Take a master class by one of the world's greatest living bonsai masters! Kunio Kobayashi is one the world's most recognized bonsai artists. In this comprehensive book, he presents all the essential techniques needed to plant and maintain the most popular types of bonsai—from pines, cypress and cedar to flowering trees and other beloved varieties, including grasses. Bonsai Master Class is a book for new fans and longtime aficionados alike, showing you how, with the help of human hands, a bonsai tree can evolve and thrive over centuries. This book provides you with all the vital information you need, including: A thorough explanation of the basic bonsai types and styles, and their characteristics Guidance in the art of selecting the right plants, pots and spaces to display your bonsai Tips on getting started including purchasing the plants, assembling the necessary tools and choosing the soils Advice and techniques for planting, repotting, watering, pruning, shaping, wiring and protecting your plants, including a seasonal schedule of tasks for each type of bonsai Detailed lessons for specific bonsai varieties like Japanese cypress, red pine, maple, zelkova, sakura and more! You'll be inspired by Kobayashi's award-winning bonsai ranging from classic types to out-of-the-box originals, showing how this art form is as individual as it is traditional. His book will become your bible as you nurture and cultivate your skills and knowledge of these venerable plants.

Folk art is as varied as it is indicative of person and place, informed by innovation and grounded in cultural context. The variety and versatility of 300 American folk artists is captured in this collection of informative and thoroughly engaging essays. American Folk Art: A Regional Reference offers a collection of fascinating essays on the life and work of 300 individual artists. Some of the men and women profiled in these two volumes are well known, while others are important practitioners who have yet to receive the notice they merit. Because many of the artists in both categories have a clear identity with their land and culture, the work is organized by geographical region and includes an essay on each region to help make connections visible. There is also an introductory essay on U.S. folk art as a whole. Those writing about folk art to date tend to view each artist as either traditional or innovative. One of the major contributions of this work is that it demonstrates that folk artists more often exhibit both traits; they are grounded in their cultural context and creative in the way they make work their own. Such insights expand the study of folk art even as they readjust readers' understanding of who folk artists are.

Sure to be a classic, Donald Richie's concise, profound insights into the mysteries of Japanese

The book is a classic covering flowers used in decoration of houses, offices, restaurants, hospitals and private places of rest and relaxation. For nature lovers, it is a paradise of colours, forms and shapes. Fragrant flowers, flowers for bouquet making, flowers for essences and bonsai are narrated to the enchantment of students and scholars as well. There are 21 chapters dealing with general topics in flower trade, standards, markets and global demand and supply. The specific chapters deal elaborately anthuriums, carnations, china aster, chrysanthemums, gerbera, gladiolus, helicorneas, jasmine, marigold, orchids, roses and tube roses. An exhaustive chapter on new cut flowers narrates recent introductions .The Japanese Bonsai is dealt in exquisite style. Research and development in this sector are separately dealt with. Future prospects, trends and globalised flower marketing are written for use of floriculturists. Modern technology of protected growing of flowers is informative. All the flowers indicated in the book are presented in colour photograph forms as well.

About the Book Bonsai Hawaiian Style is about creating bonsai with Hawaiian trees as well as with the classic bonsai species grown in Hawaii, and with a unique Hawaiian style that is of interest to bonsai practitioners all over the globe. The message is relevant because of the author's nearly 40 years of bonsai experience including teaching and leadership roles in bonsai clubs. This illustrated guide to bonsai in Hawaii uses Hawaiian trees as illustrative examples. Readers will be inspired to grow their own bonsai from Hawaiian trees both in Hawaii and around the world. About the Author Dr. Wagner obtained his Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1979 after serving nine years in the United States Air Force as an electronics technician. Dr. Wagner was then employed by Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems at Space Park in Redondo Beach, California, from January 1980 until October 2010 when he retired and moved back to Hawaii. During his employment by Northrop Grumman, Dr. Wagner worked in spacecraft integration and testing on spacecraft programs such as DSP (Defense Support Program), TDRSS (tracking data relay satellite system), GRO (gamma ray observatory), Chandra (advanced X-ray astrophysical facility), and JWST (James Webb space telescope). He was I&T manager on project Redwood. Dr. Wagner returned to school on a Northrop Grumman Master's Fellowship, obtaining his master's degree in computer science from the University of Southern California (USC) in 1992. He went on to obtain his Ph.D. in robotics and artificial intelligence from USC in 1997. He taught computer science at USC as a Lecturer from spring of 1998 through spring of 2000. Dr. Wagner was a founding Co-Chairman of the Space Robotics Technical Committee of the Robotics and Automation Society of the IEEE. Dr. Wagner has been the President of his bonsai club in California, Dai Ichi Bonsai Kai, has been the President of the Torrance Democratic Club in California, has been a mentor for the high school competitive robotics team, Beach Cities Robotics (FRC 294), which won the FRC world championship in 2010, and is now a mentor for the Kalani High School robotics team (FRC 3008). Dr. Wagner is a member and past president of Rainbow Bonsai Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, is a member of the Hawaii Bonsai Association, and continues to be involved in other community service activities.