The inimitable Walter Pall with one of his many powerful Japanese maples. Walter is one of the four instructors for Bonsai Empire's Deciduous Bonsai Course 

If you had a chance to take a bonsai course with Walter Pall in the comfort of your own home or workshop, and at your own speed, would you take it? I know I would. In fact, I am (read on)

What about a course with Mauro Stemberger? Same deal, your own home etc. A no brainer for sure. The same goes for Harry Harrington? I certainly wouldn't pass up a chance to study with Harry

You probably have figured out by now that it's one course featuring all three of these impressive bonsai artists and teachers... well, actually there are four of them when you include the bonus section on Rock planting with Jan Culek
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Mauro Stemberger of Italian Bonsai Dream has long been a favorite here on Bonsai Bark. When you take the course you'll know why

And if you're on a budget like so many of us, the price is right. If you can imagine traveling to take courses with each of these accomplished teachers compared to this single course, your savings are enormous (by the way, I do not get a cut... I do this for the love of bonsai and my respect for these accomplished teachers and for Oscar at Bonsai Empire and his rich schedule of courses... and for you too!) 

Here's a taste of what you can expect... The teachers explain the stages of developing Deciduous Bonsai, with a series of case-studies and technique lectures. If you go to the course, you can watch the free previews. If you are anything like me, the previews are all the encouragement you'll need to go ahead and enroll
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If you've been following Harry Harrington, the third instructor, you know what unique talent he possesses. Especially with deciduous bonsai, one of his specialties

After enrolling in the course, you will always have unlimited online access to all the lectures and to the learning materials, on any computer, tablet or mobile device you own. It is a completely self-paced online course. 

What about pre-requirements? This course continues where the "Intermediate Bonsai Course" ended; we assume you have a solid understanding of Bonsai techniques and are ready for a deep-dive in Deciduous Bonsai development
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Jan Culek, the bonus instructor with one of his rock plantings

The rest is up to you. All you have to do is sign up and you're on your way to upping your Bonsai skills and knowledge while enjoying yourself and your bonsai at your own pace

Here's Gabriel Romero Aguade's caption with this magnificent pine (no species is given)... "The first restyling in Jun-1991 with Noboru Kaneko sensei.
 30 years later everything is ready for the Crespi Cup."

I peruse photographs of quality bonsai all the time. Many are exceptional and every now and then I come across a tree like this. Power, elegance and natural beauty... I can imagine it part way up a mountain below the tree line standing alone. Maybe 35 feet tall, so strong that it seems to vibrate with energy
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Yamadori, just dug. October,1989


With companion 

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Noting the difference between tree's humble beginnings (above) and where it stands now, here's something David Polehm, Bonsái Soto wrote about this tree in the comments...  "This bonsai is the perfect example that a simple tree can become exceptional with years of work well done. It's not about working it year by year, it's about getting it right, like you've done Gabriel Romero Aguade. Any tree, being an appropriate species, of course, can become a great bonsai. Obviously, the better material, the faster results are obtained, yes, with well-done work. Congratulations, Gabi, La Pina is amazing and every year, better.'

Here's Edoardo Rossi's caption with this photo... "This is a picture of how this Mugo looks today, I think it's much improved. Master Kobayashi is always a great one. Just wait and the trees become beautiful, then if you also put in a little commitment, well, so much better." I cropped the original (just below) for a closer look at the tree). The same goes for all three trees shown here

I often get a little excited when I discover a new (new to me) bonsai artist. Today it's Edoardo Rossi who generously shares his gift for bonsai online. Often with a poetic description or comment. It's nice touch, even if we have to rely on machine translation (I tried to help the machine with just a little lite editing) 

Eduardo's original shot 

Here's what Eduardo wrote about this one... "Branching density, reduction of needles size, important themes in the search for the maturity of a bonsai. Then everything has its size: very small needles and very dense hair are not always ideal. This tree lives in its lightness that must be general. :-) it's nice to feel the wind passing through its branches...... :-)"

The original photo

"What is real beauty? Hard to understand, but above all to explain. Maybe, what we can do is go to the essence of things, remove everything that distracts us and enjoy reality. The Japanese define this as 'mono no' awareness, for me it's the simple beauty of nature."

