AusBonsai

I have had this stone for a number of years & it has been in & out of different pots & trays as none has ever quite felt right.
The ceramic base it sits on is 11cm, rock is 7cm high. 510 is front, 519 is looking down the hole, 520 shows hole exit at base.

Any ideas???

Matt

No idea Matt, but it's a beautiful stone.

Nice rock

#515 Reminds me of the Skillion at Terrigal

http://www.agfg.com.au/guide/nsw/centra ... l-skillion
http://knol.google.com/k/the-skillion#"

Ken

Is the hole natural or man made?
If it is natural, then it is worth having as a viewing stone. Mount it in a timber block and admire its beauty.

Or... Perhaps you might have yourself a new style.... Root in rock.

Mitchell wrote:Is the hole natural or man made?
If it is natural, then it is worth having as a viewing stone. Mount it in a timber block and admire its beauty.

Or... Perhaps you might have yourself a new style.... Root in rock.

Hey Mitchell,

I picked this piece of stone up during one of my many camping trips up the murray. I cant remember exactly where I was at the time I found it, somewhere between melbourne & the river in nth west vic. One of the attractions for me is the constanly changing colours of its lichens as they go thru the wet dry cycles. It gets no artificial watering at all, surviving as it always did on natures supply. Thankfully summer here in newcastle is sufficiently dry to not majorly affect the dryland species I am soo keen on. The winter wet doesnt seem to bother them, but they NEED the summer dry. I am thinking of making a completely water proof area for some of the more temperamental that elude me in keeping. Some of my rocks were wrapped & boxed for over 4yrs with the lichens coming back to life as soon as they were unpacked & watered thoroughly. The joys of the desert!

Matt

OOps forgot main point of all the above ramble... timber would look good but it would also rot over time.

Reminds me of the big one at Somersby Falls

MattA wrote:

Mitchell wrote:Is the hole natural or man made?
If it is natural, then it is worth having as a viewing stone. Mount it in a timber block and admire its beauty.

Or... Perhaps you might have yourself a new style.... Root in rock.

Hey Mitchell,

I picked this piece of stone up during one of my many camping trips up the murray. I cant remember exactly where I was at the time I found it, somewhere between melbourne & the river in nth west vic. One of the attractions for me is the constanly changing colours of its lichens as they go thru the wet dry cycles. It gets no artificial watering at all, surviving as it always did on natures supply. Thankfully summer here in newcastle is sufficiently dry to not majorly affect the dryland species I am soo keen on. The winter wet doesnt seem to bother them, but they NEED the summer dry. I am thinking of making a completely water proof area for some of the more temperamental that elude me in keeping. Some of my rocks were wrapped & boxed for over 4yrs with the lichens coming back to life as soon as they were unpacked & watered thoroughly. The joys of the desert!

Matt

OOps forgot main point of all the above ramble... timber would look good but it would also rot over time.

Didn't realise it was a living stone! I don't believe rot would be an issue. Hardwoods can last for decades in moist environments. Coating the timber in a poly-urethane clear coat, would also protect the stand and not let the water penetrate it.

Got some more pics of your other lichens? I'd love to see.

Hey Mitchell, is some more pics here viewtopic.php?f=30&t=209...

Will also go and get some photos of a local one that I havent managed to keep.. as yet... tho think I may have worked out the reason & hence the key to having some in my collection.


Matt

MattA wrote:Hey Mitchell, is some more pics here viewtopic.php?f=30&t=209...

Will also go and get some photos of a local one that I havent managed to keep.. as yet... tho think I may have worked out the reason & hence the key to having some in my collection.


Matt

Oh, sorry. I did see those, didn't realise it was you that posted them.

A while back a very special pot made its way into my hands thru others. It has 2 very distinct cracks that just work for me. Amongst my experiments planned with the Akadama was to test its suitability as a bed for moss & lichens. So far the results have been fantastic showing a particularly good medium for lichens to take hold & grow on.

Critiques most appreciated regarding the placement of the various elements & any additions or changes that could be made to improve the composition. Rocks are a whole other world from bonsai. Matt

Amongst the odd cracked pieces from my last firing was this one. I knew before firing that it would as I heard it go, greenware is VERY brittle, thankfully it is only in the rim & front face, it will not overly affect the structural integrity of the pot. Unglazed 19 x 12 x 2.5cm it is one of my largest pots & made from a mix of one dominant clay with small bits of 2 contrasting clays lightly mixed thru. Would love to hear others thoughts on this combination. Does my hunt for a suitable home for this rock go on?

Matt

The rock/pot look like a good combination.

Have you considered a predominantly white gravel? I think that it might harmonise with the pot, accentuate the white lichen on the rock and contrast nicely with the dark color of the rock. The addition of a small "accent rock" with harmonising rock or lichen color, positioned to balance the hole rock but not distract from it, might work, too.

Love the hole rock and its lichen colony,

Jan.

Nice rock. I would carve a daiza for it and make a little bamboo laidle with bamboo rests to sit on top of the stone. Be a fun job carving the wood to get the top of the stone flat and would make a nice companion to a Bonsai in a display.

The pot & stone are really starting to settle in well together, I am liking how the crushed sandstone is maturing. An experiment in seeding lichen has been partially successful & gives me more ideas to explore over time. Matt

The lichens tie it all together very well. I think the stone is too strong to work well with a tree, it stands very well on it's own. The lichens make me think of a "living suiseki". Rocks for contemplation can be a bit stiff and cold - the lichens soften the composition. Nice invention.

Gavin