Restyling A Stubborn Old Tree

An old RAF Scot’s Pine after restyling by Bill Valavanis. The before photo is below. Radical measures This restyling took place at Bill Valavanis’ Open House last weekend. It provides an excellent lesson in dealing with an old tree with defects that require radical measures to correct. In Bill’s own words Here’s part of what Bill has to say about this restyling: “The first two branches are very heavy and needed to be lowered. Before lowering they were wired so they would not be disturbed after lowering. There are several different methods for lowering the heavy branches. I used a … Continue reading Restyling A Stubborn Old Tree

Bella Bonsai Arte

What great tree tree. It’s a black pine by Mauro Stemberger (all the trees in this post are Mauro’s) and it’s so full of unique character that I can’t say enough about how much I like it. So I’ll just shut up (except to say, that, it would be interesting to know the history of this tree… and speaking of pines, the 2nd printing of our classic pine book is now in stock). Another Italian Renaissance Mauro Stemberger is one of several talented and innovative young Italian bonsai artists. It helps to live in a culture where art and artists … Continue reading Bella Bonsai Arte

Bonsai Rebar & Other Wonders

Have you ever used rebar to shape a bonsai? Every time I see it done, I get inspired, but still haven’t tried it. Mario Komsta calls this photo ‘sylvestris fever,’ so I guess it must be a Scot’s pine. Mario Komsta All the photos in this post are from Mario Komsta’s photos on facebook. Some of them are unique and most are quite compelling. Here’s a few to whet your appetite. There are plenty more where these came from. Encore! We’ve featured Mario a couple time on Bonsai Bark and also in Bonsai Today magazine (issues 102 and 105, and … Continue reading Bonsai Rebar & Other Wonders

Bonsai With Rebar by David Benavente

Some serious sh-t stuff! Take a look at the before photo below to get a hit of what you can do with a piece of rebar, some nerve, and more than a little skill. All the photos in this post are of bonsai by David Benavente. Before rebar.

Colin Lewis Interview: “They’re All Important”

Faces of a transplanted bonsai artist. From Colin’s’ website. From bad weather to more bad weather Colin Lewis is a Englishman who somehow has ended up in the woods of Maine, where he raises bonsai, teaches, unpacks from his bonsai road show and drinks copious amounts of coffee in his pajamas. Most people who know Colin say that if you can get past his heavy foreign accent (joke!), you can learn a lot from him. Especially when it comes to the art of bonsai. An uncommon mix Among other things, Colin has a somewhat uncommon mix of talents. He can … Continue reading Colin Lewis Interview: “They’re All Important”