Description
Old Shimpaku — A Living Testament to Time
Original Pastel Painting by Ronald Ray Reekers
There is something extraordinary about an ancient Shimpaku juniper. Its twisted trunk, weathered deadwood, and tenacious living veins tell a story of survival, resilience, and the passage of time.
In Old Shimpaku, I wanted to capture not only the physical character of this remarkable bonsai but also its almost ethereal presence. Working in pastel allowed me to create a luminous, atmospheric background that contrasts with the vibrant energy of the tree. The softness of the surrounding space gives the Shimpaku a sense of timelessness, as though it exists somewhere between the natural world and memory.
The rich reddish living vein winds through the trunk, framed by the silvery-white deadwood. This relationship between living and weathered wood is one of the most fascinating characteristics of an ancient Shimpaku. It is a visual expression of nature’s persistence, where life continues despite centuries of exposure to the elements.
The tree rests in an unblemished bonsai pot, its quiet simplicity providing a foundation that monumentalizes the composition. The pot becomes more than a container; it establishes the tree’s presence and allows its complex history to take center stage.
Shimpaku junipers collected as yamadori from the mountains of Japan’s Kishu region are especially admired for their dramatic forms and aged character. Such trees can embody both the harshness of their mountain origins and the generations of patient cultivation that follow.
For me, Old Shimpaku is a celebration of the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi, finding beauty in age, weathering, and impermanence. Through the softness of pastel and the strength of the tree’s form, I hope to convey a quiet reverence for nature and the extraordinary passage of time.
Old Shimpaku is an original work of art celebrating the enduring beauty of bonsai and the relationship between nature, time, and human stewardship.
Other bonsai related artwork in Pastel can be found at https://www.reekersart.com/product-category/all-drawings/pastel/
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