Committing a Crime in the name of Bonsai Art.

March 30, 2024March 30, 2024Bonsaiplace 2 Comments

I was confronted with this Mugo Pine and had no idea what to do with it. The two bar branches at the bottom is ugly and the two arms going up from there does not lean itself to any of the Bonsai styles that I know of.

After many days, weeks and months of staring at it from different angles, I one day was working on a small Japanese White Pine that is planted in a crescent shaped pot and a new idea came to me. To do this, many Bonsai “rules” must be broken and the tree put at risk due to a lot of material being removed. This is a calculated risk. More about that later. Here is the culprit in all its former glory.

The decision was made to remove the one thick branch on the one side and create a two inch long Jin out of it.

Then the other branch was stripped and Jinned as well.

This longer Jin is now wired up and bent in the shape of a crescent, the same as what a crescent shaped pot would look like.

Now the only branch that is left is shaped to represent an informal upright style Bonsai tree with a loop in what is now the trunk to get the height correct.

Aftercare and the future: the tree will now be placed in a sheltered spot and remain there for at least a year. Fertilisation, watering, checking on the wire and weeding is the most excitement this tree will see for a long time. When the time is right, the wire will be removed and the Jin will be further developed. That will just be some detail work, inclusive of using fine carving tools, torching it and lime sulphur treatment. The tree will also go into a Bonsai pot once the growth is strong.

I mentioned taking calculated risks earlier. It really comes down to mitigating the risks by thinking through each risk and finding a way to minimise the risk. These include not potting anytime soon which means no root work at this time, sealing all the wounds and keeping the tree out of wind and harsh sunlight. Extensive wiring took place and this is mitigated by placing guy wires in places to support the harder wiring as to take some of the load off. Guy wires are attached to the wire on the branches / Jin and not on the branches itself. Now, let’s pray.

The shorter Jin that will undergo further development.

Setting the future direction of a Bonsai Hinoki Cypress.

March 9, 2024Bonsaiplace Leave a comment

Always have Fun.

January 3, 2024January 3, 2024Bonsaiplace Leave a comment

The composition is 14cm high. The pot is by Fionna from @How I make Bonsai pots in New Zealand. The plant is a Cotoneaster and has already flowered. Flowers were removed as the focus is on development of the branch structure. It feels like a fun toy to play with.

Five minute styling of a Mugo Pine.

January 2, 2024January 1, 2024Bonsaiplace Leave a comment

Bonsai Perfection in Imperfection

June 17, 2023Bonsaiplace 1 Comment

A Bonsai friend recently commented on a social media post showing an AI-generated image of a Bonsai tree that it was too perfect and that it does not display the characteristics of true Bonsai identified through the concept of Wabi-sabi. This is not the first time that I am writing about Wabi-sabi, but in this blog I would like to dig a little bit deeper into the concept and then apply it to Bonsai. I would specifically like to explore the concept of Perfection in Imperfection, one of the meanings of Wabi-sabi.

Let’s recap quickly on what Wabi-sabi means. According to Wikipedia (Wikipedia link), the term refers to a world-view focused on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. It is at times described as appreciating beauty that is imperfect, impermanent and incomplete in nature. Further on it is quoted stating that “from an engineering or design point of view, wabi may be interpreted as the imperfect quality of any object, due to inevitable limitations in design and construction/manufacture especially with respect to unpredictable or changing usage conditions; in this instance, sabi could be interpreted as the aspect of imperfect reliability, or the limited mortality of any object, hence the phonological and etymological connection with the Japanese word sabi“.

This takes us to Bonsai as a living art form, one that is never finished, one that is constantly changing due to nature and the hand of humans impacting on its growth, design and health. It is not just the tree itself, but it can also incorporate the elements making up a traditional display, the pot, the soil cover, the stand, the accompanying plantings and then also the scroll or art work in the background. The paragraph above mentions the limitations in design as one example of impact. When it comes to Bonsai there are many others.

