Creating deadwood using a blowtorch!
The Yew tree had been stripped and the wood dry for over two years, I was surprised how hard it was to actually ‘burn’ the wood and smooth out the rough breaks etc. I protected the foliage with a wet...
View ArticleBending the whole trunk of a Yamadori Yew
This Yew Tree has been in development for many years, this was the point that I needed to bring the foliage closer to the trunk. It was a nail biting experience, but the tree survived and thrived. I...
View ArticleSome of the oldest undiscovered Ancient Yew trees In the UK
Last summer I found some of the oldest unrecorded Yew trees In the UK. I have check on the registers and they are not listed. These Yew Trees must be very old indeed they grow high on the cliff face...
View ArticleCutting the Big Yew to create two trees, including sandblasting
There was always going to be a time when I had to cut the BIG yew into two as the roots were contained in two separate pots. Each pot fed its own foliage, enabling ‘splitting’ the tree. Using an...
View ArticleDisguising large cuts on a Prunus Spinosa Video
Whilst on my European Tour this year I stayed for a few days with Enrico Savini and the Progetto Futuro Bonsai School in Bologna, Italy. It was great fun working with the guys in the sunshine and doing...
View ArticleCreate the smallest Bonsai possible with the material you have
In the dark depths of my memory I remember a phrase spoken by another artist during a lecture/demo… “Create the smallest Bonsai possible with the material you have” … and lets face it BONSAI are...
View ArticleFirst Potting of the BIG Yew into a training pot + Video
Three years is a long time to find out if your collected tree has made enough root in the right place to enable you to pot the tree into a training pot. I had reached the stage where the BIG yew was...
View ArticleAmong the Ancient Yews of Borrowdale
Earlier this month I made a pilgrimage to Borrowdale in the Lake District, a beautiful area and home to some of the most amazing trees in the UK. I went in search of some amazing ancient Yew trees,...
View ArticlePlease choose your favorite ‘Front’ for this Yew
This is a Chuhin Yamadori yew that I collected 10 years ago, I have slowly worked the tree down from a large double trunk to this little tree. Prior to making the photos I was undecided as to which...
View ArticleThe BIG Deadwood Yew
Earlier this week I took a friend from Italy Andrea Meriggioli to some of my special places where the most amazing trees grow. He was surprised that these incredible trees were in the UK. Especially...
View ArticleRepotting the Excalibur Yew
The stone and the tree were collected together; I had no option as the tree grew through the stone. I carried the tree for just under a mile down the mountain to my vehicle… it is very heavy and I...
View ArticleWorking the Calligraphers deadwood
Final preparations for The Noelanders Trophy, cleaning, drying and refining small elements
View ArticleTechnique explained – Sandblasting a Yamadori Yew Bonsai
I sandblasted my first deadwood way back in 1992 and I guess I have blasted over 50 trees since then, I have perfected the technique of protecting the live veins, foliage and soil so that the...
View ArticleWorking the Calligraphers deadwood
Final preparations for The Noelanders Trophy, cleaning, drying and refining small elements
View ArticleWhat looks older, an Uro or a Jin?
My passion are deciduous trees and in particular Hawthorns, regular readers of this blog will be familiar with many of the hawthorns in my collection, this post is about the Raft and the Uro (holes) I...
View ArticleYew Bonsai Foliage mass development 3 Videos
Yew are one of the best species for creating bonsai, they have beautiful hard deadwood, lush evergreen foliage and beautiful red live veins. In these three videos I explains how he builds branch...
View ArticleHan Kengai Yew second wiring and deadwood
I have been working this tree for 5 years, collected in 2011 its hard to imagine that this is the same tree. This is a photo when the tree was first potted up. the tree has been turned 180 degrees....
View Article
More Pages to Explore .....