Ruddigger
Omono
A couple more hours on this one. It’s been too hot to do much work outside lately.
Rudd’s Pseudo-Apprenticeship at Bonsai Jidai
- Thread starter Ruddigger
- Start date
Hartinez
Masterpiece
I like this one. Multiple apex look is nice. Plus I like the few low, small branches you kept. It’ll be nice when you delineate the deadwood and live vein
Ruddigger
Omono
Everything is wired, the apex on the right tree still needs to be adjusted. I started cleaning the live vein but ran out of time for the day.
Ruddigger
Omono
Apex adjusted and live vein cleaned up a little. 
Ruddigger
Omono
It was a laid back day today. Just twisted up some rooted Itoigawa cuttings. 
Hartinez
Masterpiece
That big juni came out great Rudd. Love a good multi trunk tree.
Ruddigger
Omono
Thanks brother.
Cajunrider
Imperial Masterpiece
Agree. That tree is gorgeous.
ZombieNick
Shohin
Saw you finished this one last week, I snapped a photo of it looking good in the garden:
Ruddigger
Omono
This California Juniper was previously worked by Sensei Nguy, and the live vein was separated from the vertical deadwood and bent down and around.
Original front as chosen by Sensei Nguy.
I don’t like the look of the separated live vein being so obvious from the front, so I chose to flip sides.
You can see the live vein running up the trunk from the soil on this side, but the deadwood is less interesting. The separated live vein is much less obtrusive though.
We carved the deadwood with a combination of chainsaws, die grinders, and chisels.
Then we cleaned up the deadwood, lime sulfured it, and I unwired it and set to work getting that separated live vein closer to the trunk. The gap where it arched before bending back down was annoying me. I removed one major branch that was not needed and put it to bed for the night. Wiring tomorrow.
Original front as chosen by Sensei Nguy.
I don’t like the look of the separated live vein being so obvious from the front, so I chose to flip sides.
You can see the live vein running up the trunk from the soil on this side, but the deadwood is less interesting. The separated live vein is much less obtrusive though.
We carved the deadwood with a combination of chainsaws, die grinders, and chisels.
Then we cleaned up the deadwood, lime sulfured it, and I unwired it and set to work getting that separated live vein closer to the trunk. The gap where it arched before bending back down was annoying me. I removed one major branch that was not needed and put it to bed for the night. Wiring tomorrow.
Shogun610
Masterpiece
I thought that was a tanuki until I saw the live vein .. cool tree
Ruddigger
Omono
Wired it up this morning. It needs to grow back branches near the trunk.
ZombieNick
Shohin
Ruddigger
Omono
Remember this one from page 1 of this thread that I did two years ago?
Well here it is after two years of untouched growth.
Last time around I was not allowed to cut off any major branches. This time around, I didn’t ask for permission. After unwiring it got an angle change, and I removed the bottom right branches to change the direction of the tree from right to left. It’ll need one more day of wiring before it’s done.
Well here it is after two years of untouched growth.
Last time around I was not allowed to cut off any major branches. This time around, I didn’t ask for permission. After unwiring it got an angle change, and I removed the bottom right branches to change the direction of the tree from right to left. It’ll need one more day of wiring before it’s done.
Hartinez
Masterpiece
Atta boy Rudd. Dope work per usual brother. Getting more and more pumped to hang for the PBE!
Ruddigger
Omono
Here’s a tree that our club worked on in January 2024. We carved the deadwood and then split and bent the live vein.
Today I assisted Sensei Nguy in the first styling.
Today I assisted Sensei Nguy in the first styling.
bonsaiwood
Mame
That is a badass photo of your sensei doing work. Man this looks like fun
Ruddigger
Omono
Finished up this one. It could use a little more scissor work to really clean up the lines, but it’s 100° outside, and I called it quits. 
NateDyk47
Shohin
Looks amazing! Is this your tree, sensei's, or a client's?Finished up this one. It could use a little more scissor work to really clean up the lines, but it’s 100° outside, and I called it quits.
