Worlds Within Worlds 2: Black Pines
by Andy Rutledge | Photos by Boon Manakitivipart
Bonsai at its highest level is a fine art. But fine art begins with great craft. Westerners aspiring toward bonsai art excellence would do well to follow the craftsmanship found in excellent bonsai examples.
This presentation, the second in a series, showcases excellent bonsai from the very best artists in the world.
I sincerely hope you enjoy them.
Notice the powerful surface rootage and terrific bark texture. This is an example of the moyogi form.
This is a very old and mature specimen. The ropes are to keep the bonsai on the stand in the event of an earthquake.
Stout and robust exemplifies black pine bonsai. This specimen is in excellent health and of excellent quality.
This is an old pine, but it is not quite mature as a bonsai. In time the foliage will greatly increase in densiy and the tree will take on a more elegant quality.
An interesting collected pine. There is a very ancient and natural quality to this bonsai. In time, when the branches match the quality of the trunk it will present an even more impressive image.
The poweful roots, the ancient and heavy bark and the emerald green of the foliage. These qualities epitomize black pine bonsai. Even on this rather "regular" shaped tree, the quality stands out.
This pine makes for a powerful statement. The only lacking quality is in the bark. When the bark matures (over a long time) this could be a top specimen.
This pine recently won the Kokufu Prize. It is a wonderful example of pine bonsai and a living testament to the fine work of the late Kihachiro Kamiya and his students.
This powerful pine is very old and quite refined. Nonetheless, the artist is continuing to work on improving the bonsai. Notice the young shoots at the base. They are likely there as root development grafts.
This is a mature speciemen. Powerful but elegant. The maturity of the tree is evident in the profusion of branches and shoots coupled with the aged bark and excellent surface root structure.
This powerful pine looks quite old, but it is still early in bonsai development. The artist's craft has laid an excellent foundation. One day this will be quite an awesome bonsai.
This pine is rather plain, but it is still a fine speciemen. Notice how full the canopy is and the excellent health of the foliage. That alone makes this an outstanding bonsai.
This powerful and mildly dynamic pine is an example of the moyogi form. The trunk is quite old, but as a bonsai this tree is still in the early to mid stage of development.
This pine is a good example of the important traits of a good black pine bonsai; powerful trunk, aged bark, strong rootage, strong and dark green foliage. Notice how compact the growth is.