Is Bonsai an Art?

Bonsai and Penjing are forms of art. And to do art, you need the right bonsai tools. Welcome to the art of bonsai.

bonsai
A beautiful bonsai collection

People tend to consider bonsai as a craft, but it is hard to deny that the end result is indeed artistic.

Craft or art, in either case, our bonsai supplies will help. It brings together natural beauty by hand.

The trick is the capture the individuality of the type of tree you are training. Each tree is influenced by specific conditions and weathering.

Constant attention should be paid to each detail of the tree so that aesthetically the bonsai keeps true to its natural characteristics and styling. Throughout the years, many master horticulturalists proved superior cultivation techniques to facilitate the miniaturization of trees, including their leaf size.

bonsai forrest

Half the art is the tree itself. The other half, some argue, is as equally important as the bonsai pot. Selecting the proper pot is very difficult because there aren’t really any rules; just a few loose guidlines.

There are, however, certain unwritten guidance into the selection. Some basics are the size appropriateness, color, depth, shape, and placement of the trunk.

For example, you don’t want a round bonsai pot with a tree that is primarily leaning to the right; even though this could be corrected with strong bonsai wire or branch benders.

The Oriental Philosophy

Like believed in many cultures and religions, man comes from nature and eventually returns back to nature.

In Asia, and especially in China, the mentality is to live with this knowledge in harmony rather than try to fight it or conquer it. But this is a difficult acceptance for any human.

This basic human conflict with nature is hence reflected in bonsai. In fact, it is traditional among many Asians to keep a bonsai tree growing throughout their life.

As you develop, so does your tree. Many keep their tree as inspiration to better their own lives and reflect the struggles directly with the tree.

As you develop your life with a strong foundation, so will you develop your tree’s root foundation for example.

The right choices you make should be reflected in your tree. If you are struggling, many reflect that struggle in their tree with a dramatic artist change, which can be done with bonsai wire and jinning tools.

These are some traditions practiced. However, for the most part, keeping nature by one’s side is paramount in the philosophy of the Orient.

A Living Art

Bonsai is truly an art, and can maybe be argued a craft during the design and sculpting of it. However, the end result is art.

What makes this type of art special and different from others is the fact that you are dealing with a living and ever-changing organic planting. It is a living art and three-dimensional.

You, the artist, have to always keep up with its changes and keep it beautiful and surviving through constant monitoring and horticultural ways of vitalizing the tree and keeping it sustained with optimal beauty.

Through careful and detailed sculpting and trimming, this art form becomes a hobby and a pleasure.