One First Matter All
Mame
Obviously, the answer could be (and likely is) "both." I am especially interested to hear how you view, not a particular bonsai tree, but rather your collection as a whole. So, for instance, I imagine bonsai artists want to create an "oevre" in and across their trees, and so choose (1) tree species, (2) pot types (traditional Japanese v. American), (3) styling decisions, etc. in order to create a certain aesthetic to the overall garden (much the way that all Monet paintings, while different, still attest to his overall vision), whereas I imagine bonsai hobbyists tend to focus their efforts more tree-to-tree, with less of an emphasis on the big bonsai picture (i.e., a "let's see what I can do with this tree" mentality).
Thoughts?
Thoughts?