bonsaiTALK Community - View Single Post - Pensai! How I spent my spring vacation

That tree in #34349 is a "Fingered Citron Buddha's Hand", it is ornamental only.The fruit is quite dry without much pulp. This is the only bonsai I have ever seen of this species, and it goes to show if you are willing to grow a big tree, then big leaves and fruit are no problem. This one was probably about 40 inches high not to large, but it packs a lot of tree into it's size. The excellent nebari and trunk movement really aide in keeping this from looking like a mini-shrub. You first catch sight of the fruit, but then step back, and see the tree as a whole, and it is quite believable as bonsai even with the large leaf structure. It gives hope to others wanting to develop fruit trees with large leaves as bonsai.

I might add, while in Taiwan, I followed the chinese vs. japanese thread on the forum with much interest. Yen and the other artists continually referred to their bonsai as "pensai", and I asked him about the whole japanese-chinese and penjing influences thing. What he said was that his father who taught him, clearly was influenced by japanese art, but received no formal training from them, and that the style is uniquely Taiwanese.
The pines are definitely more open, and lighter in foliage than Japanese pine bonsai.
That said, there are certain artistic conventions they follow as do all bonsai, with branches for the most part alternating, and occurring on the outside. Basic triangular patterns and well developed foliage pads.
Notice the bunjin black pines that clearly sit higher in their pots than do many bunjin, showing off a nebari that appears to cling desparately to the soil. Some might criticize they look off balance, but this is a pattern with the bunjins I saw there. It probably reflects how they see the yew and pines growing in their high mountains. On my hiking trips I saw so many images where previous earthquakes had caused a side of a hill or mountain to fall away, and the trees just clinging to the sharp tips of the cliffs. Some amazing inspiration.

17-Mar-2006	#18
Ralph BonsaiTalk Master B.S.er Join Date: Jun-2002 Location: Richardson, Texas Country: God Bless America USDA Zone: 8 AHS Heat Zone: 9 Posts: 1,285	That tree in #34349 is a "Fingered Citron Buddha's Hand", it is ornamental only.The fruit is quite dry without much pulp. This is the only bonsai I have ever seen of this species, and it goes to show if you are willing to grow a big tree, then big leaves and fruit are no problem. This one was probably about 40 inches high not to large, but it packs a lot of tree into it's size. The excellent nebari and trunk movement really aide in keeping this from looking like a mini-shrub. You first catch sight of the fruit, but then step back, and see the tree as a whole, and it is quite believable as bonsai even with the large leaf structure. It gives hope to others wanting to develop fruit trees with large leaves as bonsai. I might add, while in Taiwan, I followed the chinese vs. japanese thread on the forum with much interest. Yen and the other artists continually referred to their bonsai as "pensai", and I asked him about the whole japanese-chinese and penjing influences thing. What he said was that his father who taught him, clearly was influenced by japanese art, but received no formal training from them, and that the style is uniquely Taiwanese. The pines are definitely more open, and lighter in foliage than Japanese pine bonsai. That said, there are certain artistic conventions they follow as do all bonsai, with branches for the most part alternating, and occurring on the outside. Basic triangular patterns and well developed foliage pads. Notice the bunjin black pines that clearly sit higher in their pots than do many bunjin, showing off a nebari that appears to cling desparately to the soil. Some might criticize they look off balance, but this is a pattern with the bunjins I saw there. It probably reflects how they see the yew and pines growing in their high mountains. On my hiking trips I saw so many images where previous earthquakes had caused a side of a hill or mountain to fall away, and the trees just clinging to the sharp tips of the cliffs. Some amazing inspiration. __________________ Emerging from winter slumber Bonsai trees burst buds anew Spring is upon us! -Paul S.