Help with the aesthetics on an Elm
- Thread starter grizzlywon
- Start date
noissee
Mame
The idea I drew my virt from actually was a deciduous tree in Bonsai techniques II. My virt looks like a pine because I used the drawing feature on photobucket, which, combined with my lack of drawing ability looked like it had pine-like foliage pads.
grizzlywon
Shohin
- Messages
- 259
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- USDA Zone
- 9A
In my newbie eyes, this looks really good. It also uses the branches I already have on the left side of the tree.
What do you guys think if this design?
If we go this way, I will have to think about taking an air layer off the top! I just have such a hard time cutting a branch off that is 1/2"+ and throwing it away. I know its a problem!
grizzlywon
Shohin
- Messages
- 259
- Reaction score
- 5
- USDA Zone
- 9A
Update
Last weekend I spent a few hours with Al at one of our club meetings and he recommended making the tree into a Bunjin style. I wired the apex down as another branch. I also pruned it back a lot and got rid of some branches. First pic what it looks like now. Second is kind of what I think Al was suggesting with a lame virt borrowing a branch from Noisse.
What do you guys think of this? Obviously I didn't draw in what the top or second trunk would look like so use your imagination.
Last weekend I spent a few hours with Al at one of our club meetings and he recommended making the tree into a Bunjin style. I wired the apex down as another branch. I also pruned it back a lot and got rid of some branches. First pic what it looks like now. Second is kind of what I think Al was suggesting with a lame virt borrowing a branch from Noisse.
What do you guys think of this? Obviously I didn't draw in what the top or second trunk would look like so use your imagination.
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Hi Grizz. You have really done a good job with this elm. From an esthetic standpoint, it looses it's harmony with the two branches going in oppostie directions. ie. the lowest branch goes up (I like that lower branch) and the top left branch goes down. I personally find that this upsets the tree's harmony. I think Cascades third virt. (the 3rd post) looks the best.
grizzlywon
Shohin
- Messages
- 259
- Reaction score
- 5
- USDA Zone
- 9A
Thanks Dave, me too. I'm also trying to understand the "rules" that others have stated in this thread as they have been doing this for a lot longer than me. I'm here to learn as much as I can and part of learning for me is not just knowing what to do, but why we do what we do in Bonsai.
rockm
Spuds Moyogi
Bunjin design is not an easy thing to do.
It has, unfortunately, become the "fall back" for material that lacks obvious qualities for other designs. It is so with this tree, I fear. The trunk isn't suited to be a bunjin or literati just because it's too tall and rather thin.
The branch placement in the virts are awkward and will only get more awkward as times passes. The foliage pads that an elm produces are far too thick and lush for such an austere design--you will have your work cut out for you should the tree regain its vigor and begin pushing alot of growth--healthy elms need drastic thinning two or three times during the growing season, or their foliage becomes extremely congested--well out of character for the austere look needed to pull off a bunjin.
Were this mine, I would chop it two thirds of the way down. Remove the "second trunk" (which is not really a trunk, but a branch that emerges too low on the trunk to be of much use as a branch or a trunk). After tht, I'd wait to see where new buds pop. Select a dozen or so two years from now and go for the virt that Plant Dr. suggests.
I apologize if all this sounds rather harsh. It's not meant to.
It has, unfortunately, become the "fall back" for material that lacks obvious qualities for other designs. It is so with this tree, I fear. The trunk isn't suited to be a bunjin or literati just because it's too tall and rather thin.
The branch placement in the virts are awkward and will only get more awkward as times passes. The foliage pads that an elm produces are far too thick and lush for such an austere design--you will have your work cut out for you should the tree regain its vigor and begin pushing alot of growth--healthy elms need drastic thinning two or three times during the growing season, or their foliage becomes extremely congested--well out of character for the austere look needed to pull off a bunjin.
Were this mine, I would chop it two thirds of the way down. Remove the "second trunk" (which is not really a trunk, but a branch that emerges too low on the trunk to be of much use as a branch or a trunk). After tht, I'd wait to see where new buds pop. Select a dozen or so two years from now and go for the virt that Plant Dr. suggests.
I apologize if all this sounds rather harsh. It's not meant to.
davetree
Omono
I would cut it way back also. It could make a nice small tree, but I think just an average tall tree. It's an elm, you can grow the new branches and apex in a year or two easy.
