At this year’s Gafu-ten, the top shohin exhibit in Japan, there were many examples of what we might call “conventional contemporary shohin displays.” The effect, when scanning the hall, was that a lot of the displays looked similar. In order to be competitive for awards, entrants can opt to follow, or contradict, a number of […]
Search Results for: pine
Special displays at the 50th Gafu-ten
I’ve noticed, in recent years, more and more special displays at Japanese bonsai exhibits. I think of a special display as any approach to bonsai display other than the standard arrangement of trees and accents within an approximately six foot space. At this year’s Gafu-ten – the 50th anniversary event – there were special displays […]
Refining a field-grown cork bark elm
A couple of years ago, I came across a great batch of cork bark elms at Lone Pine Gardens. It had been a while since I’d owned one, so I picked out my favorite and brought it home. Field-grown cork bark elm – December, 2022 I don’t typically do much work on trees until I […]
Shopping for pre-bonsai
The process of looking for pre-bonsai can differ from person to person depending on one’s interest in growing bonsai. You can select trees that give you an opportunity to work on skills you want to improve, or buy a tree with great potential that requires a significant amount time to develop. In either case, the […]
Viewing bonsai in the right light
One of the benefits of viewing bonsai in natural light is that the light changes throughout the day. When the light is direct, you might catch dramatic shadows that highlight select details. When the light is filtered or indirect, trees can take on a glow that can bring out the color of the foliage or […]