Below is a photo of my Korean hornbeam after removing the leaves. Korean hornbeam Although I’ve shown the tree a number of times and it’s been in training for more than 10 years, I’d like to continue to make improvements. Before getting started, I’d love to hear what improvements you would suggest. Feel free to […]
Styling
Styling bonsai gives trees their charm. Read the posts below to learn about the artistic decisions we make when working on bonsai.
Different approaches to exposed root pine bonsai
After discussing exposed root pines for the last few posts, I thought I’d wrap up the series with a few photos showing some different approaches to the style. The tree below is 23 years old. About midway between the soil and the first branch, the trunk splits into several roots that have essentially fused together. This […]
The study of bonsai design
This month’s Bay Island Bonsai meeting focused on bonsai design. Members brought trees for critique and designed trees on paper. Both exercises focus on the criteria we use to design attractive bonsai and help to refine the stylistic sensibilities that inform the decisions we make when we work on our trees. The critique also provided […]
Finding meaningful forms
I remember one of the first times I flipped through Kindai Bonsai, the Japanese bonsai magazine. Not being able to read a word of Japanese, I studied the photos. What struck me was how similar the black pines looked. I’d grown up with an appreciation of pines and could see that they were different, but […]
2014 Joshua Roth New Talent Bonsai Competition
The Golden State Bonsai Federation’s 37th Convention was host to the 2014 Joshua Roth New Talent Bonsai Competition. The event has become one of the better venues for recognizing new bonsai talent in North America. From the ABS website: The Joshua Roth New Talent Bonsai Competition is an annual competition to recognize and promote new bonsai […]