The "Rules" of bonsai

[Adair M]

Look, I'm not saying that every tree has to follow the rules or it's not a bonsai. That's entirely missing the point of this thread. The "rules" exist merely for the fact that some noticed that some trees look better than others. The good trees either had some thing the poorer trees didn't, or the lesser trees had something the better trees didn't have! And the recognition of those differences, the "what makes trees look good" became the basis for the "rules".

As a simple example, we all know about the Number 1 branch, the Number 2 branch, and then the Number 3, or "Back branch". Numbers 1 and 2 are on opposite sides, 1 being stronger than 2. And 3 goes to the back.

Why? Why can't 3 come to the front? Why can't 1 and 2 be on the same side? Why can't 2 be stronger than 1? Why even have No.3? Why not just have branches on the left and right? No front or back branches? Oh, why? Why? Why?

 

[Adair M]

But, to play devil's advocate, what exactly is the "degree of work" that must be put in? How is it measured and defined - and by whom?

Similarly, "the amount of progress the tree has made." Progress - ??? Defined and measured how, and by whom?!

View attachment 121247

How about this guy? Collected on a ridge in Montana a few years back; sat in a black plastic bag recovering for a couple of years; stuck in a pot at some point; survived; trimmed very lightly; maybe wire-brushed and lime-sulfered the deadwood a wee bit at some point, but I think not. How about him? Any rules he's breaking? Was there some requisite "degree of work" I did or did not put in? Any highly laudable "progress" he's made - or still needs to make - that wins him the honor of being a "bonsai" in your mind? Should I even care whether someone thinks this is a true or a good bonsai? Really - should such things matter to me? And, if so, why?!

Another favorite poem captures my thoughts here: the final poem by the great American poet Wallace Stevens (who made his living as an insurance salesman, BTW!)


Of Mere Being

The palm at the end of the mind,
Beyond the last thought, rises
In the bronze decor,

A gold-feathered bird
Sings in the palm, without human meaning,
Without human feeling, a foreign song.

You know then that it is not the reason
That makes us happy or unhappy.
The bird sings. Its feathers shine.

The palm stands on the edge of space.
The wind moves slowly in the branches.
The bird's fire-fangled feathers dangle down.

Grouper,

I'm wiring a JBP, a grafted tree on a Lodgepole trunk, and it has a "yamadori look" to it. And as I was doing this, creating pads and do forth, I thought about your collected tree from Montana. And it doesn't seem to have been styled. Cleaned up and potted, but not styled. It looks chaotic to me.

Which got me thinking that's what we do with bonsai. Bring order to the chaos. Nature is chaotic. We humans prefer structure and order. Some of us prefer more, and some less.

Interesting that bonsai can support both. A Formal Upright should be very orderly. A collected yamadori not so much.

 

[Random User]

Oh that's easy to answer... but, impossible to define precisely.

We, are carbon based units, that, are at our basis, defined by an atomic number. We (in music, poetry, dance steps, design, etc.) relate to numbers on a subconscious level everywhere in our universe.

I'd bet that someone who suffered head trauma to some degree would automatically "go against the grain" and choose a piece of art that the common man would reject, because this numerical process has been interrupted.

But, just like 70's Rock and Roll we get to a saturation level and something new comes along that is different, yes, but also speaks to our brains in some appealing and pleasing numerical context.

Exposure (to almost anything), especially at a young age has a huge impact on this... deprive a baby of all input, with just enough sustenance to live till the age of 20, and you'll get a guy who calls a stick in a pot, "a bonsai". It's pretty simple really, understand?

 

[Random User]

My last post reminds me of a quote from Robert Louis Stevenson, he said:

"Everyman has a sane spot somewhere."

By cracky, I think I just found mine!

 

[Random User]

Anyway, this was fun, I have rested up again, and couldn't find an answer to my question... I might be back in a while again... if not, happy bonsai'n to you all.

