Esprit Bonsai International – August 2019

(Nancy Kaufman) #1
42 - EspritBonsaiInternational # 101

Shohin:


Small Bonsais


The drama


of deadwood


Author: Morten Albek

Juniperus chinensis is a
type of raw bonsai material you often find
at bonsai nurseries and shops. Most of the
time, these imported trees display very little
variation and little interest regarding form
and movement. The challenge is finding the
soul of the tree and bringing it to the fore.
The main features of junipers, and what
has made them popular for shohin
bonsai, are the movement often created
with twisted branches, and the contrast
between deadwood and live vein.

Analysing the tree
This tree had been trained with the intention of
letting another artist make it truly shine. It bore
the traces of some good preparation, but also
had some flaws. The deadwood at the trunk
(shari) had been treated properly. The wood
was soft and partly rotting, so action had to be
taken to preserve it. This was done by brushing

Morten Albek analysing
the Juniperus chinensis
before work. He
will bring out the
species’s deadwood
and character.

The deadwood at the trunk (shari) is soft.

It needs to be worked on and preserved from further rotting.

Passing


through


different


hands
Often trees are pre-
developed at two or
more nurseries, before
they are handed over
to the final artist. And
maybe later someone
else will make the
tree evolve further.

The styling of this


little juniper involved


transforming a branch


into a jin, which has given


the tree character.

Free download pdf