Our Masters Series Pine Book
Because all three trees today are Pines

This Common Juniper (Juniperus communis var depressa) makes its home at the  U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum's North American pavilion. It was donated to the Museum by Jack Douthitt.
I picked it out of a large selection of impressive bonsai at the Museum for a couple reasons. First, it's not a shape or style you see everyday and second, I don't think I've ever seen a Depressa variety Common juniper. It's a ground hugging variety that apparently grows here in Vermont (I'll keep my eyes open) and ranges throughout the colder regions of the Northern hemisphere (including Greenland)  

If you've never visited the U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum I recommend you put it on your calendar right away. And if you need more incentive than phenomenal bonsai in a beautiful setting, then we've got some stimulating special events for you...  

Bask in the Beauty of Bonsai. Multiple dates, including October 3rd at the U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Drawing Bonsai with Artist Tina Thieme Brown. September 14th at the U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Yoga amongst the Bonsai. September 28th at the U.S. National Bonsai & Penjing Museum

Here's another distinctive Juniper you can enjoy when you visit the North American pavilion. It's a Prostrate juniper (Juniperus horizentalis var Prostrate) that was donated by Kaz and Kiyo Yoneda

Sierra Juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) at the Pacific Bonsai Museum. This remarkable old yamadori has been in training as a bonsai since 1991. The original artist was Masaharu Imazumi. I cropped the museum's photo (below) for a close look at the tree's fine details

The place to be... Every time I visit the Pacific Bonsai Museum (twice in person and repeatedly online) there's something new, imaginative, exciting, and highly creative going on. I don't know who dreams their events up (I suspect any number of people are involved), but my hat is off

What caught my attention this time is the Museum's upcoming Branch Out gathering coming up September 15th (see below). If it wasn't 2,962 miles away I'd see you there
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Here's what you have to look forward to the evening of September 15th... Sip craft cocktails, wine & beer. Savor bites from local restaurants. Enjoy live entertainment. Come together for a short “Raise Your Paddle” program to benefit Pacific Bonsai Museum. Visit their website for details

Just in case you're not familiar with the Museum, here's something I lifted from their story on facebook...
"We connect people to nature through the living art of bonsai. Pacific Bonsai Museum is an open-air museum of living art set within a tranquil, forested area in Federal Way, Washington. We are one of only a handful of public museums in the world solely dedicated to bonsai. Opened in 1989 originally as a Weyerhaeuser Company collection that transitioned in 2013 to a non-profit organization, the Museum presents and interprets innovative exhibits showcasing bonsai from our diverse collection. We draw more than 38,000 visitors each year from the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan region, from across the U.S., and from 48+ countries around the world."

Pine shadows. Japanese White Pine (Pinus parvifolia) / Original artist: Yasuo Mitsuya 

This shot is from the Museum's 'Natives' exhibit, a mixed media extravaganza from 2017

It has been a long time since we've featured a viewing stone here on Bonsai Bark. This one is from Stone Images IX in 2018, where the Museum featured 28 stones collected from Washington, California, New Mexico, and Alaska by members of the Puget Sound Bonsai Association’s Viewing Stone Study Group

No description with this photo, but it looks like a yamadori Live oak (yamadori is a bonsai that was originally collected from the wild)

The original photo of the Sierra juniper at the top of this post

 The Pacific Bonsai Museum's lovely book 'Natives.' Available at Stone Lantern

You can win this spectacular California Juniper. This photo and the closeups below are courtesy of Bonsai Mirai

We are delighted to help promote this opportunity for you to win a very special, very spectacular ancient bonsai, and support a worthy cause in the process. Be sure to sign up immediately!

The following is from the California Bonsai Society... 
"Within any art form, there are pioneers and leaders who dedicate their lives to expanding, sharing, and elevating the knowledge of that art. Among the great North American bonsai pioneers, Ben Oki is a figure that stands out as an ambassador.
 