 

[Joe Dupre']

Yes, Adair, I just retired a few months back and I guess I AM old!

The trouble with words is that they don't have a carved-in-stone literal meaning. The dictionary describes how words are used, not some absolute meaning. The words "gay" and "queer" used to be used in everyday language and were not offensive to anyone. Boy, has that changed, eh? Words can have different meanings and still be correct.

Anyway, back to rules. :^ ) Rules or guidelines are just a starting point when you are talking about bonsai as an art. Helpful to make someone aware of what looks good and what is good for the tree. The art of bonsai is , in my opinion , different from the craft of bonsai. A bonsai crafted strictly according to the rules may not be as aesthetic as one that breaks a rule or two and just blows people away.

 

[jacob letoile]

I'm very very new to bonsai, but not to this argument. My teacher used to say "you cannot argue about martial arts, you can only fight." To the question of is a stick in a pot bonsai, first define bonsai. Then it is simple to decide if it is a bonsai or not, and not really useful. tautologies are apealing to some though. As a rank beginner I would rather ask "is it beautiful?" I want to make something beautiful. And I think if I can not mistake my effort or pride for beauty I will succeed. And if I make something beautiful I bet it will follow most of the rules, and at least some others will find it beautiful as well.

Thanks for reading
Jake

 

[Anthony]

Beauty is truth unhidden.

The back branch serves to give depth and volume to a Bonsai, as the guidelines go.
Reading and wondering.
Good Day
Anthony

* Would love to show you some images from ------ Drawing and Painting Trees = Adrian Hill [ 1977 ]
Would this be okay @Bonsai Nut ?

 

[Adair M]

Beauty is truth unhidden.

The back branch serves to give depth and volume to a Bonsai, as the guidelines go.
Reading and wondering.
Good Day
Anthony

* Would love to show you some images from ------ Drawing and Painting Trees = Adrian Hill [ 1977 ]
Would this be okay @Bonsai Nut ?

So, Anthony, what do depth and volume do? Why do we need these attributes?

 

[MichaelS]

Here are some more "It depends" for you!

Enjoy!

One of the best videos I've seen. The most important part of which is the fact that if you want a good quality deciduous bonsai you need build the branches SLOWLY and gradually. I've tried to drum this fact into anyone who cares to listen (which is not many). I've drawn countelss sketches for people to illustrate this basic RULE. It is a mistake made again and again and the mistake is even promoted as a ''new way to style'' by some highly respected professionals too. I've seen many examples here and on other forums as well as in clubs. The same basic mistake made over and over. The mistake is: Deciduous branches are shaped with wire as if they were conifers. The rule is: You don't use wire to shape deciduous branches, you use your scissors. Wire is only used to guide the branch once it has set. Depending on the size of the tree there should be at most 1.5 inches added to the end of a branch per year. After that, the branch should move in another direction however subtle. It takes much longer this way to ''finish'' the tree, but IMO it is the only way. Using wire to bring a skinny branch to the projected outline of the tree is a complete waste of time because it will only have to be removed later. It's a RULE that just cannot be broken if success is wanted. Good on Graham for bringing it up.

 

[crust]

But, to play devil's advocate, what exactly is the "degree of work" that must be put in? How is it measured and defined - and by whom?

Similarly, "the amount of progress the tree has made." Progress - ??? Defined and measured how, and by whom?!

View attachment 121247

How about this guy? Collected on a ridge in Montana a few years back; sat in a black plastic bag recovering for a couple of years; stuck in a pot at some point; survived; trimmed very lightly; maybe wire-brushed and lime-sulfered the deadwood a wee bit at some point, but I think not. How about him? Any rules he's breaking? Was there some requisite "degree of work" I did or did not put in? Any highly laudable "progress" he's made - or still needs to make - that wins him the honor of being a "bonsai" in your mind? Should I even care whether someone thinks this is a true or a good bonsai? Really - should such things matter to me? And, if so, why?!

