Overview

So what exactly is pop bonsai ? Bonsai like you've never seen before-a freestyle version, in fun containers, that reflects the author's breakaway approach to this ancient art. Pop Bonsai involves taking a tiny seedling, trimming its branches and leaves, and wiring the trunk and branches to bend them into almost any style. The result: a living work of art, for next to no cost, to display as you like-in a ball of moss, on a can of beer, even in a pair of shoes or an eggcup! Naturally this does require some basic bonsai techniques, and advice on looking after plants. But in contrast to classical bonsai, where the aim is carefully to reproduce natural scenery in miniature, pop bonsai stresses the imagination and creativity of people living modern lives. Throughout, Pop Bonsai takes a no-fuss approach. Almost any kind of tree or foliage plant can be used, and you're encouraged to grow it from scratch. Before starting, you are told what you should know about trees in general, with hints on choosing the right one for your purpose. Instructions on care and maintenance-soil, temperature, pruning, watering and fertilizers-are provided in a sensible, easy-to-follow way that should take the tension out of gardening even for those who have never tried it. In your own home or on a balcony or at work, pop bonsai will let you enjoy the wonder of the changing seasons close-up, and remind you how precious and fragile life can be. But, cared for properly, your tree should live for decades. And in the process it will give you a taste of the enormous satisfaction to be gained from creating, and watching over, your own living work of art.

Full Product Details

9784770029805

Table of Contents

Reviews

.,. packed with excellent, full-color photographs on almost every page, illustrating her explicit instructions. Pop Bonsai gives you the how-to information and permission to practice the ancient art of bonsai-but reinvent it for today. -Washington Post<br> Fast forward to modern Japan, with Pop Bonsai by Lisa Tajima, who takes a cheeky new look at bonsai. She shows creations planted in beer cans, galoshes, funny pots. Heer point is to remove the intimidation some gardeners feel about bonsai and to show them how to grow their own inexpensively. -The Associated Press<br> Making the most of miniature verdure, Japanese author Lisa Tajima's Pop Bonsai updates the traditional art of bonsai by suggesting unusual containers (including beer cans and eggshells) and new tree shapes. -Time Out New York<br> Die-hard botanists and curious beginners alike will relish this novel approach. -Family Circle Home Crafts Magazine<br> .,. Unique and exuberant take on the ancient hobby of crafting miniature trees, is like nothing I've ever seen.... The book provides a wonderfully thorough description of the bonsai technique. -The Times-Picayune (New Orleans)<br> What is fun to read, however, are her words about how to use one's imagination, both in caring for the tree and displaying it. She also offers readers some clear advice on the use of imagination, and how to 'bend' that creative tool for one's own enjoyment. This is a wonderful book for any Midwest gardener who is frustrated during the winter months for wont of the 'look' of a green and growing tree....The paperback is $19.95, and worth the price. -The Star Newspaper (Chicago)<br> This how-to book would be of interest to both armchairenthusiasts and those with a true interest in modern art. -Rafu Shimpo<br> Pop bonsai very special. The author has taken the ancient art of bonsai and updated it to suit modern sensibilities, and has banished the use of staid bonsai pots. The results are wild and zany.... Bonsai will never be the same. -BellaOnline.com<br> If you've ever entertained any thoughts of getting into bonsai but were put off by the rigidity and rules in this ancient discipline, take note - Pop Bonsai is fun, fun, fun. ...the young and young at heart will embrace the whimsy and simplicity in this fresh approach to the cultivation and display of plants and how it can enhance our hectic lifestyles. -Winnipeg Free Press (Canada)<br> After deciding that traditional bonsai practices limited her self-expression, Japanese artist Lisa Tajima began to combine the classic garden art with whimsical containers. She calls it 'pop bonsai.'... Her bonsai seem to have personalities, and they sometimes appear to work or stand. -Des Moines Register<br>

Author Information

LISA TAJIMA attended college in the United States before returning to Japan to work for several years as a music journalist. After starting to study bonsai with a traditional master, she created her own style-which she termed pop bonsai -and began to attract attention as a new-generation bonsai artist. The inventiveness of her work has been recognized in a number of awards, even some from Japan's most traditional competitions. She has also studied ceramics, and makes her own containers, including walking bonsai ones. HISAYOSHI OSAWA has worked in various fields of photography: fashion, acting, art, cooking and advertising. He won the 20th Japan Advertising Photographers' Association prize, and has held exhibitions of his work. He has also published several books of photography.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available