just completed 2018 European Bonsai Sans Show. The tree belongs to Carlos Beto. I couldn’t find the species or size, but it looks like a Sohin (small) Cotoneaster. In any case, it’s got all the right stuff; heavy trunk with good movement, a strong nebari, and attractive little berries with a pot to match (red pots are on rise!). The moss is good too, with enough variation in texture and color to create interest (this is an often overlooked feature… slapping some moss on or just using sand or gravel isn’t good enough for a top show). Some might … Continue reading One Sweet Little Tree While Waiting for More

Jaw Dropping Fall Bonsai Brilliance

Trident maple from the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum, North American Collection in Washington DC. Donated by Brussel Martin The early days of our blazing fall colors are here.* The full display is a couple weeks away, but there’s ample reds and yellows up the sides of our hills and mountains in Vermont. But even though our leaves are renowned, we’re not the only place with such good fortune. Pretty much everywhere there are distinct seasons have their own jaw dropping displays. All three photos in this post originally appeared here on Bark in October, 2010 OUR NEW TIE POTS ARE BACK 18.00 EACH … Continue reading Jaw Dropping Fall Bonsai Brilliance

Hand Held Bonsai & a Glass of Good Red Wine

The leaves are very large in relation to the size of the tree, but this often happens with small bonsai and seems to work. At least in this case and many others I’ve seen. No variety is given, but clearly this is a Japanese maple. I cropped this photo and most of the others shown here for a closer look I like good photos of hand held small bonsai. Mostly because it’s an aesthetically pleasing way to provide scale. A much better effect than a soft drink can (though Suthin’s glass of wine does the job without offending my sensibilities). I borrowed … Continue reading Hand Held Bonsai & a Glass of Good Red Wine

One Trunk Dead, the Other Alive & the Importance of Identification

Pine with parallel slanting trunks that start as a single tree and split at the base. One trunk dead, the other alive. It caught my attention because it’s a somewhat unusual slanting tree with the pot and the visual weight of the foliage balancing each other perfectly. This and the other photos shown here were posted by Scott Lee. The caption reads Back in the studio with Peter Tea and Bonsai Kazem #japaneseart Sticking with Scott Lee (see yesterday’s post) we’ve got three photos that he posted on facebook recently. Unfortunately, none are identified. I’m not sure why so many people put … Continue reading One Trunk Dead, the Other Alive & the Importance of Identification

Twisted – a Happy Accident

Here’s what Scott Lee wrote about this tree… “A sad day for me. I had my bonsai selected for the 1st Artisans Cup in Portland, Oregon. This year the weather has been unpredictable and challenging for my area. The tree’s health is not up to my standards nor Ryan’s…” Continued below the next photo… I just stumbled upon this unusual beauty in a post Scott Lee put up back in 2015. Purely a happy accident. The tree is a great example of an unconventional bonsai where little effort is made to make it naturalistic. Though there are plenty of twisted bonsai, especially yamadori from high elevations, I don’t … Continue reading Twisted – a Happy Accident

Deconstructing Nacho

Even though Nacho Marin doesn’t mention the species, the origin of the crazy pot or give any indication of the tree’s size, I couldn’t resist. Here’s Nacho’s caption… “El estudio de la dinamica y el movimiento en el proceso de la deconstruccion de la imagen siempre arroja resultados impactantes.” And here’s my translation… “The study of the dynamics and movement in the process of deconstructing the image, always yields impressive results” All the images in this post are from Nacho’s timeline It has been awhile since we visited Nacho Marin, someone who was an accomplished artist before he started with bonsai. This … Continue reading Deconstructing Nacho