If you don't like perfect cookie cutter junipers, then don't look at this.

[fore]

Brian, I see you use small wood boxes, but I am surprised at how deep they are...like in photo Pondy1 potting 2 picture. I put two field grown trees in 8" deep wood boxes and I had a hard time with moisture retention (using turface, lava and grit). Do you have similar issues?

 

[elliott]

awesome

I like it!! this artist shows a good understanding of creating foilage pads. The fact the pads are all different size and shapes (some are cocave or convex on the bottom, some are long, some short, and different distances apart getting closer together as you get up into the top), prove this is not a cookie cutter tree, There is alot of work here, much more than meets the eye. I would tweak a few things, but that's cause I don't share the same brain with the artist.
I would love to see more from this person's collection. I live in the los Angeles area. There is only one person around here who can put together trees of this refinement.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Brian, I see you use small wood boxes, but I am surprised at how deep they are...like in photo Pondy1 potting 2 picture. I put two field grown trees in 8" deep wood boxes and I had a hard time with moisture retention (using turface, lava and grit). Do you have similar issues?

No, I stuffed this box with Styrofoam, creating a false bottom. The soil was only about 5" deep. That box was an audible as it wouldn't fit in anything else, but turned out to be very good for the tree. I also packed Styrofoam blocks around the sides of Anderson flats so they didn't get much extra soil.

 

[fore]

So you just put styrofoam on bottom with 5" soil...I'm guessing so you didn't have to take the box apart and cut the sides down to 5"? It's a good idea to use the styrofoam blocks in boxes with newly collected material though Brian, cuts down on any moisture retention problems.

Rob, I too love your trees. I'm a lover of both formal japanese design, and naturalistic styling. Whatever is going to make the tree shine in the end is what it's all about no?

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I would love to see more from this person's collection. I live in the los Angeles area. There is only one person around here who can put together trees of this refinement.

That tosho is done by Shinji Suzuki:
http://bonsaitonight.com/2009/04/12/taikan-bonsai-museum/
http://www.yudanaka-shibuonsen.com/bonsai-nagano-japan-shinji-suzuki

I suspect quite a few people out your way possess the ability to refine trees on this level, whether they're in the public eye or not is another issue...

 

[elliott]

To JKL

Hi
Regarding a tree that has knarley deadwood along with a lush healthy, canopy- Robert Stevens who is a prominent artist from Indonesia, wrote a bonsai book called mission of transformation. It's mostly trees with tortured trunks, but paired with healthy foilage. They almost all look like the trunks and deadwood grew on the harshest mountain top and foilage came out of a tropical greenhouse.
He puts forth the theory of a tree that grew in an enviroment, suffered a severe, life threatening setback, such as lightning, fire, avalanch, disease, flood, etc, and the tree through it's will to survive, lives, changes direction of growth and recovers to a healthy state while showing the scars of its struggle to live in the face of a sudden, trajic event.
In that light, this tree and Walters magnificent example are believable.

 

[elliott]

Refined foilage pads

Brian
In the Los Angeles area, there is only one person that I have seen that is at that "world class level" and I have been looking for 18 years ( fortunatly, Im lucky to be one of the very few that get to take lesson's from him).
In LA, there are many famouse bonsai people ( notice I said people, not artist's ). If there are other's with the skill to do trees like this, they are certainly not associating with anyone else and definatly not showing any trees.
This is only my opinion and there are some good artist's, but not great.
In Northern California, it's a completly different story. Bonsai gets better and better as you go up the west coast of the US culminating in the portland area.

 

[Attila Soos]

Brian
In the Los Angeles area, there is only one person that I have seen that is at that "world class level" and I have been looking for 18 years

Are you thinking of Tak Shimazu?

BTW, I don't think that it is a matter of lack of skill, the reason why you don't see those pads here in L.A. It is a different approach to bonsai, here in So. California. It's a more relaxed, enjoy-the-hobby type of approach.
Anybody who has a high skill level, can do those pads. It's not rocket science. But when you have such a complex series of so many pads, the tree becomes very high maintenance. An average person has little time to maintain that kind of tree, and one cannot afford a dedicated professional to keep the tree in shape. So, instead, we choose a much more simplified pad structure, whith significantly lower maintenace requirement.

