Well I'm a few days late getting the update in but last years winner ended up with 2nd place in the Professional Division.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Well I'm a few days late getting the update in but last years winner ended up with 2nd place in the Professional Division.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Kusamono
This year while I was searching American potters I came across a site for Iker Bonsai. I was really impressed with his pottery which was a bit of a change for me. Almost all of the pots I seem to like are all out of the Tokoname catalog. I bit the bullet and ordered 5 pots from Chuck and I couldn’t be happier! I would like to thank Chuck for his work; I will definitely be back for many more pots! Keep in mind my accents are nothing to write home about but I feel the combination of plants in his pots look fantastic. Side note, the slabs and display stands are from 2 new burls I got recently. They are both Manzanita and will be sanded and covered in a satin top coat… but that’s another post.
This first picture is of one of Chuck Iker’s round rustic accent pots. I planted two varieties of sedum with a dwarf goose grass (miniature daisy).
Next is another one of Iker Bonsai’s rustic accent pots. It has the same two varieties of sedum in it.
This is a cool flower I found; the only tag on it said it was “Thrift”. It is not in an Iker pot, its sitting in a VERY inexpensive round pot I had sitting on my pot shelf but I thought the two suited each other well.
This picture is a terrible quality shot of a pot I got at the Midwest Bonsai show back in 09. I got it from Jim Doyle’s booth but I haven’t been able to figure out who the potter is. The plant is another variety of sedum called Blue Balls. I think the combination work really well together.
Monday, May 3, 2010
1 down 1 to go...
First up is the detail of the top of the stand sitting snug in its box.
Next is a little detail of the top of the stand. Originally the frame was a simple design but another friend suggested I add a little detail to the top. He suggested a thin line on the frame pieces around the center panel. I'm glad I took his advice.
Here you can see the stand in its box. The lid slides in from the top and holds the stand firmly in place. The stand and box are sitting on the Jarrah slab.
Here is the profile of the stand. It is made entirely of walnut including the dowels that support the top. Those were a treat to make!
Here is a detailed shot of the slab. One of the most interesting things about this slab is the live edge that circles the entire piece. Re sawing and sanding these wasn't easy and very time consuming but the final product made it all worth while!
And finally, Neils amazing Itoigawa Juniper in place with a nice accent. When Neil and I originally talked on the phone about the design of his stand I couldn't help but think the two would work very well together. Once I had the stand finished and placed it on the slab, I sent Neil a picture and we both agreed it made for an amazing composition.
Here is a view from the top.
Many thanks to Neil for the stunning pictures and for allowing me to post pictures of his work. That's it for now.
Jay
Friday, March 26, 2010
A few tree updates.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
A new stand for my friend Neil.
After a few phone calls with Neil and a few sketches we came up with the final design. The design for this stand will be similar to the stand I made for Matt in that the top of this stand will be "floating". I will support the top to the frame base with dowels and I decided to add movement to the lower part of the stand with arched stretchers in the base. Here are a few progression shots of the stand as I was building it. In this picture all the parts have been rough cut & sanded. The lower frame has been glued and the top frame has had the groove cut that will hold the top of the stand.
Here the top frame of the stand has been glued & the stretchers have all been hand shaped.
With all the parts sanded the glue up began. Below is a picture of the arched stretchers glued into the stand legs.
The last picture is of the lower frame with the top sitting on it. The dowels will raise the top by roughly 1/2" and will be added after the first coat of stain has been applied. The staining will be done over the next few days so updated pictures will be posted soon.
Thanks for looking.~ Jay
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Jarrah Burl Slabs are finally done!
Thanks for looking.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Fall Color and some other projects...
Here's a detailed shot showing the character in this burl.That's all for now.