I caught up with Sara Rayner at the recent US National Bonsai Exhibition in Rochester, New York, where she nearly sold out on the exhibit’s first day. I quickly set aside a number of pots while there was still a good selection available and was happy I did – there was very little left by […]
Pots
Earthwares – the bonsai pots of Vicki Chamberlain
I met Vicki Chamberlain at last year’s Artisans Cup in Portland. We talked about all things bonsai for some time and then, just before heading off, Vicki mentioned that she made bonsai containers. I was curious. Green oval Over the following year, I started seeing Vicki’s work – Earthwares – online and at a few Northern California bonsai […]
Kawauso Pottery – the bonsai pots of Roy Minarai
One of the highlights of attending regional bonsai events is the opportunity to meet and get to know artists from around the world. Back in September, I was looking forward to meeting Roy Minarai of Kawauso Pottery at the US National Bonsai Exhibition. I’d seen photos of his work online and was curious to see his […]
Identifying slipcast bonsai pots
Whether you’ve realized it or not, you’ve likely seen slipcast bonsai pots. Slipcasting is a technique for creating ceramics that involves pouring liquid clay into plaster molds. Once the clay body has been formed, it can be glazed or left unglazed. Here’s a glazed example. Blue glazed pot What’s the giveaway? Although it is sometimes hard to […]
Pot selection for a dwarf wisteria
What’s all the fuss about selecting the right pot for bonsai? A pot that’s too big can make a powerful tree look small. A pot that’s too bright can be distracting. Pots can accentuate foliage or flowers, and they can clash with or complement other pots with which they are displayed. Maybe we’ve searched for […]