Another favorite poem captures my thoughts here: the final poem by the great American poet Wallace Stevens (who made his living as an insurance salesman, BTW!)


Of Mere Being

The palm at the end of the mind,
Beyond the last thought, rises
In the bronze decor,

A gold-feathered bird
Sings in the palm, without human meaning,
Without human feeling, a foreign song.

You know then that it is not the reason
That makes us happy or unhappy.
The bird sings. Its feathers shine.

The palm stands on the edge of space.
The wind moves slowly in the branches.
The bird's fire-fangled feathers dangle down.

Such an amazing poem--and so ripe and perfect commentary to the subject at hand.

 

[MichaelS]

="Adair M,

Which got me thinking that's what we do with bonsai. Bring order to the chaos. Nature is chaotic. We humans prefer structure and order

.

I think there is a problem with that view. It stultifies. Nature is not chaotic. It is very orderly and governed by the laws of physics however compared to traditional bonsai work, it is also free and almost limitless. Nature has structure too.
The problem when working with bonsai is that we need to re-learn how to ''see'' nature and how to truly appreciate it.
Eg; when we style a pine tree, we are taught that we need to bring branches down. We are told this because the Japanese aesthetic teaches that this is graceful and beautiful. However, there are just as may pines that naturally do not have branches descending but which grow upwards and remain that way for the entire life of the tree. There is a very old Canary Island pine in the botanic gardens in Melbourne. It has ascending branches. It is just as beautiful as any pine you might care to look at.
An example below:



IMO the only pine commonly worked on for bonsai that should have descending branches is the Japanese White pine. Most other species are much more freeform including the Black and certainly the Scots.
So I disagree that for example, directing branches upward on a pine, is ''bringing order to chaos'', it is just conforming to someone else's ''rules'' of beauty. (BTW, I do agree with everyone who says that we should first lean all the rules before attempting to deviate from the norm).

. A Formal Upright should be very orderly.

Again, I must disagree here Adair. Who says a formal upright should be orderly? My definition of a formal upright by the way is a tree with a straight trunk. Nothing more. Most very old formal uprights (the ones which inspire awe in us) are anything but the accepted notion of orderly.

 

[grouper52]

My addess is... Great tree here. What are you planning design wise for the tree?

I'm moving out of country, and all my trees have been sold or given away. This particular one is among the 20 or so that Dan Robinson asked to have for his collection at Elandan Gardens. FWIW, he also sets his own "rules" for his trees, and they are not the boring "1-2-3 triangle with manicured green-helmet" rules that people worship mindlessly, which is why I chose to write/photograph/publish his biography and retrospective.

 

[Adair M]

One of the best videos I've seen. The most important part of which is the fact that if you want a good quality deciduous bonsai you need build the branches SLOWLY and gradually. I've tried to drum this fact into anyone who cares to listen (which is not many). I've drawn countelss sketches for people to illustrate this basic RULE. It is a mistake made again and again and the mistake is even promoted as a ''new way to style'' by some highly respected professionals too. I've seen many examples here and on other forums as well as in clubs. The same basic mistake made over and over. The mistake is: Deciduous branches are shaped with wire as if they were conifers. The rule is: You don't use wire to shape deciduous branches, you use your scissors. Wire is only used to guide the branch once it has set. Depending on the size of the tree there should be at most 1.5 inches added to the end of a branch per year. After that, the branch should move in another direction however subtle. It takes much longer this way to ''finish'' the tree, but IMO it is the only way. Using wire to bring a skinny branch to the projected outline of the tree is a complete waste of time because it will only have to be removed later. It's a RULE that just cannot be broken if success is wanted. Good on Graham for bringing it up.

Agree wholeheartedly!

With the following addendum:

Wire deciduous trees when the new shoots are green, the stems are very soft. Wire with aluminum. They can be easily shaped to grow in the proper new direction and have curves.

The shoots will lignify in 4 to 6 weeks, so that's when you take the wire off. The direction of the branch is set forever. The little curves are forever.