Not everything can be controlled when it comes to Bonsai cultivation. When a tree is harvested from nature, there will no doubt be imperfections caused by insect or mechanical damage, the direction of growth and the effect of wind, snow, animals, substrate and sun. This needs to be incorporated into the design and these features, if managed correctly, will become part of the tree’s aesthetic, its character and be part of the tree’s story. These imperfections add to its history, its aura and a kind of spiritual presence that cannot come from a “perfect” tree.

Another natural example illustrating this concept, is the changing nature of the art work. The colour changes due to seasonal changes, the appearance of flowers and fruit, and then these disappearing again. It is seen in deciduous trees through being cloaked in leaves during the warmer months and then being bare during the colder months. Development of bark (craggy, flaky), fissures, Jin, Shari and Uro are all examples of natural imperfections that adds to the aesthetic of the tree, showing the beauty through these imperfections, making it perfect.

The paragraph above mentioned things that can occur naturally and some of those and others can be done by human hand. The artist can purposefully create some imperfections in line with the characteristic of the tree to add beauty through these imperfections. Here we are thinking about jin, shari and uro, but then there is also the way in which the tree is displayed. Is the position in the pot off-set or in the middle, the style of the tree plays a leading part in this. Yes, we try to match the style of the tree with the pot, size, shape and colour, but is is very rare to get all of these elements to align perfectly. On top of that you will always have different opinions on shapes, size, colour of pots as well as the general flow of the tree in relation to the pot. We try to provide one picture, one whole, but on closer inspection, the “flaws” will be there. Are they flaws, no, they are imperfections, all adding up to the complete picture being perfect. And then the tree grows ……!

Update on Gardenia Bonsai

June 5, 2022June 5, 2022Bonsaiplace 3 Comments

On 28 February 2021, I posted a blog article named “Off the back of a truck”. https://bonsaiplace.net/2021/02/28/off-the-back-of-a-truck/

In that article I speculated about the specie of plant and my guess was correct as it is indeed a Gardenia. It flowered not too long ago, only one flower, but between that and the glassy leaves, the identification is now locked in.

The photos below are of the plant when I found it on the back of a truck on its way to be dumped as well as a photo when it was potted up on that day.

This is now just more than fifteen months later and the photo below shows the growth since the first planting and as mentioned, there was also a flower during the last summer.

The tree has been fertilised regularly, mainly with a liquid seaweed type of fertiliser, but other than that, mainly left alone with a regular watering regime. It is now time to do a bit of thinning of the branches, light wiring where necessary and inspection and a bit of work on the pruning cuts.

There are two things to consider now. The one is to change the angle as shown in the picture below and to even tilt it even more in the direction shown.

The second one is to remove the thinner, lower branch on the right. That might even be done sooner rather than later.

In summary. This is the start and where we are today.

Now it goes back to the bench and another year of watering, fertiliser and providing optimum growing conditions for this tree to thrive.

Please comment on this article to show your support and like it if that is what you think it deserves. Thank you for reading.

Texture in Bonsai

May 29, 2022Bonsaiplace 2 Comments

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines Texture as the visual or tactile surface characteristics and appearance of something. Bonsai is a very visual art form and therefore texture does play a vital part, not just in the individual parts of the Bonsai picture, but the whole picture as a whole. There are already so many things that play a role in the overall aesthetic display and look of a Bonsai tree, that to bring out one specific aspect, might be one step too far for some. However, we will break it down in the different parts and as you develop on your Bonsai journey, more of these features can be combined. Each individual aspect will make reference to its place as part of the larger whole.

Pots or containers

These come in various sizes, colours, shapes and also textures. There are some generalisations around like conifers do not necessarily go into glazed pots, but only unglazed pots, and then also that the pot colour should either match the flower colour or be of a contrasting colour. Let’s for the sake of this article, focus on texture. Needless to say is that a very refined tree, with a more feminine appearance and feel, will look odd in a rustic, unglazed pot. There is also a saying that the pot is like the frame of the picture and should enhance the visual appearance of the tree. It is therefore logical to say that smooth pots, usually glazed, is better off with trees which have smooth bark or a smooth leaf surface. A very rustic old Pine tree will probably look better in a more rustic container that could even have the texture of a rock or similar to the craggy old bark. The word generalisation has already been used here and it is common place to bend and break “rules” if the appearance of the whole visual picture will be enhanced in so doing. In short, as the pot or container is such an important part of the final look, it will pay to think about texture as well in selecting the best pot for the tree. It is definitely more than just size, colour, shape, depth, glaze, texture matters.