"Ben’s contributions to bonsai continue to live on: his dedication to sharing education and fostering the next generation of practitioners was unrivaled. Now, his legacy grows even more significant with the creation of the Ben Oki Scholarship Fund through the California Bonsai Society."
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Before. Super healthy and ready for Ryan. You can see the tree's true character peeking out on the right. Photo courtesy of the California Bonsai Society 

We know from experience that people like to see the before and after together. so here it is (we had to crop both the originals to fit the format)

 Quote from the California Bonsai Society continued from above...
"For the last two years, California Bonsai Society provided bonsai enthusiasts the opportunity to apply for The Ben Oki Scholarship Fund.  This program gives out five $200 scholarships annually for enthusiasts to use for their bonsai education and develop new skills. We are now partnering with Ryan Neil and Bonsai Mirai to really make this scholarship even more meaningful. We will be auctioning a Ben Oki collected, Ryan Neil styled, ancient California Juniper to raise funds to not only keep the scholarship going but to make it bigger and better. Follow the link below to register for the auction or to make a donation. Every little bit helps even if you can't bid on the tree. Please share this on your social media platforms to help us further the art of bonsai. 



"The auction will begin at 7:30pm PDT, September 3, 2019, coinciding with the airing of a video tribute to Ben Oki on Mirai Live at 6pm PDT.  Please help us carry Ben’s legacy forward as we pay tribute to a bonsai personality that elevated North American bonsai, and perpetuate Ben’s goal of spreading this art form and helping people to engage with it.
 
"Where to bid:
Auction/Donation link (Please register to be a bidder): https://www.charityauctionstoday.com/auctions/ben-oki-scholarship-fund-8816
 
"Options to watch the video:
Mirai Live Link (Please register for a free 7-day Trial): https://live.bonsaimirai.com/
Mirai Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/BonsaiMirai/
Mirai YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/BonsaiMirai/videos"

Time to jump in. You just might win and on the remote possibility that you don't, you've done a good thing for a worthy cause.  

NEW Steel Bonsai Brush by Bonsai Aesthetics
NEW Jin Pick by Bonsai Aesthetics
NEW Loop Blade Jin Carving Tool by Bonsai Aesthetics
NEW Brass Bonsai Brush by Bonsai Aesthetics
NEW Hand Made Moss Brush by Bonsai Aesthetics

NEW Liquid Seaweed

The following items have been up for just a few months
so we'll call them Almost New

NEW Green T Mini Shohin Bonsai Work Table Model S
NEW Green T Mini Shohin Bonsai Work Table Model V

NEW Green Balance Slow Release Bonsai Fertilizer 5-7-4
NEW Green Growth Slow Release Bonsai Fertilizer 12-4-5

Before and after Pfitzeriana Chinese juniper (Juniperus chinensis ‘Pfitzeriana’) by Harry Harrington. Height (including jin) 18”/45cm, overall width 21”/53cm

Our last post featured a before and after Hornbeam by Harry Harrington. It came out fine on our blog, but on facebook, where many of your pick up on our posts, the photo only showed a portion of the crown.
No trunk, no pot, just leaves (fb crops as they please, if please is the right word for a machine driven process)

Anyway, I wanted to try again with another before and after that I think will work better on fb. So here it is, another excellent B&A by Harry Harrington

By the way and just for the fun of it, we included a bonus tree by Harry that I think you'll like (see below)

Here's Harry's caption for this photo... "The tree yesterday after work was completed, on a very hot summer’s evening in my garden."

After, a closer look

Your bonus tree with Harry's caption... "An update on the Olea sylvestris/wild Olive that I defoliated and styled during a demo at the Middlesex Bonsai Society Show 6 weeks ago. Now coming back into leaf and popping plenty of new buds.
Height 12"/30cm (total height), 7"/18cm-9"/22cm trunk base."

