“Enjoying Bonsai for over 50 years”
“Bonsai, because of its relatively small size, fits well into our present society as populations grow and space becomes increasingly less available to most of us. Gardens are becoming smaller and the opportunity to grow full size trees in any great numbers is for most of us just a dream. But with bonsai we can grow a forest in a single pot.”
— Dan Barton (Down to Earth Bonsai)
Creating harmony
The pairing of bonsai and pot should be a perfect marriage. Bonsai pots are as individually unique as the trees they support.
Drum pot based on Japanese Taiko drums, with decoration that symbolises the studs used to secure the skin to the drum
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Signature glazes.
One of the defining features that sets Dan’s pots apart from others is his ability to create exciting new glazes through continued experimentation. The gunmetal and rust glaze is probably the most well known and sought after of his ‘signature glazes’ and has inspired many other potters to produce what has become a very popular and desirable colour for many tree owners.
The gunmetal glaze is matched in popularity by his ‘pig-fat’ glaze - a light creamy blue/green glaze, often with a crackle running through it.
You can see the huge diversity of glazes in the pot gallery…
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Technique.
All pots are individually hand built with the majority made by using a slab base with coils of clay built up to create the sides. As with all potters, Dan uses a variety of techniques to create the various finishes that you see on the final articles. A whole plethora of tools and ‘unusual objects’ are applied to give each pot its own individual personality - from bits of textured burr wood to precision engineered tooling. ‘Mud painting’ is a term he often uses when referring to the raised textures that he sometimes decorates the walls of the pots with - his background in art shows through as he literally uses the clay to ‘paint’ onto the pots, thus giving each one its own unique look - the same can be said for the carefully considered painterly application of glazes.
A selection of pot building images can be seen here…
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Bonsai educator.
Dan’s profession as a lecturer in photography and applied graphics, has certainly helped in his delivery of over 500 bonsai workshops and training sessions over the years. Nothing makes him happier than when he can share his knowledge with other bonsai enthusiasts. Many of today’s well known bonsai creators have been helped along the way with guidance and encouragement of knowledge and skills that Dan has imparted - either through personal friendship or from attending one of his workshops or demonstrations.
Leaving the bonsai training to others, Dan is now developing and offering advanced courses in pottery for those wishing to develop their bonsai pot making skills.