What's so special about painted bonsai pots?
Painting on a bonsai pot is not like painting on paper. Bonsai pot is a functional object and it imposes certain restrictions on what can be painted on it. Its function is to be a stage for a bonsai tree where the tree is the focal point of the composition. This is why subject, composition and colours of the painting have to be carefully considered not to distract the viewer from the tree. The three-dimensional and sometimes odd form of a bonsai pot can introduce additional challenges as well. I paint with pigments called underglazes and overglazes. Underglazes are not the easiest painting medium and sometimes require guessing what the final result is going to look like. Overglazes require firing each piece up to five times to produce the final result. Finally, painting takes time. It is not uncommon for me to spend about 20 hours over multiple sessions to paint a single pot.
White Fox Wedding theme.
Raijin-Fujin theme
Displayed at 19th Contemporary Small Bonsai Pot Artists Exhibition held in conjunction with 49th Gafu Exhibition, January 2024, Kyoto, Japan
Displayed at 19th Contemporary Small Bonsai Pot Artists Exhibition held in conjunction with 49th Gafu Exhibition, January 2024, Kyoto, Japan. Currently on display at the National Arboretum Canberra.
A traditional Oriental lion.
Dragons,
dragons
and dragons …
A tribute to the work of a Japanese bonsai pot maker Sano Daisuke.
First prize winner at the AusBonsai Market auction in March 2020. A pot with another iconic detail from one of the Choju-giga scrolls. I like the subtle glaze sports on the right-hand side photo.
This pot was formed during a demonstration at the annual exhibition of the School of Bonsai in October 2017. However, it was finished only in June 2020.
My first pot painted with overglazes. Something I started doing since August 2019. This piece was fired six times to produce the final result.
Tried a decoration combining underglaze painting and carving. Effective, but needs further improvement. Displayed at the 37th Annual Exhibition of the School of Bonsai, Sydney in 2019. Funny story: I accidentally left this pot on a bus and it was never returned to the “Lost and found” office of the bus company. Bonsai people tend to find pots in most unusual places, so it might turn up somewhere one day.
Overglaze aka-e.
I finally made a pot where blue underglaze works reasonably well. Exhibited at EARTH & FIRE Bonsai Potters Exhibition in August 2019, Sydney.
A simple and a very traditional aka-e. Exhibited at EARTH & FIRE Bonsai Potters Exhibition in August 2019, Sydney.
A pot where blue and yellow underglazes work well. Exhibited at EARTH & FIRE Bonsai Potters Exhibition in August 2019, Sydney.
Displayed at 14th Contemporary Small Bonsai Pot Artists Exhibition held in conjunction with 45th Gafu Exhibition, January 2020, Kyoto. I wanted to own a Chōjū-giga bonsai pot for many years and decided to make one myself.
This was my first attempt at aka-e. It was an imitation of Kutani Ikko's pots with dragons. It turned out alright, but there are areas for improvement. Displayed at the 36th Annual Exhibition of the School of Bonsai, Sydney in 2018.
This is a rectangular pinch-pot painted in Itou Gekkou style. I would have made its form more refined if I knew it would be painted this way. Displayed at the 36th Annual Exhibition of the School of Bonsai, Sydney in 2018.