Bark

From a visual perspective, and especially when the bark is well-developed and stretches down to the soil surface, it is one of the most striking aspects of a tree from a textural perspective. Bark comes in many forms, shapes, colours, sizes and thickness. The same can be said for texture. The two main characteristics will be either smooth or rough with anything in-between. Then there is also the fact that some trees will form bark plates and others could have flaky bark. All of this is determined by the species and is a natural characteristic that is genetically determined. All the Bonsai artist can really do here is to ensure that the bark is protected or removed if it needs to be. The latter refers to some Junipers where the flaky bark is removed to show the rich contrasting reddish live veins off against the stark white of deadwood. Bark is a sign of age and therefore a very important aspect of increasing the aged look of the tree.

Jin, Shari and Uro

This goes hand in hand with Bark and influences textural aesthetics of the tree. This also can be used to enhance aging characteristics due to the textural differences between these features and the rest of the trunk, stems or bark.

Foliage

When it comes to leaves or needles, the usual visual impacts are those of shape, colour and size. There are textural aspects when it comes to foliage that are important when it comes to overall appearance of the art work. Things like, softness, hardness, smoothness and then also in a lot of broadleaves, like Rhododendron and some Magnolia, the two leaf surfaces showing completely different textures on the two leaf sides. We do find some leaves with a smooth top (adaxial side) and the underside (abaxial side), could be hairy. In Bonsai, it is rare to see the lower side of leaves, but if there is a unique difference in texture, it might pay to find ways to show it off. That is where creativity can trump practicality or “rules”. We all know about the spectacular autumn colour changes we see in some deciduous trees, but it is good to note that when the colour changes happen, there is at times also a textural change at the same time.

Other aspects

Flowers: The more striking aspects of flowers and fruit would be the colour, size and shape. It is worth noting that flowers have different textures, not just the whole flower, but also parts of the flower can be different.

Soil or surface cover: This refers to the upper layer of the soil that is visible in the pot or container. Texture here is important as well. The soil particles itself can form a visual pleasing aestehtic, but it is more common to cover this with something like moss. Just within different moss varieties a whole lot of different textures can be found.

Stands: Bonsai are usually displayed on a stand and traditionally these are made from wood. In modern displays it is not uncommon to see different materials being used. This could be steel, composites and even glass.

It all comes down to the aesthetic and the visual impact that will enhance the tree and texture is a force to be reckoned with when these decisions are made.

Bonsai Culture, Styles and Isms.

October 9, 2021Bonsaiplace 6 Comments

Let’s drop the cat in the middle of the pigeons by saying that most art forms have specific styles or movements that are easily recognisable through look, technique or application. This article is just one of many having a good go at describing different painting styles (https://indonesiadesign.com/story/major-art-painting-styles). These include styles like Realism, Impressionism, Expressionism and many others. The artist themselves can in a lot of cases be identified by just looking at their work. Bonsai does not have that and there the cat goes.

How does this relate to Bonsai? Most Bonsai artists will be able to explain the difference between Bonsai and Penjing (see Zhao Qingquan’s work) and then there is also the nuggets of wisdom wanting to explain Niwaki as an art form, and we will rather stay away from saying too much about Topiary (just joking). Then there is also Kenji Kobayashi describing Keshiki Bonsai and many other attempts at identifying styles.

A book of great value is that of Charles Ceronio, Bonsai styles of the world (2015) in which he describes the structural styles of Bonsai design. What I am getting to here is to see if we can identify styles like it is done with paintings as mentioned in the first paragraph. There are attempts made by some artists to add to this knowledge and an example of this could be Walter Pall talking about the Naturalistic style. Is that even a thing? Taking a hedge trimmer to a Bonsai and giving it a name is probably not the best of attempts to give a style a name.

Pierneef style recognisable as from Africa.

