Bonsai Wire Tree Art Sculptures

I happen to discover a great alternative to real Bonsai trees, not as nice of course but very interesting. Bonsai Tree Wire Sculptures are the latest trend for Bonsai fans that have little time in watering or shaping Trees. The greatest guy of all time in wiring is Ken To, an artist from the United States with a deep fascination for Bonsai trees.

In this amazing series of miniature wire sculptures, Ken creates wire trees from continuous strands that flow from the tip of the roots to the end of the leaves and branches. He is a true wiring specialist of the modern era and I think not many can keep up with masterpieces like him. Notice that Ken does not skimp when it comes to his tiny bonsai containers. Many of them are from Jim Barrett, well known California bonsai potter (especially famous for his quality shohin and mame bonsai pots.) Since his very first trees, Ken has been busy experimenting and perfecting his technique.

The ceramic pots used to hold each sculpture are made by Jim Barrett. Ken says each tree takes an average of three hours, with even the smallest trees using up about six yards of wire (5.48 meters).

Although completely sold out at the moment, Ken’s miniature Bonsai wire trees are for sale and can be found in various websites such as atrodei.com

Another interesting YouTube channel that shows lots of wiring techniques and activities is hosted by metal artist Mr. Omer Huremovic. Omer is a dedicated Bonsai metal artist since decades, enchanting Bonsai lovers from all over the world his videos are always amazing. Although Bonsai wire sculptures are very popular in the US, their popularly hasn't reached all corners of the world.

Many Bonsai fans discover this fascination through channels like YouTube and other online media. I personally think that owning a real Bonsai tree is more fun as it’s a living thing that the Bonsai keeper has to upkeep. 

A great fascination are Bonsai trees carved in Ivory, those sculptured prior 1989 are collectibles and legally available. The sculptures are super expensive and masterpieces that Bonsai fans tend to admire. The last time I have encountered

a true master piece made of Ivory was during an exhibition at a Nichiren Art Museum Kuala Lumpur. The Nichiren Museum holds masterpieces of Bonsai sculptures that are worth to visit.

Interesting Books on Bonsai can be found here:

The Complete Book of Bonsai --> I've been into bonsai for 25 years and this is the basic Bible for beginner and intermediate bonsai enthusiasts. It has an excellent section on techniques, including pruning, wiring and whatnot, and it has a large species-specific tree guide. If you're into bonsai and want only one book, this is it.

Indoor Bonsai The Great Selection --> Creating beautiful, healthy bonsai is a wonderful skill that anyone can learn, with a little time, patience, and this all-inclusive manual. With color photos and drawings to illustrate the points, it introduces all the cultivation techniques; offers expert advice on location, soil types, watering, and pest control; and provides intricate instruction on training the bonsai--including pruning, wiring and stretching it.

The Secret Techniques of Bonsai --> In The Secret Techniques of Bonsai, the author of the groundbreaking Bonsai With American Trees teams up with his son to offer not only the basics for creating perfect bonsai, but also secret techniques they’ve developed over years of careful work and observation.

Bonsai Survival Manual --> Problem solving when your Bonsai get sick. Expand your gardening repertoire as you create a captivating and exquisite miniature world. In this introductory guide, Colin Lewis covers everything you need to know to design, grow, and successfully maintain attractive bonsai.

Bonsai and the art of Penjing --> Bonsai & Penjing, Ambassadors of Beauty and Peace describes how Chinese penjing and North American bonsai were later added to the Museum, making its collection the most comprehensive in the world. Stories of individual trees and forest plantings are featured, as are the roles played by the skilled and talented creators of these living art forms people such as John Naka, Saburo Kato, Yuji Yoshimura, Harry Hirao, and Dr. Yee-Sun Wu.

Bonsai with Japanese Maples --> With their delicate foliage, seasonal color changes, and intricate pattern of branching, Japanese maples are among the most popular and suitable plants for bonsai design. In this long-awaited book, internationally renowned expert Peter Adams discusses both the specific horticultural needs of Japanese maples as bonsai subjects and illustrates proven techniques for creating and maintaining beautiful specimens.

The Modern Bonsai Practice --> The most current, useful information on growing Bonsai. Fresh, practical, definitive, comprehensive reference guide to the finest art of horticulture: growing miniature trees. Common sense bonsai answers separating myth from fact with depth and detail. Appropriate for both bonsai hobbyists and experienced practitioners.

Gold and Silver craft wire 20-Gauge. Perfect for crafting projects, beading, jewelry, ornaments, ming trees and wire sculptures.

Buy a Bonsai Online

Peoples most favorite Bonsai this year was the Juniper and most sell able tree, number one exporter this year was Japan followed by China. Though China is slowly overtaking Japan in number of Bonsai exports.

Checking through jungles of websites to detect authentic Bonsai online stores is not easy. The usual thing when buying online are the shipping costs. Some popular Bonsai retailers do not ship internationally and those that do are inevitably more expensive. Nevertheless, it's worth checking and perhaps get in contact with them directly and see if the retailers are willing to compromise. At the end of the day, we are all out there looking for the best and affordable Bonsai. You may find a dramatic difference in prices between Seeds, pre-Bonsai and Bonsai. Having said that, it would be easier and more convenient to start your passion with a pre-Bonsai. Please refer to my blog post on different tree species that will help you to detect the right Bonsai that matches your environment. Some tree types suit better to tropical environment whereas others like the Juniper for example, thrive in a non tropical environment. Therefore, its always good to check these matters in details before purchasing.

Here a small guide on Bonsai Online shops:

http://www.j-bonsai.com/ is a famous online website from Yoshihiro Nakamizu, he is been in the business for decades, and besides teaching and educating students, he offers Bonsai artworks online.

http://www.bonsaiboy.com/ Online store from New York, they grow a huge assortment of Bonsai trees. Although I have never purchased directly from them, it's worth checking. Please note that they do not ship internationally, US only.

http://www.kaizenbonsai.com Another fantastic online shop, Graham is very popular on YouTube. The way he wires and shapes Bonsai in his workshop is simply remarkable. Another good point is that they ship worldwide.

http://www.bonsaioutlet.com/ The most popular online store website in the US. They sell all kinds of Bonsai sizes and accessories. They ship to the US only and not internationally. Very competitive pricing and fast delivery.

http://www.aliexpress.com Aliexpress sells various types of Bonsai seeds. Sometimes it also offers Pre-Bonsai that have already been wired and styled. The good part of AliExpress is that it ships worldwide.

And if you still haven't found your Bonsai, then try on YouTube, artists are often very helpful to introduce you to the right counterpart. Most of them do it out of passion and not necessarily to make a living. Good luck!

         Japanese Av Star