Say ‘art’ and most will think of painting or sculpture. There is a kind of sculpture, though, that takes as its raw material not stone or wood but a living tree. That is the art of bonsai.
continue reading "Introduction to the Living Art"

The craft of shaping miniature trees in a small pot first arose over a thousand years ago in China, where it was known as pun-sai.
continue reading "The History of a Living Art"

Over the centuries the artists of bonsai have developed hundreds of unique styles. But within this complexity there are a few that form the basis of most of the variations.
continue reading "Bonsai Styles"

The kengai (cascade) style is among the more beautiful and desired, but also more difficult to achieve. The trunk grows down below the level of the container, often twisting as it does so.
continue reading "Bonsai Cascade Styles"

Japanese bonsai artists have developed many intricate and detailed forms of bonsai, in which each element is positioned just so. This is evident in the shakan, or slanting, style.
continue reading "The Slanting Bonsai Style"

Beyond the basic styles of bonsai tree art, there are many wonderful variations. The individual aesthetic that each artist brings to the work allows for an infinite variety of forms.
continue reading "Unusual Bonsai Styles"

Beyond the basic styles of chokkan (formal upright), shakan (informal upright), kengai (cascade) and so forth there are several that don’t fit neatly into those categories.
continue reading "Advanced Bonsai Styles"

First, a little ultra-simple plant biology. Plants maintain themselves and grow by taking in and processing nutrients, just as animals do.
continue reading "Bonsai Soil Basics"

Beyond the need for good water retention and good drainage, soils have to supply all the nutrients trees can’t get from the air or produce internally using sunlight for energy.
continue reading "More Bonsai Soil Basics"

The Japanese have a word, ‘wa’, that roughly translates to ‘harmony’. It refers to relations between individuals, and man and nature. But it can also refer to the elements comprising a work of art.
continue reading "Bonsai Containers"