I am estimating that the number of pads on that Suzuki tree are in the range of 80 - 100 pads. That's an insane amount of pads, and work to maintain it. There is no way that I would be willing to keep such a tree in my backyard, even if I was getting it for free. It's basically a full time job. Having up to 15 well placed pads on a tree is more than enough for me. That's because I like to have a variety of trees, and having a very small number of high-maintenance trees is not something that I would pursue. And most bonsaist are of similar view. A small collection is not something they want.

In Japan, it's a different story. You have hundreds of bonsai professionals, and each one has a nursery with 3 or 4 slaves working for him. Here, on the other hand, slave labor is illegal. One has to follow the minimum-wage laws and Obamacare. It's a different situation alltogether.

 

[Dan W.]

There are some trees on Michael Hagedorn's blog with very impressive pads that he's developed. -- here's a link: http://crataegus.com/2012/07/22/cryptomeria-and-foemina-juniper-year-two/

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

There are some trees on Michael Hagedorn's blog with very impressive pads that he's developed. -- here's a link: http://crataegus.com/2012/07/22/cryptomeria-and-foemina-juniper-year-two/

And guess who he apprenticed under...

 

[october]

Here are some examples of naturally styled pines. The first one is by Walter Pall. The second one might be as well, However, there was no artist attached to the pic.

I posted the third pic becasue I have never seen a pine like this.. Also, it is a mugho pine.. Yup, this astounding, uniquely remarkable tree is a mugho.. I have been saying for years... Do not count out Mugho pine as a great bonsai candidate. Vance Wood has known this for a long time...

Rob

 

[Dan W.]

Hey Rob, both of the first two are for sure Walter P. trees.

That last one is crazy!

 

[Attila Soos]

Hey Rob, both of the first two are for sure Walter P. trees.

That last one is crazy!

Yes, the second one is also Walter.

 

[october]

ya, I thought I remembered seeing that second tree about a year or so ago. It stod out in my mind when I first saw it. In fact, when the question was asked to show a natural style pine, that one had come to mind. I did a search and found it. It is truly a natural style. You don't shwo the pot and there is almsot no way to tell that it is a bonsai and not a full size tree in nature.

 

[Attila Soos]

Here is one from the Takagi.

 

[Attila Soos]

Another one from Takagi.

These are Japanese bonsai....au naturel.

Just a note here: the two Japanese bonsai have a bunjin element to them. Especially the second one. The first one is a cross-over between styles. So, the easiest way to approach the naturalistic style from a traditional perspective, is to create bunjin bonsai. It is my favorite style, by the way. There is nothing like a great bunjin. Nothing can match the originality. This is why it's rare to see outstanding bunjin in exhibits.

 

[Attila Soos]

Here is one clinging to a rock...
Very naturalistic..
Not from the Takagi.

 

[Attila Soos]

Here are some examples of naturally styled pines.

Spectacular tree, but I would not call that Mugo "natural lookig". It is "too good to be true" looking.
But the two Walter trees have a certain degree of awkwardness in them, in an endearing way. Very unpretentious.

 

[october]

Beautiful trees Atilla, I love that seond one with the bunjin fell. Also, My favorite style is the bunjin. Actually I have 2, the informal upright and the bunjin. However, there is just something about a well done bunjin that has that magic.

One of my favorite bunjins is the Kimora Bunjin. Actually, this is one of my favorite bonsai ever. Here is a pic.. Man, I love this tree.

For a simple post, this thread has become quite entertaining. Thanks to all that have participated and keep it coming.

Rob

 

[Attila Soos]

One of my favorite bunjins is the Kimora Bunjin. Actually, this is one of my favorite bonsai ever. Here is a pic.. Man, I love this tree.

Yes, that is magic.

I knew about this tree, but completely forgot about it. Thanks for bringing it back.