I cropped the original for a closer look 

There's a lot more where these came from on Harry's fb timeline 

Here's Harry Harrington's caption for this tree... "Before and After images of the Carpinus betulus/European Hornbeam bonsai... The Before image was taken in 2011 after I had pruned and wired the branches; the trunkline had been formed by then and the basis of the branch structure put in place. Height 27"/66cm with a 8"/20cm trunk base. Pot by Victor Harris of Erin Pottery."

Harry Harrington is up to his old tricks; taking trees with humble beginnings and creating quality bonsai. And doing it without losing that natural touch that gives his bonsai their authentic feel

Harry's original photo with his logo. His caption reads...  "An updated image of my Carpinus betulus/European Hornbeam bonsai. The tree was subject to partial defoliation, wiring and a re-build of the apex in July, for a forthcoming video lecture from Bonsai Empire. It’s responded with a new flush of much smaller leaves and I’m happy with it :)"

Harry is one of the most prolific bonsai artists we know. For a glimpse into what he's up to, you can visit him on fb or on his Bonsai4me website

 I cropped Harry's original for a closer look. You can't really get a feel for the size of this tree until you realize that the base of the trunk is 8" (20cm)

Harry's Bonsai Insprations 2 

Bjorn Bjorholm introducing a monster Juniper that's part of his Advanced Bonsai 2 course 

I've been spending a couple hours a day for the past few days digging into Bjorn Bjorholm's Advance Bonsai Course 2 and I'm stoked. Bjorn's bonsai wizardry and deep knowledge combined with his relaxed and easy to follow personal style makes for a delightful way to deepen your bonsai understanding. And, thanks to those ingenious little pause and rewind buttons, you can do it at your own pace

If you haven't taken any of Bonsai Empire's online video courses, you might want to backtrack. If you're a newbie, I'd suggest going all the way back to the beginning courses (you might want to anyway, even if you're not a newbie). Or you could skip ahead to your own level or to what interests you. The choice is yours. All you have to do is visit Bonsai Empire, the host for these remarkable videos

We won't try to review the all courses here, nor will we even try to review all of Bjorn's Advanced 2 course. I'm learning new and valuable techniques from Bjorn and his masterful explanations of the reasoning behind the techniques, so I want to take my time and really dig in. Maybe when we're finished reviewing this section, we'll work our way through the other sections (see below) and then if I just can't stop , we'll work our way back through the other courses
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A good place to start... It's a yamadori One seed juniper (Juniperus monosperma). The first subject in Bjorn's Advanced 2 course

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In the first section of the Advanced 2 tutorial (the list of all 16 is below), the emphasis is on finding and exposing live veins, creating shari and building the primary trunk-line and branches
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 The all important live veins after cleaning and some carving

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You may have never seen, let alone laid hands on, such a powerfully massive tree. If you're anything like me, your first question might be, how do I even begin to know where to start? Fortunately, Bjorn knows, and even better, he knows how to communicate and illustrate the answer in a way that might even evoke an 'aha, I can do that.' Or, if it doesn't come to you immediately, you can always rewind (my approach)

Bjorn wiring. By this point a lot of ground has been covered. Enough to make sense of how to proceed with such a challenging tree

One hour and nine minutes later (in video time - real time would be a whole lot longer). A lot of ground has been covered and we're just beginning (the whole course is almost six hours) with some of best bonsai instruction I've ever been fortunate enough to witness. I can't wait for more!

This review is the first in what might develop into a long series. Not that you need more encouragement, but just in case you do...

 List of Sections in Bjorn's Advance 2 Bonsai course (approximately 5.6 hours)

1. Welcome
Conifer Case Studies
2. Yamadori Juniper Creation 
3. Pad Creation
4. Branch Splitting
5. Yamadori Pine Creation
6. Approach Grafting Folllow-up
7. Heavy Bending Follow-up
Broadleaf Case Studies
8. Nebari Creation
9. Deadwood Creation
Techniques
10. Advanced Fertilization
Display
11. Introduction
12. The Basics
13. Ogata
14. Chuuhin
15.Shohin
Conclusion
16. Conclusion
17. Certificate

Stay posted!