EUROPEAN BEECH (red cultivar)

What I love in Sergio's progression threads is inspiration. He seems to be able to contradict some of the "rules" in a very compelling way. Everybody keeps repeating... put it in the grow box for few years... grow the trunk... don't show anything less than 5 inches on the base... Sergio just shows a totally different approach to bonsai... I'm not trying to say he doesn't have big, fat beasts in his collection... I'm sure there is plenty... but at the same time he keeps surprising me (and I'm relatively new here so still a lot of threads to read) how you can make something extraordinarily beautiful without necessarily following all of the usual perceptions that many people have.
 
Adamski77 said:
What I love in Sergio's progression threads is inspiration. He seems to be able to contradict some of the "rules" in a very compelling way. Everybody keeps repeating... put it in the grow box for few years... grow the trunk... don't show anything less than 5 inches on the base... Sergio just shows a totally different approach to bonsai... I'm not trying to say he doesn't have big, fat beasts in his collection... I'm sure there is plenty... but at the same time he keeps surprising me (and I'm relatively new here so still a lot of threads to read) how you can make something extraordinarily beautiful without necessarily following all of the usual perceptions that many people have.
Click to expand...

I’m not sure I would identify this as a rule-breaking tree. It’s just more youthful than the typical well-refined tree. That said, I see what you mean about “rules” for trunk development and the preference for ‘taters. This tree doesn’t conform to that trend.

I say this because I think it’s important to draw a distinction between rules and stylistic preferences. To draw an analogy to writing, it’s not a rule of grammar to avoid ending a sentence in a preposition. When I do, it’s still clear what I’m writing about. (See what I did there?) It just sounds less formal. That said, it’s not always easy to spot the difference, and there’s a lot of gray area, so I suppose it’s safer to err on the side of treating style advice as a hard rule.

I try to remember it’s important to master the rules in order to break them effectively. It’s easy to get caught up in the complexity of the material and forget the basic guidelines. When you do, it’s easy to get lost. Things tend to move from a state of order to chaos on their own, so imposing a moderate measure of order on the creative process keeps it in balance, especially when the subject matter involves a living being, which throws an additional layer of complexity into the mix.

Of course, that makes it all the more effective to see someone break the rules effectively.
 
Gabler said:
I’m not sure I would identify this as a rule-breaking tree. It’s just more youthful than the typical well-refined tree. That said, I see what you mean about “rules” for trunk development and the preference for ‘taters. This tree doesn’t conform to that trend.

I say this because I think it’s important to draw a distinction between rules and stylistic preferences. To draw an analogy to writing, it’s not a rule of grammar to avoid ending a sentence in a preposition. When I do, it’s still clear what I’m writing about. (See what I did there?) It just sounds less formal. That said, it’s not always easy to spot the difference, and there’s a lot of gray area, so I suppose it’s safer to err on the side of treating style advice as a hard rule.

I try to remember it’s important to master the rules in order to break them effectively. It’s easy to get caught up in the complexity of the material and forget the basic guidelines. When you do, it’s easy to get lost. Things tend to move from a state of order to chaos on their own, so imposing a moderate measure of order on the creative process keeps it in balance, especially when the subject matter involves a living being, which throws an additional layer of complexity into the mix.

Of course, that makes it all the more effective to see someone break the rules effectively.
Click to expand...
I agree with you here. Bonsai is an art form and like all art forms, there are only guidelines, not rules.

True talent is the ability to create something aesthetically pleasing using what you have, and a thin-trunked tree can have just as much visible impact as a thicker-trunked tree, as Sergio has proven so perfectly in this example…
 
Adamski77 said:
What I love in Sergio's progression threads is inspiration. He seems to be able to contradict some of the "rules" in a very compelling way. Everybody keeps repeating... put it in the grow box for few years... grow the trunk... don't show anything less than 5 inches on the base... Sergio just shows a totally different approach to bonsai... I'm not trying to say he doesn't have big, fat beasts in his collection... I'm sure there is plenty... but at the same time he keeps surprising me (and I'm relatively new here so still a lot of threads to read) how you can make something extraordinarily beautiful without necessarily following all of the usual perceptions that many people have.
Click to expand...
It reminds me of a quote from from music theory class ages ago when I was in high school. In reference to jazz music "You have to know the rules before you can break them." I think it definitely applies to any art form. I break the rules all the time, in fact I've probably broken more bonsai rules than I actually know, lol.

Beautiful work as always, Sergio. It is both inspiring and disheartening at the same time. As it reminds some of us how much more there is to learn despite how far we may already have come. I mean that as a positive though. It's good to have a reality check now and then, lol.
 
Vinnie Charity said:
I agree with you here. Bonsai is an art form and like all art forms, there are only guidelines, not rules.
Click to expand...

I'm not saying there's no rules. On the contrary, I'm saying that until you are certain you understand why a rule exists, you should not break it. That said, there are also guidelines masquerading as rules, and it can be difficult to ascertain which is which. I think the impact of this slender-trunked tree demonstrates that the "ideal" girth of trunk is more of a guideline than a rule. Many bonsai aim to portray an impossibly ancient tree with a massive girth relative to its height, at a ratio never seen in nature, but there's nothing wrong with realism in tree proportions.
 
MACH5 said:
Fall update:

Not much to report except the tree continues to grow and develop really well. Next spring will be repotted probably into the same container. I really enjoy its tall, graceful and feminine appearance.

View attachment 462273

View attachment 462274




And here she's dancing with a Japanese maple!

View attachment 462275
Click to expand...
She had good fall color this year! And have always loved her naked. 😁
 
Looking great! You and @JudyB tag-teamed on a winner.😂
That fall color shot is special. Leaves and pot color play so nice.
 
Brian Van Fleet said:
Looking great! You and @JudyB tag-teamed on a winner.😂
That fall color shot is special. Leaves and pot color play so nice.
Click to expand...

Thanks Bri! As this tree has developed I think now I needs a different pot. Namely one with taller, more pronounced feet. The current pot I think worked well for a while but it sits a bit flat for my taste. Will probably go for similar color though.
 
Cruiser said:
Nice contrast between the pot and fall foliage color. Vibrant.
The creaminess of the trunk is a pleasing transition between the two.
Click to expand...

Thanks! I think if the soil was mossed would be an even better transition : )
 
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