Two recent Northern California bonsai events – the Bay Area Bonsai Associates annual show and the California Shohin Seminar – featured some great trees. Here are some of the highlights along with comments about the trees’ designs. Black pine (The apex, the trunk, and the key branch all flow to the right) California juniper(This tree […]
Shohin
Appreciating shohin displays at Gafu-ten
After reviewing the basics of how to assemble a shohin display last week (see “Award-winning display” for details), we can begin to spot differences in otherwise similar-looking displays and better understand what makes these displays “work.” At a glance, we can see all of the elements we looked at last week in the display below: […]
Award-winning shohin display at the 50th Gafu-ten
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 […]
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 […]
Developing shohin olives
In the last few years I’ve started working more with olive bonsai. Although they do best where the weather gets hot, they can grow well in mild climates too. As time goes by, I have less patience for species that don’t thrive where I live which makes olives a refreshing addition to the garden. Many […]