It is quite clear that there are many easily recognisable trees or even collections of trees that can be attributed to specific Bonsai artists. Goshin would be a good example of this. I can also think of some of Masahiko Kimura’s trees as easily identifiable. Is that true for many of the current big or trendy names that we currently have in Bonsai? Can you pick a Bjorholm, a Noelanders, a Neil, a Pall out of a line up of trees?

Then there is also a debate going around on specific regional styles. Is their a European style or an American style? What we do see is that artists use native trees from specific areas and do a wonderful job with those trees, but at the end of the day, these trees still relate back to the basic design styles of Bonsai and not necessarily an artist or a region or a philosophical style. The one exception will be that of Literati. Is that the only design style that can be linked to a time period or a movement?

Where to with this argument? Probably nowhere and does it really matter. We have the basic design styles in Bonsai and many derivatives from that, we have individual expression in each tree and if that is recognisable as the work from a specific artist, great. Do we need to link it to the “isms” that we find in other art forms? So far it has been restricted for Bonsai or maybe it is just case of it not being necessary for the Bonsai world. Or is it? Is this the missing bit for Bonsai to be recognised as a true art form? Maybe we can just enjoy Bonsai for what it is and not overcomplicate matters by trying to find its place in mainstream art forms. It could be that it is so far removed from other art forms that the vocabulary needed to describe it is very different. Maybe the vocabulary must still be worked out?

Whatever it is, it is art, a living art. It is an art form that humans use to express themselves within what nature provides to do so. It could be that it is too free to put in a box and put “ism” at the end of the name of the box.

Carving on Bonsai: Sculpture

August 8, 2021Bonsaiplace 2 Comments

A previous blog post addressed sculpture as an art form and how it relates to Bonsai (https://bonsaiplace.net/2021/03/28/bonsai-as-sculpture-an-art-form/). This blog post will take an more practical approach by making use of photos to describe the process.

Carving is usually done to create or enhance jin, uro (holes), shari (stripped bark) or getting rid of areas where large branches were removed. In this case a large branch, about one inch thickness, had to be removed and it was decided to leave a 15cm piece of it and sculpt a jin (deadwood) out of it.

I use a die grinder with a carving bit to remove material fast and to roughly shape the dead straight branch by making grooves in curves and alternating the depth of the grooves. Once this is done I burn the jin to get rid of wood fibres and then repeat the process with the trusted Dremel and a smaller carving bit.

As mentioned, burning the jin with a butane torch gets rid of the loose fibres, but it also helps to get rid of sharp edges and tool marks. After a heavy torching, the jin is brushed with a copper brush and then with a nylon brush. Sand paper can be used to smooth areas that needs it, but I find that the brushing works well on its own.

To preserve the newly carved jin, I wash the whole tree off and then let it dry and rest for a few days. Lime sulphur or a wood hardener can then be applied. For a darker finish, mix some ash (burnt paper) in water and paint on. Some of the grooves can also be painted by making use of black ink. All fluids should be diluted. Lime sulphur is usually diluted with water 50/50%.

Safety aspects:

Wear safety glasses during the carving phase.
Use gloves when using the power tools.
When using the torch, protect the rest of the tree from the flame by using aluminium foil or a wet cloth around foliage and nearby parts.

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Pohutukawa as Bonsai

August 7, 2021Bonsaiplace 4 Comments

In November 2015, the very early days of this blog site, I wrote about Metrosideros excelsa or Pohutukawa as Bonsai and included a few photos of these magnificent trees in nature. This tree is also known as the New Zealand Christmas tree. The link to that blog post is here.

https://bonsaiplace.net/2015/11/29/pohutukawa-as-bonsai/

For this blog post I will style a Pohutukawa as a Bonsai. As can be seen from the photos in the linked post, these trees very naturally present as multi trunks with great root structures and the very prominent aerial roots. it is this root structure and especially the aerial roots that make these trees ideal for root over rock designs. This tree will not be a full root over rock, but a rock will be placed next to it with roots growing over the rock.

