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jin plier
Regular fit
Alexsandre Escudero works on a tiny Itoigawa juniper An average juniper can be changed into something interesting, you just need to have a vision and opt for doing something different to make it less regular. The tree I will work with is very commonly seen as bonsai, a purpose-grown juniper…...
The branch doctor
Master Oota is the expert on grafting new branches on junipers From grafting branches to finishing a tree and his selection of famous needle junipers, these are trees that have been created by Nobuharu Oota over the years using natural material. Using his expert skills he creates a bonsai that…...
Between life and death
Carving juniper deadwood with Master Kunihiko Kanemitsu Kunihiko Kanemitsu, of the Okayama City Kanemitsu Bonsai Studio, presents a dramatic contrast between life and death within the confines of a pot. Natural raw material is almost non-existent now. Even field or container grown trees are harder to come by, like juniper,…...
Get rid of undesirable features
Masayuki Fujikawa transforms boring material into a semi cascade Masayuki Fujikawa: ‘The tree shown here is too big to be considered a chuhin, but the idea is not to make it a chuhin for the sake of showing off the skills required to do so, but to make the most…...
Don’t carve, but sculpt
Learn how to create natural deadwood with the methods of Andrés Bicocca The difficulty that a defect poses for some is, for me, an infinite possibility of creation. Many times it is used to cover some defect of the trees with branches or foliage; parts that have not been worked,…...
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…...
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…...
Let’s wire!
We all know that wiring is essential, so you had better learn to love it if you want great results. Let’s make wiring enjoyable! We will look at wiring with aluminium wire for the benefit of both advanced enthusiasts and beginners. Like any technique, it becomes easier with practice and…...
Prisoner of time
The development of a Buxus sempervirens According to Marco Giannini trees develop into bonsai via a careful balance of technique and time. Respect for the original habitat where the tree once lived will make it look natural and give it even more tranquillity. First, I am going to tell you…...
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…...
Hungry to learn
Salvatore Liporace reworks one of his finest bonsai. The first styling of this Juniperus chinensis ‘Sargenti’ has a long history which goes back 20 years when its top was 40 cm higher. Gradually it was pulled down with guy wires to create a more compact tree. The amazing spiralling trunk…...
Yew can do it
A simple yew can be made into a stunning small bonsai in just a few steps. Michael Tran of Minoru bonsai guides you step by step in how to create a bonsai from a yew. Yews are a very robust and a great species for bonsai. Their hard wood makes…...
The little gem
Reworking a small juniper Alexandre Escudero is crazy about shohin bonsai. At the nursery of his teacher Hiroyuki Tanibata, he found a little gem of a juniper. Let’s together find the beauty lost on this Juniperus itoigawa and discover step-by-step how to rework a shohin-sized tree. I bought this Juniperus…...
The knot of El Tim
Like smooth machinery, El Tim (The Team, consisting of Leo, Alberto and Luis) work on amazing material and produce stunning bonsai. Initially, the Scots pine specially donated by Michael Tran’s Minoru bonsai, looks like a bunch of tangled branches. Teamwork on a Pinus sylvestris El Tim Alberto tends to serve…...
Another vision
Chiharu Imai looks back on some of his remarkable works Chiharu Imai is a well-known bonsai Master in the west, famed for his sensitivity and excellence of technique. Here he looks back on some of his best work with junipers The strength and power of the lower trunk is the…...
Just one option
Ken Fujiwara dares to take the risk Here’s a very strange, fantastic-looking white pine, where the lower branches have died and the top has been allowed to grow wild. There are few enthusiasts who would be interested in this material if they saw it at a bonsai garden. It has…...
Boring bonsai
BECAUSE BONSAI ARE RELATIVELY SMALL THEY GET VISUALLY BORING VERY QUICKLY Bjorn: ‘This means that you have to have an eye for detail to avoid this happening. A slight adjustment can make a huge difference in the overall appearance of the tree. Follow the dramatic change of this mugo pine which I…...
Instant reward with Blaauw juniper
It’s almost needless to say that junipers are the most popular material for bonsai. They can withstand lots of work done in a short period of time…