Penjing Demonstration

Jennifer Price will design a Penjing planting on a slab.  She will be using approximately nine Chinese Elms, Muck, and a marble slab. Penjing, also known as penzai, is the ancient Chinese art of depicting artistically formed trees, other plants, and landscapes in miniature.

Using artificially dwarfed trees and shrubs, these arrangements are created in special trays or pots which are placed on ornately carved wooden stands. Often, rocks, miniature ceramic structures (like buildings and bridges), and figurines are added to give the proper scales as part of the natural scenery. These miniatures add to the symbolism of a penjing specimen by providing a social or historical context in which to interpret the overall penjing design.

These miniature landscapes include trees that are frequently over a hundred years old. Like the plants in the Chinese garden, they have been carefully selected and tended so that they develop into twisted and gnarled shapes reminiscent of their full-size counterparts in the wild. Like Chinese gardens, these miniature landscapes are designed to convey landscapes experienced from various viewpoints – a close-up view, a medium-range view, or a panorama.

As an art form, penjing is an extension of the garden since it enables an artist to recreate parts of the natural landscape in miniature. Penjing is often used indoors as part of a garden’s overall design since it reiterates the landscape features found outside. Penjing pots grace pavilions, private studies or living rooms, and public buildings. They are free-standing elements within the gardens or placed on furniture such as a table or bookshelf. A lattice display stand is sometimes built, which adds particular prominence to the penjing specimen and exemplifies the interplay between architecture and nature.

There will also be a discussion on preparing Topicals for the upcoming winter season.

Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month from 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm at The College of Dupage campus in the TEC 1038b.

The college address is 425 Fawell Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Members who are unable to attend in person may join via ZOOM.