Andrew Robson
Shohin
Unfortunately most people always do!
Japanese Beech Forest
- Thread starter MACH5
- Start date
Unfortunately most people always do!
Andrew Robson
Shohin
Sergio,
Your accent was quite good. Very natural feeling. I do think that it was a bit out of scale to work with the beech forest, but on its own I agreed with Young that it was one of the best accents in the show.
The accent plantings at every exhibition I've been to in the US have been quite disappointing. The biggest problem I see is people putting them together right before the show. Accents, like bonsai, should have age, and 99% of people miss this!
Forests are hard to portray scale in display, since you have the dwarf azalea on the beech, I would suggest finding some small bronze figures next time you show this tree. I think that would give a better sense of scale.
I really love this forest, keep up the good work!
Andrew
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks Andrew, and good to see you here! Fair point with regards to the accent being out of scale. When I composed it, I knew it was too large but despite being tall, it was also thin and delicate. I felt it wasn't visually too distracting or imposing. It did not bother me and used the argument of perspective to justify its size; we stand closer to a tall grassy area (accent) while we see the forest in the distance. But again, I do understand that technically it was too big/tall. And yes, even visually for some, it was too much.
For the winter show this weekend, I plan on using a simple grass accent. This one is much smaller and should go well with the forest. I will use once again the acrylic table and jita that brought some discussion between the "haters" and the "lovers" at the Nationals!
Andrew Robson
Shohin
Looking forward to seeing pictures from the show this weekend!Thanks Andrew, and good to see you here! Fair point with regards to the accent being out of scale. When I composed it, I knew it was too large but despite being tall, it was also thin and delicate. I felt it wasn't visually too distracting or imposing. It did not bother me and used the argument of perspective to justify its size; we stand closer to a tall grassy area (accent) while we see the forest in the distance. But again, I do understand that technically it was too big/tall. And yes, even visually for some, it was too much.
For the winter show this weekend, I plan on using a simple grass accent. This one is much smaller and should go well with the forest. I will use once again the acrylic table and jita that brought some discussion between the "haters" and the "lovers" at the Nationals!
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
I bet that with the tree being out of leaf, the clean look of the acrylic will be even better.
Don Blackmond
Omono
My guess is that when this group was started, the individual trees didn't have much of a root system so planting them closely together was not an issue. Beech, unlike many other species, don't always respond well to heavy root work (Japanese beech are more forgiving than American Beech). Once planted together, the roots intertwine and fuse and become a common source, so your concern about compromising root systems becomes a moot point.
But, as Sergio says, the issue then becomes balancing energy so the dominant trees do not ruin the submissive trees. Lack of airflow and light will eventually kill interior branching and smaller trees if you don't do something about it. You can reduce the number of leaves, and you can cut (across) leaves in half, in order to address air/light issues. Beech do grow differently than many deciduous trees. For instance, dense Japanese Maples can be defoliated to address air/light issues, yet you would not do that to your beech tree.
Bolero
Omono
Thanks for the info Don, appreciated...
Hoping Mach5 Medals at Kannapolis this weekend, I think his simple Grass Kusamono will help...
It would be awesome to see a "Bonsai Nut" Medal...Not to mention his Japanese Beech is a Worthy candidate.
http://www.winterbonsai.net/
Hoping Mach5 Medals at Kannapolis this weekend, I think his simple Grass Kusamono will help...
It would be awesome to see a "Bonsai Nut" Medal...Not to mention his Japanese Beech is a Worthy candidate.
http://www.winterbonsai.net/
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MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
This is key! Beech is very apically dominant (this includes tips of branches). Even more so than other deciduous species such as maples. The aim is to have all buds to have roughly the same strength. The strong ones must be cut off (usually in late winter) to redistribute the tree's energy and prevent dieback of the weaker areas. Another aspect to be aware of that makes these species more challenging, is the fact that they will abort branches sometimes at will.
And yes, as Don said, NEVER defoliate a Japanese beech. Instead cut leaves in half going straight across. Very effective with no "side effects". I did this around the entire canopy this past year but I cut them at an angle to make them blend better. It is a bit more time consuming but otherwise for a show it will look ugly.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Bolero, thank you so much for your vote of confidence! I do appreciate it.
With that said, I am going in with absolutely zero expectations. This show has quickly become a top tier show with some top tier pros now showing their stuff as well. I am just happy to be able to participate and be part of a great event while meeting old and new friends alike. Should be fun!
M. Frary
Bonsai Godzilla
You're right up there with them Sergio.
You have some fantastic trees.
Don't be selling yourself short.
Lars Grimm
Chumono
Having seen this tree in person, I can confidently claim that the pictures don't do it justice. I actually really liked the acryllic stand. The lighting and backdrop of the show were not ideal, but the use of the acryllic stand allowed you to see shadows from the trunks underneath. I think the use of shadows is an additional design element that might deserve additional attention in the future. Perhaps a display that included lights and a different colored table would emphasize this further.
JudyB
Queen of the Nuts
It's also as if the marble behind was made to frame the tree just so. What a lovely composition.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Thanks Judy! I had the pleasure of meeting and talking to Lars, discussing the white marble and the harsh shadows created by the spotlight above. In my opinion it unfortunately did not do much to bring out the best qualities of the composition. In effect, it minimized them and the shadows created weird shapes that I thought were distracting. It's probably because in my studio, I am used to working with natural, soft light. When we took it backstage for Joe Noga to photograph it against a black backdrop, the forest looked markedly better.
Regardless, you get what you get and that's that!
Beautiful venue to be sure!Interesting story. Bill came around Saturday morning to see all the displays. He looked at the forest and said to me: "I would have done something different". He thought that I should have left a few more leaves on the apex of the tallest tree to balance things out a bit better. With that said, when it was taken to be photographed, me and Gabriel (helping out Joe Noga), started to manually place leaves carefully on some of the top branches. Inevitably, they all kept falling off and after 30 minutes of trying we finally had a few and stopped. All the while, Bill was watching intently, directing where leaves where to be placed! It must have looked like an incredibly silly activity for anyone catching a glimpse of three grown men fussing over and balancing tiny dead leaves on tiny branches!!
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Brian Van Fleet
Pretty Fly for a Bonsai Guy
Congrats on winning Best In Show with your beautiful forest, Serg!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
0soyoung
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes, indeed. Congratulations.
May I call you Speed?
May I call you Speed?
10-brink
Mame
Interesting story. Bill came around Saturday morning to see all the displays. He looked at the forest and said to me: "I would have done something different". He thought that I should have left a few more leaves on the apex of the tallest tree to balance things out a bit better. With that said, when it was taken to be photographed, me and Gabriel (helping out Joe Noga), started to manually place leaves carefully on some of the top branches. Inevitably, they all kept falling off and after 30 minutes of trying we finally had a few and stopped. All the while, Bill was watching intently, directing where leaves where to be placed! It must have looked like an incredibly silly activity for anyone catching a glimpse of three grown men fussing over and balancing tiny dead leaves on tiny branches!!
That's hilarious. I had wondered if you had partially defoliated or not. My beech seem to lose a few leaves from the wind or whatnot but most stay attached until the spring.
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Yes, indeed. Congratulations.
May I call you Speed?
Well that would be Mr. Speed to you Oso!
MACH5
Imperial Masterpiece
Brink, I did not. The main tree lost almost all of its leaves on its own. So it was not an aesthetic decision that I made but rather from Mother Nature.
In the end it did not really bother me like it did to Bill. Putting on a few leaves for the photo looked good too. EDIT: Bill caught the whole thing using the video camera of his IPhone. I believe he may be posting it somewhere or... he will use it as blackmail!
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