This plant was grown from a cutting for a few years and these photos clearly show that these trees are basal dominant. It basically means that it will keep on growing new shoots from the base compared to tree which are apical dominant where the new growth is at the top of the tree.

Close up of the multiple shoots growing from the base as well as visible aerial roots.

As can be seen from the photos above, the first step is to search for roots and in this case roots in the soil and not the aerial roots. I find it better to remove the top edge of the plastic bag and sometimes remove the bag or pot completely. The presence and position of roots, especially radial roots will help to determine the orientation of the tree. In other words, the front of the tree and the first ideas of what the design could look like. In this case quite prominent roots were found and spread around the tree which means we can now look at the above ground structure as the placement of the roots allow us to look at multiple design options.

The next step is to remove all unwanted growth. To stay more or less true to the natural growth pattern Pohutukawa, the decision was made to design a multi trunk tree with three trunks. Really only two, but the thickest trunk has a fork which visually looks like two trunks. All three trunks have different diameters which makes it visibly more pleasing. All inward growing branches are removed and decisions are made about the three trunks. This includes things like direction, placement and length. As the three main trunks did not grow naturally in the directions needed and the centre trunk needed to be compacted, wire was applied.

A lot of branches and foliage were removed. some of these will be propagated as cuttings.

Wire was applied to bend the branches and also change the direction of the branches.

The final product with a rock added to add visual weight on the right hand side and also allow a backdrop or prop for some of the aerial roots to grow over.

It is important that Bonsai trees are three dimensional. The best way to check that is to view the tree from above. Visual depth adds to the aesthetics and overall view of the tree.

As for all trees, the aftercare is now of the utmost importance. As the pot is not that shallow, not many roots were removed, but the tree will still be kept in a protected spot, out of the wind and cold temperatures. Watering is now also important as well as sun exposure. Just damp, not wet and limited afternoon sun is what is now needed for the further development of this tree.

Bonsai – Good comes from bad.

June 5, 2021Bonsaiplace 3 Comments

One thing that is for certain when it comes to Bonsai as an art form is that it is never static due to horticultural and climatic influences. Then we have to throw pests, disease and the odd mishap into the equation as well. This little Thuja did meet up with a bug or two one night and the Thuja came of second best. Yes, whatever it was, ringbarked one of the branches and the first sign was that one branch changed colour. Obviously unhappy and on its way to Bonsai afterlife. What to do?

The damage and the discolouring of the affected branch.

Change direction and from an informal upright change character to start the next phase of its life as a wannabe literati tree. The on its way to death branch comes off and becomes a jin.

Next step is to wire the trunk to the top, give it a bit of a change of direction and reduce the foliage as with the potting comes a reduction in root mass.

The tree is healthy otherwise and with good aftercare will grow into its new life and again stand tall as a proud Bonsai somewhere in the future.

On its way! Twenty centimetres from the top of the pot.

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Lockdown Bonsai work.

February 28, 2021Bonsaiplace 2 Comments

We were supposed to have aBonsai Society meeting today, which would have been the first one in a long time. Last night at 9pm, a change in alert levels was announced which means that where we live, social distancing is in place and as the venue is quite small, not the best for safety in the current Covid climate. That was called off.

I had this tree that I wanted to work on at the meeting. Basically just a clean up job and then lots of wiring to set the foliage pads. It is a Pine tree and in the twin-trunk style. Here is the before photo.

And here is the tree after the pads were set.

Cleaning, Jin work, wiring and branches set. Pity some of the three-dimensionality disappears in these photos. Maybe I just need to get my photography sorted.

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Off the back of a truck.

February 28, 2021Bonsaiplace 4 Comments

I had to hide the introvert in my today when a small truck went past us and on the back there was a medium sized bush / tree clearly on its way to be dumped. The driver stopped and went into a shop while we waited outside. When the owner came out, I asked him if the tree is going to be dumped and when he confirmed that, I pulled out my Bonsaiplace business card and told him that I can create a Bonsai tree from the tree and he promptly agreed that I could have the tree.

