Tree Makers

A full service bonsai school, garden, and store in the Blue Mountains NSW. https://treemakers.com.au

21/06/2026

Happy Winter Solstice ❄️
And what a glorious one it was in one the greatest places on earth.

15/06/2026

Post 3 of my recap of the 2026 AABC convention in Hobart. This one is simple but from the heart.

Working with, and in no particular order, Sean Hartley , Jarryd Bailey Montane Bonsai , and Matt Reel was one of the most joyous, engaging, and memorable experiences demonstrating on stage of my career to date.

Although all four of us having come from different experiences, timelines, paths, and teachers in bonsai, we all shared in a unified camaraderie. This was defined by respect for each others skillets, curiosity in one another’s aesthetic and experiences, and support for each other’s capacity to deliver a engaging, educational, and enjoyable experience for the eager audience. For me the whole experience felt like working alongside three friends and colleagues in the workshop. Tacked on was an enthusiastic audience to view and engage with. From my perspective the audience was seeing four individuals sharing thoroughly formed skillsets, delivering work that was unique to each individual, while holding level quality shown via the outcome in the trees and presentation of information. This showed how diverse bonsai is as a practice and an aesthetic art form and gave me great pride in our generation of bonsai artists and all that we have to offer.

Wall highlighting these three friends, colleagues and comrades, I also want to highlight the huge effort that the organisers of the event Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania and the Association of Australian Bonsai Clubs. AABC Ltd for putting on such a rich event. I’d also like to recognise the bounty of effort and comradely that was shared by everyone else who attended and helped us out, you know who you are and you are valued!

Photos by

14/06/2026

Part 2 of my recap of the 2026 AABC Convention in Hobart.

Cedrus - exploring ancient via the reiterative form.

This was my first demonstration at the event, and what a fun and challenging process it was to transform this old Lynn Farrell tree into something that represents Cedrus in its ancient form. I have quite an affection for elongating species of conifer like Cedar, of which is extremely common in Australia and have a deep and long history as Bonsai subjects in this country. Ive been quietly waiting for an opportunity to work on a piece of material that would allow me to express my studies of the reiterative form, and finely an amazing opportunity arrived in selecting this tree as my demo material.

The reiterating form is characterised by vertically emerging phototropicly driven secondary limbs that grow from the primary branches. This occurs at great age in conifers, and in my observation, occurs in almost any ancient tree regardless of species due to randomised damage that leads to individualisation of the primary structures. On elongating conifers the effect is very stark as the reiteration is extremely vertical and indicative of the tree in its younger form.

Cedars also develop beautiful dangling descending branching, and very wide flat top apicies. All these elements I was able to combine in this material allowing for a truly rich example of the characteristics of antiquity that can be interpreted in cedars.

I’d also like to note, It was a pleasure performing this demonstration alongside Sean Hartley. This was his first major demonstration since returning from his apprenticeship in Japan. You did amazingly and I was proud to be beside you at this iconic time in your career.

I have provided a number of images of cedars to clarify the concept as it exists in nature, as well as a pencil pine to show how reiteration can occur in other conifer species. The tree now resides with Jarryd Bailey in the Montane Bonsai collection.

Association of Australian Bonsai Clubs. AABC Ltd
Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania

13/06/2026

Part 1 of my recap of the 2026 AABC Convention Hobart hosted by Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania

Here is a selection of my favourite compositions from the exhibition. There was a wide variety of trees on exhibit, but the common theme, an innate feeling of locality to the aesthetic of the trees. This was most obviously conveyed through the world class ex*****on of Tasmanian local species. This provided a cultural lense to peer through the eyes of the artists behind the trees. What I think was even more valuable, was an insight to the ecosystems the artists were inspired by. It was like a tour of the landscape.

Association of Australian Bonsai Clubs. AABC Ltd

18/05/2026

It’s been a big few weeks on the road. After working at the AABC convention in Tasmania, delivering trees and goods all over the south east coast, taking time to adventure with loved ones, and stopping in to say g’day to friends new and old, I am finally back and rested ready to get back into work at Tree Makers. No better way to ease back in than to step into our local wilderness and re-engage with the local landscape.

Pictured is a Flakey-barked Tea Tree, a common local species that often exhibits antiquity and a unique response to environmental effects in the landscape. This tree evidently has recently snapped under its own weight. Showing signs that its growth has reoriented, It is mid-process of morphing into a greater representation of age and complexity. This is such a unique moment to witness that reminds me process and resilience. We can reflect on this moment to ask how we represent age and story in the trees we work with an how this is translated to aesthetics that are of the space we make bonsai in locally wherever you are in the world. Seeing this tree I was provoked to again fall in love with the prosperous community and engaged individuals we are building in this country surrounding the craft of tree making, particularly after such an amazing recent journey surrounding the AABC convention in Hobart.

27/04/2026

An ancient River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) near the Murrumbidgee River at Gundagai, NSW.

An old friend I like to visit when in these parts.

24/04/2026

A Trident Maple in full autumnal glory this week in the garden.
This is a client owned tree we have been developing for them for a number of years after a full trunk chop and structural reset.

23/04/2026

Really looking forward to being a part of this years AABC convention next weekend in Hobart Bonsai Society of Southern Tasmania

19/04/2026

Autumnal vibrancy at Tree Makers Bonsai Studio

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Mount Victoria, NSW
2786

Telephone

+61429195514

Website

http://treemakers.com.au/

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