Short & Sweet

Here’s what Bob Bailey wrote when he posted this tiny but powerful pine by Koji Hiramatsu: “One of his finest and only 10cms tall.” And just in case you happen to live in one of the three countries* that haven’t adopted the metric system, that’s just under 4″ I’m not sure how we managed to overlook Koji Hiramatsu for so long (in February it will be eight years of approximately 300 posts per year), but we did. Until now. We’re still recovering from the December frenzy and it’s time to wade though digital piles of year end numbers and obligations, … Continue reading Short & Sweet

Ordinary Bonsai for Ordinary People

Kishu shimpaku juniper by John Brocklehurst. I like the fragile deadwood twigs and ordinary qualities of this tree, though it could use more refinement and the pot seems a little large, still most of us aspiring bonsai artists would love to see it on our bench. This may be our busiest weekend of the year. That’s my excuse for resurrecting another post from our archives. This one is from January 2013. It was titled, Small Is Still Beautiful. I chose the current title because the trees shown here, though very good, are not quite the jaw dropping world class bonsai … Continue reading Ordinary Bonsai for Ordinary People

Yamadori Pines from somewhere up near the tree line and far from the cushy life of domestically grown bonsai

A great tree with a long story of a rugged life spent on the side of cold snow burdened mountain. Somewhere up near the tree line and far from the cushy life of domestically grown bonsai Yesterday it was pines, so we’ll just keep going. Today it’s a pine mix from Amics Del Bonsai Corbera. None are identified. Nor are their owners… SITE WIDE SALE 20% TO 25% OFF EVERYTHING* Another tough yamadori (collected from the wild) pine. To my eye, this one and the one above are about as good as it gets. Neither is over-styled and both … Continue reading Yamadori Pines from somewhere up near the tree line and far from the cushy life of domestically grown bonsai

Bonsai Wizardry in Portland (again)

Looking up from below. This is a cropped version of a photo taken by Greg Brenden at the opening of American Bonsai Mirai exhibit at the Wieden & Kennedy gallery in Portland Oregon. Greg’s uncropped photo is below. Another Bonsai Mirai groundbreaking public event. Greg Brenden attended the opening of American Bonsai Mirai– Wieden & Kennedy gallery in Portland Oregon and posted these photos. I’ve done a little cropping to bring the trees a little closer. Greg’s original photos are below (plus one from Ryan Neil that gives a unique view of the exhibit). Greg Brenden’s uncropped original. I like … Continue reading Bonsai Wizardry in Portland (again)

Pine Boom again

This gnarly old Mugo pine belongs to Walter Pall. It’s no doubt a yamadori (bonsai collected from the wild). Perhaps from the Alps? Yesterday was Walter Pall. Today it’s pines, two of which belong to Walter. This post originally appeared here on Bark in September, 2012. As far as I know, there is no Pine Boom. I was trying to type Pine Book as a filler until a more suitable name for this post came to me. Then, a simple typo, and now it’s Pine Boom. Anyway, I’m trying to pull myself to together to catch a plane, so, quickly, … Continue reading Pine Boom again

Focus on Bonsai

I found this rather unique tree in the gallery section of the Bonsai Focus website. There’s no mention of the artist or the variety, though I’m sure you can find this information in the hard copy of their magazine. I can’t make out the foliage all that well, but I’ll guess that it’s a Yew (Taxus baccata?). Bonsai Focus magazine lives on the cutting edge (no pun intended) of contemporary bonsai and is among the most outstanding bonsai magazines anywhere. It’s a quick click to their website and a trip worth making. Once there, in addition to enjoying some very … Continue reading Focus on Bonsai

Mystery Bonsai with Looping Deadwood

Mystery pine with looping deadwood. Here’s a tree that anyone would like to have in their collection. Unfortunately, I don’t know who the lucky owner is. I found it on pinterest, which tends to be a maze of dead ends when it comes to pinning down the source. It looks like it could be a Ryan Neil tree (Bonsai Mirai), but no luck finding it there. Thanks to several people (see comments) I now know that Ryan Neil did style this tree. It was a demo for Bonsai Focus. We almost never do one tree posts, but circumstances insist that … Continue reading Mystery Bonsai with Looping Deadwood

Colin’s Moon Pot Bonsai

The first time we showed this splendid Shimpaku was back in 2010. Now time and Colin Lewis’ deft touch has wrought some positive changes. Here’s Colin’s caption for this latest iteration. His Majesty: Another last minute de-wiring before sleepy time…. I guess Majesty is Colin’s way of saying he likes this one. Or maybe there’s a fascinating story behind it… At least two things unite the three trees shown here; they all below to Colin Lewis and they are all in moon pots. All three are from Colin’s facebook photos. Colin also has a website with an extensive gallery. … Continue reading Colin’s Moon Pot Bonsai

Some Astoundingly Brilliant Bonsai, though…

Though this extraordinary bonsai is unidentified (and unattributed), still I’m confident that it’s a Japanese beech. I’m also confident that it makes its home in Japan. For a little perspective on just how massive this tree is, there’s that partial human torso on the right. The original shows the whole human, but I’ve taken the liberty to slice him up a bit in an attempt to limit distraction (the original is below). All the photos shown here were posted by Tae-Kukiwon-Bonsai (aka Eduardo Mourão Guedes) and even though they are unnamed and unattributed, I couldn’t resist. In case you are wondering, … Continue reading Some Astoundingly Brilliant Bonsai, though…

Powerful Pine Bonsai, Books & Wire

This has to be one of the most impressive bonsai pine forests anywhere. Actually, you can scratch the pine part and we’ll just leave it at one of the most impressive forests, period. Most of us would be more than delighted to have any one of these trees in our backyard, let alone the whole planting. Nice pot too. Looks a bit like an escarpment in the Rockies. This and the other photos in this post are courtesy of Robert Steven. We’ve shown all the photos featured here before, but they are so exceptional that there’s no harm in showing … Continue reading Powerful Pine Bonsai, Books & Wire