Just a week ago we had a couple came to our private shop who had the idea that Bonsai are a specific type of tree and that you can grow them from Bonsai seed. I love these situations as it allows the educator in me to come out. This man (owner of the tree on the truck) said that it cannot become a Bonsai as it is not a Bonsai tree. Guess what? Out came the educator again.

Anyway, off we went with the tree in the back of the Bonsai mobile, speculating what type of tree it is. On arrival at home, I used a plant identifying app with no succes. In the process of cutting the branches off, I found a discoloured flower which looked very much like a withered Gardenia flower. I guess it is now wait and see and do more research to find its name. During this time it will have to be kept alive.

The tree and Snoopy, my Bonsai apprentice.

It does have some feeder roots and after I cut the branches, left it in a bucket of water to just chill a bit and hopefully get some sap flowing. As I do not like waste, I very cheekily took some of the roots with feeder roots intact and planted that up as well. These I will treat the same way as what I do with Maple root cuttings with which we have had great success.

All is now potted up, watered and in a sheltered position. Tonight I will start with the weekly tonic of seaweed extract to help stimulate more root growth.

The root cuttings with a thickish branch as cutting. That is me trying my luck. Let’s wait and see.

Below are three Maple root cuttings in development.

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Slanting Redwood Styling

February 8, 2021Bonsaiplace 2 Comments

This Redwood came to me just over a year ago and ended up on the bottom shelf as it was not a high priority to work on and a little bit ugly. Today was the day for this one to get attention and even if I have to say so myself, the ugly duckling is now well on its way to become a beautiful swan.

It has a very straight trunk and was chopped before it came to me. The taper is minimal, but can be enhanced with a bit of carving at the top. More interest can also be had by creating an interesting Jin out of the dead branch at the bottom. Most of the growth is at the top which normally lends itself to a Literati style tree, but in this case the trunk is nowhere near what one would like to see in a Literati style tree.

Lots of growth right at the top and spread radially around the trunk at this point.

Decision time and it is to slant the trunk and then for the branches to droop downwards at an angle following the trunk line. Normally with this style the branches on the open side, in this case to the right, are longer than those on the closed side, or left side in this case.

The growth is still relatively young with no real solid branches at the top, but it is important to spread the branches / leaves radially out to enable all green parts to receive maximum light.

This Redwood will now rest until Spring, be fed profusely in a sheltered spot.

Nursery material to starter Bonsai

February 6, 2021Bonsaiplace 1 Comment

What does Dolphins and Bonsai have in common?

One of the fastest way to get a Bonsai collection going is to find material at your local nursery to develop over time into a stunning Bonsai. Yes, it takes time, but still beats starting from seeds or cuttings. Although My private collection mainly consist of mature trees, I regularly still work on anything from cuttings to nursery material. The main reason for this is to generate stock for my wife’s fledgling Bonsai shop.

Yesterday I bought this Juniper from our local Bunnings (hardware store for those outside of Australia and New Zealand). As luck would have it, I just recently saw a mature Juniper on Instagram with a slanting main branch and a smaller branch following the contour of the main branch. Another coincidence is that I recently went on a Dolphin watching trip on Guardian, the boat used by Dolphin Seafaris in Tauranga, New Zealand. Where does this fit, you may ask. Well, there were a lot of baby Dolphins with their mothers, swimming in close proximity of the mother and mimicking what they do. It might also have to do with the fact that they suckle on mommy dolphin twenty times per hour! Need to be close for that.

The first task is to clean the tree up as selecting the front was a given with the shape I wanted it to have. The clean up consists of removing unnecessary branches, just one in this case, and then all the growth pointing to the bottom and on top of the branches. It also includes cleaning the crotches between the main branches and the lateral ones. It just makes it a lot easier to apply wire.

Then the wiring starts. The same gauge wire was used on both branches as the smaller one also needed to be twisted and bend around to follow the main branch line. You cannot just bend it over as the leaves will have their undersides on top then. It needs a twist as well.

The final product. The main slanting branch represents the mother Dolphin and the smaller one the baby Dolphin. There is my memory of the Dolphin watching trip now captured in a starter Bonsai. Now for it to rest, watered, fertilized and kept out of harsh climate conditions.

