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Doing the opposite
Instead of compacting and downsizing, David Soto opens and unfolds cramped branches We are used to seeing how branches and trunks are bent to bring the green areas closer to the interior, compress them and reduce the length. Well, I am going to reduce the dimensions of this tree by…...
Nobody knew
This deep relationship between artist and juniper spans over 20 years The Nippon Bonsai Saku-futen is a special exhibition that allows professional bonsai artists to display their skill and personal style. At the judging this incredible juniper, which no-one really knew of, caught the eye. It was up against some…...
Worth working on?
There is almost no material that is completely useless David Soto: ‘My students, often try to mimic the work of great masters. It’s only natural, and if you don’t own one of those very high quality pieces of material that we are accustomed to see in different articles or during…...
Can it be opened ?
Untangling the dense foliage canopy of a sabina juniper Valentin Brose, former apprentice of Kunio Kobayashi, is a refined artist. The sabina juniper has such a dense canopy that all is hidden away from the eye. Valentin knows what is needed to open it up and show off its qualities…...
Lost and Found
Making the most of a bad pine Masayuki Fujikawa brings out the hidden character of a white pine (Pinus parviflora) Looking at the four photos below, there is nothing of note that one feels makes this a tree worth working on. The position of the apex goes both ways and…...
Don’t hide
The hollow trunk of a Satsuki is made to be a feature rather than hidden Takahiro Yamazaki (Yamazaki Satsuki-en, Nasushiobara City) works on a damaged, but characteristic azalea. The material, a Satsuki azalea that Takahiro Yamazaki will style, has a hollow section in the lower trunk and lots of damage…...
Is crataegus ideal for shohin?
Harumi Ishii (Ueharu-En) will guide you through the techniques of creating shohin from hawthorn Material 1: Japanese hawthorn (large tree) All the branches are focused in the top section of the tree and there are none at all further down the trunk. Initially it was thought to create this in…...
French curves
With almost two branches only, Mauro Stembergercreates one of his best pines Mauro Stemberger’s very full agenda allowed just a tiny opening to work on one of his favourite trees, so he teamed up with his best students to create another stunning bonsai. As Mauro explains: ‘This time I am…...
Wild from the garden
Garden material can be an interesting source for bonsai. It can also be very challenging because it was not really grown for the purpose. Bruno Wijman checks out a garden yew. The yew (Taxus baccata) to which Bruno is going to give a whole new style, originated from a private…...
Power lifting
Bonsai material so large it needs to be lifted by crane, yet that doesn’t mean it has no character. The deadwood and trunk have superb movement and the skeleton of the branch structure has had work put into it. Its height just about fits in the large bonsai category. Material…...
Italian heart
Creating a moyogi with a small pine Under guidance of Hiroki Miura (Miura Baijyu-en) Ayaka Yamamoto, lead singer of the Japanese girl band NMB48, works on creating a small black pine in the informal upright style. Although it is a thin tree, it has been cultivated in a pot for…...
His father’s voice
Isao Omachi’s creates the bonsai his father envisioned Solving the problem with a new styling on a Juniper by turning the tree upside down using and making the most of the twist in the trunk with root grafting. Isao Omachi’s most well-known tree has a long and deep history, starting…...
The wild one
Wild olive trees provides one of most ideal materials for bonsai Marcial Yuste Blasco, who runs a bonsai school in Spain, prefers to work on material from the wild. For Marcial, it possesses the characteristics needed to create fine bonsai and the olive has all the qualities that he favours…....
Just cut all the branches?
How to deal with upward-growing branches on a pine Impossible material with all its branches growing upwards becomes a fine bonsai. Toshio Ogawa notes the superb movement of the lower trunk and solves the problem of branches that are upward reaching. A red pine with no lower branches and an…...
Puzzling it out
Manuel Germade shows us how he solves the puzzle of this juniper. You can read and watch him working on the tree. This is all about making choices. Which branch is too long, too much, or not necessary for the final design? Manuel Germade clearly explains branch by branch whether…...
A perfect fit for kengai
Giacomo Pappalardo shows the many variations of the cascade style One of the most dramatic styles in bonsai is the kengai, or cascade. It has many variations and its style options are almost endless. Trees that cannot be made into any other style are a perfect fit for kengai. Junipers…...
Can this become a bonsai?
Garden material can be most interesting for bonsai. It can also be very challenging because it was not really grown for bonsai purposes. Bruno checks out a garden hinoki cypress to see if it can be made into a good-looking bonsai. This tree originated from a garden centre some time…...
On the edge
Creative genius, Ryan Neil, turns bonsai upside down You can give Ryan Neil almost any kind of material to work on and he will create something special from it. Here Ryan is confronted by an extremely chunky yew that appears to have only faults. Ryan’s creative eye soon sees possibilities…...
Spiralling veins
Jan Culek sketches options for Max Ludwig’s juniper The tree looks quite fresh and I would like to recommend working first with the essential things for junipers — the live veins and deadwood. The trunk needs first of all to develop stronger character by creating shari and establish the live…...