Roundup of American bonsai potters

I thought I’d wrap up this set of posts about American bonsai potters with a look at several artists. First up is Jim Gremel.

Jim is a well-known potter and bonsai professional. I’ve been using his pots for years and am a big fan as they’re well-built and easy to use.

Round glazed pot – Jim Gremel

Jim makes pots in many different sizes and styles. Most of my current selection consists of nanban-style unglazed pots.

Large nanban – Jim Gremel

Jim Gremel signature

Unglazed nanban – Jim Gremel

Unglazed nanban – Jim Gremel

His smaller work includes great pots for accents.

Accent pot – Jim Gremel

Accent pot – Jim Gremel

Jim’s pots and trees are available at his nursery and at Northern California and regional bonsai events like the National Bonsai Exhibition. To get a better sense of the scope of Jim’s work, check out the pots (and trees!) at his site, Deer Meadow Bonsai.

Next up is Jim Barrett.

Accent pots – Jim Barrett

Accent pots – Jim Barrett

As seen from below

Barrett too is known for both bonsai and containers. I’ve found a few lately in a variety of shapes and sizes, including two large, shallow containers.

Large oval – Jim Barrett

Large oval – Jim Barrett

As seen from below

Jim Barrett signature and chop

Dick Ryerson has been making bonsai pots for the past ten years. He is best known for his round, glazed pots.

Glazed round – Dick Ryerson

No two of Ryerson’s pots are the same in that each is stamped with a unique ID.

Blue round – Dick Ryerson

Dick Ryerson chop and pot ID

Yellow round – Dick Ryerson

Ryerson has a great website that offers a good look at the different styles, shapes and colors with which he works – visit it here.

The final pots for today aren’t among the most common American pots you’ll find. Below is a pot from bonsai collector Larry Ragle. Larry has made a small number of pots for years and only recently began selling a few. The blue glaze and recessed feet appealed to me.

Larry Ragle

Ragle pot seen from below

Pauline Muth’s work includes a large selection of accent pots. Here’s one I picked up at the recent GSBF Convention.

Accent pot – Pauline Muth

Years ago, Gary Wood brought a few accent containers to the west coast. I was quick to pick one up. Here it is with a vase made by Wood.

Vase and accent pot by Gary Wood

Last up is a pot by Max Braverman. Kora Dalager ordered the pot from Max and has been its sole owner until recently. It’s a beautiful round glazed pot. I can’t wait to find a good tree for it!

Max Braverman

Braverman signature

I hope you enjoyed the brief tour of American Bonsai Potters. Am planning similar posts for Japanese potters down the road.

As I am not as familiar with European potters, I’ve included a collection of videos put together by Tony Tickle. See them in his recent post, All the Bonsai Potters Showcase.