Watch this space to see the updates, further development and potting) and also follow us on Bonsaiplace on Facebook as well as Instagram.

Literati Juniper work

January 30, 2021Bonsaiplace 1 Comment

This Literati style Juniper came into my collection as a very neglected, half of the branches dead and under nourished tree.

Today it was time to get some wiring done through to the growth points. The previous and first wiring from me was just on the main branches to set them. As can be seen, the branches that were dead or with no hope of recovery were all jinned and these branches will be refined with sanding paper and lime sulphur later on.

The living branches, only three of them have responded nicely with new growth and these are kept in tact at this stage to get as much energy as possible to the green and new growth. This tree only received liquid fertiliser in the form of a marine plant / kelp conditioner with one dose of a granular feed, balanced NPK.

Here are some of the before photos

This type of work is quite light and I only used two thicknesses of aluminium wire and a wire cutter for this job. The coffee is not really optional, but I did have the mandatory glass of wine just before this job with a meal.

These are the after photos:

After photos. The job took about 30 minutes. It is light work.

This tree will now rest and carry on with its fortnightly application of liquid food. This is applied over the leaves as well as the soil.

Bonsai Buxus Video

July 6, 2020Bonsaiplace 1 Comment

Not sure why, but this video of my shohin Buxus is attracting a lot of views.

www.youtube.com/watch

Bonsai Art – What does Banksy have to say?

June 24, 2020June 24, 2020Bonsaiplace 1 Comment

“Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.”

The quote above is attributed to Banksy and it sits quite comfortably with me. How can this be applied to Bonsai as an Art? My own personal experience is that an hour’s work on a Bonsai tree is equal to the same amount of time meditating. One can therefore say that it comforts the disturbed and at the least calms the mind down.

It is quite interesting to watch people at a Bonsai exhibition. There is the initial excitement and almost “cannot believe my eyes” moments, but as they move through the exhibition, a calmness sets in, almost as if you are in a library. I have even seen people talking softly when in the presence of these miniature giants of the floral kingdom. Except for the cultural links, could that be why it is not uncommon to see a Bonsai tree or three near or part of a Zen garden or space?

Not so sure about the disturbing the comfortable part. Maybe that is the bit where you see non-Bonsai people just wanting to get into the art after they have seen Bonsai trees in real life. A real inquisitiveness sets in and it rocks their world. Or is this the bit that forms the basis of Bonsai activities leading to an addiction?

I must say that even seasoned Bonsai people do get disturbed when in the presence of an especially spectacular tree or composition. This disturbance is evident in the slightly angled heads, dead silence even with a few people around the tree and then followed by a lot of pointing and increase in volume as the tree is discussed. You can almost see how mental notes are being made and mental photos being taken to go and copy some of what they are seeing the moment they get home.

I am picking up six raw material trees this weekend and I can feel the excitement building up, a disturbance of my normally very calm inner self. Can’t wait to work on the trees. I do know that when I start the work, the deepest state of calmness will set in. The opposite of the excited, disturbed state is counteracted by the meditative state.

Maybe that is what is in Banksy’s quote, the yin and the yang, the stillness and the turbulence, the Bonsai tree and the Bonsai artist. It is one, it is the whole, it is the two sides of the same coin.

Share your thoughts on this in the comments.

Beginner’s Series: Make a start

April 13, 2020Bonsaiplace 3 Comments

You are now bitten by the bug and you are well on your way to addiction and now you want to design, bend, shape, cut, wire and do all the other things to expand your growing collection. Yes, there is a lot of art to it, but you can get far by following a few basic steps. I call it my Bonsai Beginner’s Curriculum and have done many workshops based on these basic seven steps. It works well on nursery material as well as field lifted trees which have been planted and allowed to rest for at least a year. Here we go with the seven steps.

Step 1: Find the front of the tree. This includes looking at the trunk flare / root zone (nebari). You want the widest and most interesting part to face the front. The second part to this step is to find the best front showing the flow or movement of the main trunk line. Hopefully the best nebari view and trunk line is the same side, if not, make a decision based on the best of the two elements.

