With their delicate foliage, seasonal color changes, and intricate pattern of branching, Japanese maples are among the most popular and suitable plants for bonsai design. In this long-awaited book, internationally renowned expert Peter Adams discusses both the specific horticultural needs of Japanese maples as bonsai subjects and illustrates proven techniques for creating and maintaining beautiful specimens. Although aimed at an audience that has some familiarity with bonsai techniques, the book deliberately shows a mix of bonsai at different stages in their training, so that less experienced enthusiasts can gain new ideas and inspiration from trees that are "works in progress." Much more than a mere "how-to" book, Bonsai with Japanese Maples is a forthright attempt to look at bonsai as art objects and to critique and assess them from an artist's perspective.
Peter Adams began his art career in the 1950's at the age of 12 in England gaining a graduate degree from the Farnham School of Art followed by a post-graduate degree in painting from the Royal Academy Schools in London in 1962.In his home country of England, Peter has had a varied career in the arts where he worked at portraiture, cartooning, advertising, TV, teaching and as a Bonsai nurseryman for 25 years. He now lectures worldwide and is a best selling author on the subject of Bonsai as an art medium.Currently Peter is painting in acrylics, oils and pastels. His work is hanging in private collections throughout Great Britain and the United States. He has most recently been commissioned for portraiture, mural works and theatre set designs in Wisconsin and Washington.
Japanese maple and bonsai lovers cannot afford to miss this new book. ... The inspiration you'll feel after browsing the illustrations alone are well worth the ... price. -- Pat Hayward Garden Railways 20070401