Literati Penjing - Lodgepole Pine

[WEI]

Dedicated to my late grandfather - a soldier, statesman, industrialist, and calligrapher who left in his shadow a tangled legacy.

This lodgepole pine, a North American species not found in East Asia, speaks to his grandchildren scattered far beyond his home. The final composition will feature a joint calligraphy and penjing display from two generations of the same family.



I styled it throughout the course of roughly half a day, with an eye as much on abstraction, if not more, than portraying a forlorn tree in the mountains. That said, I oriented many branches (live and dead) to suggest the harsh burden of snow. Looking out, there's a couple years to shorten needle length, refine the pads (especially the leftmost), and allow the trunk to bark up more.

Original orientation; initial tilt; initial sketch before beginning work (I couldn't find paper, and the cardboard was right there)

 

[nuttiest]

What is the pot in your drawing - conceptual something you are going to do?

 

[Colorado]

Very cool! Also interested in the pot you have in mind.

 

[WEI]

What is the pot in your drawing - conceptual something you are going to do?

Very cool! Also interested in the pot you have in mind.

this is actually an existing style by Mike Viljak at Chapparal Ceramics. there's a couple of his pots on Mirai for $$$. I'm not particularly stuck on that design for this tree, but it was interesting to conceptualize on paper.

pic for those interested:

 

[BrightsideB]

this is actually an existing style by Mike Viljak at Chapparal Ceramics. there's a couple of his pots on Mirai for $$$. I'm not particularly stuck on that design for this tree, but it was interesting to conceptualize on paper.

The pot design is neat. Gotta go check them out. I like your rendering!

 

[nuttiest]

It does convey the industrialist vibe you were looking for.