Step 2: Clean the main trunk. This includes getting rid of all unwanted growth. It could be removing one or more branches reducing the bar branch effect. Also remove branches pointing to the front in especially the bottom third of the trunk and branches crossing the trunk. At this stage remove all growth in the crotches of the main trunk and primary branches.

Step 3: Set the main trunk. If you are lucky, the movement of the trunk will be great and you have nothing to do. This is rarely the case. Use wire to set the shape. There are other more advanced strategies and methods that can be used. If you are using guy wires, it is best to wire the branches first as the wires sometimes get in the way of further work.

Thick wire can be used to bend this trunk.

Step 4: Select the main branches. You have already looked at this during step 2. What you now need to do is to look at the positioning of branches. The historical pattern is to have one to the one side, then to the other side and then one growing backwards. Repeat as you move up the trunk line. Nature and practicality does not always give this to you on a platter and this is where the artistic side of Bonsai kicks in. Also make sure that you do not have branches growing from the inside curve of a bend.

Step 5: Clean the rest of the tree by removing all growth from the axils / crotches of all branches. Remove the rest of the unwanted growth and especially spindly growth. At this point it is important to note that once you remove all leaves / needles from coniferous plants, it is highly likely that the bare branch will die. Perfect for Jin (more advanced technique).

Step 6: Set the main branches. Use wire on the branch or guy wires. Wiring technique is also slightly more advanced and will follow in a future blog or video. Ensure that there is movement in the branches (left, right, up and down). This is an easy way to bring leaves / growth closer to the main trunk on spindly growth.

Step 7: Create the apex. The apex is the top of the tree and plays a major role in determining the flow of a tree. Older trees show a more rounded apex form and this is what you want to recreate by either pruning or wiring the branches into that position.

Crotches are clean and branches set by using guy wires.

By now you should have a design roughly resembling a pre-Bonsai tree. After-care is the next important step. My advice is to not pot the tree into a Bonsai pot at this stage. If you have removed a lot of growth, the tree will be stressed and the last thing it needs now is to have its roots interfered with. Rather just place it in a sheltered position with no harsh afternoon sun. Water regularly and fertilise the tree to encourage health and good growth. Potting can be done in Spring or for certain species, Autumn could be suitable as well.

Keep an eye out for further articles in the Beginner’s series. If you subscribe to this blog, you will not miss any of those.

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Guiding branches with Guy Wires

April 10, 2020April 15, 2020Bonsaiplace 1 Comment

I am not sure where the word Guy wire comes from, but a wild guess is that it is from the word Guide. It is defined as a wire or cable used to stabilise something, like a mast and seeing that dictionaries and Wikipedia will not relate this to Bonsai, here is my version of it: A Guy wire is used to pull branches down and is used instead of normal Bonsai wiring due to various reasons.

Not a good idea to place wire directly on old bark.

My common use for it is on plants with very soft bark and more often, on older trees when I want to preserve the bark and also in cases when I do not want to cover the bark with raffia or cloth. I usually only use it to pull branches down, but it can also be used to get some shape in a branch by using more than one guy wire, pulling in different directions.

As I use aluminium wire for this task and usually a thin wire, it is important to protect the branch and the bark at the pressure point on the branch. Aquarium tubing is perfect for this task. Short lengths are used and the wire is pulled through it and then it is placed in position. The other end is then securely fastened at an anchor point.

Using aquarium tubing to protect the bark.

An anchor point can be many things. If the tree is in a plastic pot, a hole through the rim of the pot is an easy way to do it. In a timber box, a screw can be used to anchor the wire. As in the example that I show here, the tree is in a ceramic Bonsai pot and a thicker wire is used around the pot through which the guy wire is then threaded and fastened securely.

Once the wire is fastened, I use a short length of wire through the two wires around a branch to wind the two wires together. This does not only has a neater appearance, it can be used to fine tune the positioning of a branch as the branch can be further pulled down by winding the wires up more.

This method definitely exerts less pressure and therefore less stress on the tree. As you use a thinner wire, it is less expensive. It is also easier to remove and once removed, the wire can still be used for other purposes, especially if it was not wound tightly.