Now, you still have to cut back like you said. So, if you wired out 6 or 8 inches, most of that would get cut off! Keeping only an inch maybe. So, when wiring, make sure to make that first inch of wiring count!

It's possible to grow, wire, unwire, cutback, and repeat two or three times a season.

 

[Random User]

@grouper52

Oh wow... I'd have a hard time getting rid of trees that I spent a lot of time with.

May there always be a little green in your thumb!... and good luck with all your endeavours.

 

[crust]

I have thought a lot about the trajectory of this tree art thing here in the US. I think that the focus on teaching codified styling rules and a set aesthetic has really set things back in the past, and today. Teaching great tree care, the instillation of health, the vast nuance of care and manipulation--these are the things that I think help the most, these are the things I am always trying to learn--I don't need to guru to tell me what looks cool. I'd rather be inspired by what he creates. Most Americans can only seem to teach like lame boy scout leaders (Step 1, step 2, Ok, now it's time for a snack) Beauty and design are tough to teach like this--and completely misguiding and unnecessary anyway. One just has to open their eyes and hearts. It depresses me how little collaboration there is amongst us bonzoists--most are running off to see experts demonstrate or flying off to their masters for personal guidance. There seems to be little upper-level non-professional work being done together. Other countries seem to have figured this out. Maybe Americans are just too dispersed and lame to get there--Sigh.

 

[Random User]

Adair, can I start a new thread and promote a Youtube video series that is "mostly" unrelated to bonsai, or is that against the rules?...

... I do think that it might pique the interest of a percentage of the B'nut crowd...

 

[grouper52]

I like poems, lets keep that going, that was fun.

LOL!

You may enjoy the "Poetry Thread" I started a while back in the Tea House ... It awaits your input!

Interestingly, the Chinese - with whose aesthetic I have always felt more in tune than with rigid Japanese stylization - postulate that proper training for the art of bonsai has nothing to do with visual arts, except Chinese landscape painting and calligraphy, and - more importantly - everything to do with the study of poetry. For the best translations of such, the many works by Red Pine, aka Bill Porter (who lives nearby and whom I've had pleasure to meet recently) are without equal. THAT aesthetic - not some silly set of rules - will do more for your love of, and creation of, bonsai than all the rest of the formal stuff folks here may tell you ... IMHO, of course.

 

[grouper52]

Nature is chaotic. We humans prefer structure and order.

Hi Adair. We don't know each other, but would probably get along better if we actually met ...

My initial thought was, "If you want a human approach to structure and order, go look at skyscrapers in NYC. But if you want the structure and order of nature, go out in nature."

We can argue the pros and cons of these two aesthetics endlessly, but a living thing that supposedly presents natural structure and order to our mind ought to present an actual, natural sense of structure and order, not one imposed by human rules that have little relation to what we might actually find in nature.

 

[Adair M]

LOL!

You may enjoy the "Poetry Thread" I started a while back in the Tea House ... It awaits your input!

Interestingly, the Chinese - with whose aesthetic I have always felt more in tune than with rigid Japanese stylization - postulate that proper training for the art of bonsai has nothing to do with visual arts, except Chinese landscape painting and calligraphy, and - more importantly - everything to do with the study of poetry. For the best translations of such, the many works by Red Pine, aka Bill Porter (who lives nearby and whom I've had pleasure to meet recently) are without equal. THAT aesthetic - not some silly set of rules - will do more for your love of, and creation of, bonsai than all the rest of the formal stuff folks here may tell you ... IMHO, of course.

Here's what Dan Robinson had to say about my very refined, very Japanese, very triangular, green helmet JBP. (Although it has pads, interior depth with interior foliage unlike some "green helmets".)

It's somewhat humorous that about all he could complain about were a couple of pruning scars made a couple decades ago!

Mind you, this tree is the exact opposite of the type of tree Dan prefers.