The Tree Thread

[BobbyLane]

@Eric Group Hi Eric, nope ive not thought about shortening the tree, its heading towards a literati type style, the canopy could even be brought lower so will see....

Here's a Field maple in training, there is a thread here on its progress, its primary branches are all set and have movement, just branches to thicken up a bit and develop ramification etc
IMG_2157 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_2158 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

 

[Adair M]

A few pics of my Ume:

As shown last January:



Before work in June:



Well, I had actually cut back the long stems when I remembered to take a picture.

After wiring;



You really can't see the wiring, it's done primarily on the base of the branches, not out at the tips.

 

[AlainK]

Lucky man!

A beautiful tree, but don't take it bad, I think that the dead wood on the left is sill too massive.

I mean, it looks like the wind has blown from the left and killed the part on this side. If so, when the wind don't blow, the rain, the sun, the critters will damage this part further, even creating holes in the dead wood (a spectacular effect that is not so often seen ). The part on the right being the most protected will develop. The branches there can be caught in the wind from the left, but are protected by the dead wood. what's more, "ume" grows in a country where there is snow in the winter, so the branches are bent down...

The overall idea of how I see this tree's story. and I would also turn it slightly from the right to the front, and try to have the same shades of grey on either sides:

 

[Adair M]

That's a good image, Alain. Maybe a bit too whispy, but yeah, something like that could work.

I make no pretenses of being a talented carver! As I was carving, the image of a dragon's head sort of appeared, complete with a knot where the eye should be. So, I stopped. The back side still has the bark on it.

It used to look like this:



So, I think I've improved it. It will take some time.

One thing I know is once I carve off the wood, I can't put it back on!

 

[AlainK]

Maybe a bit too whispy

Sure! I forgot to add: "If I could see the tree in real life"

Just my 2 €cents' worth

 

[Adair M]

Sure! I forgot to add: "If I could see the tree in real life"

Just my 2 €cents' worth

Oh, they're always better in real life!

I was surprised last January when Boon told me he wanted to show it! I was thinking it was still a work in progress.

I carved it last November. Actually, I had stopped carving to get his opinion on the work so far, and when he stepped outside, he said, "Oh! You made a dragon!" I said, "Yeah". And then he said, "That's enough for now. Go inside and wire Black Pine!"

Lol!!!

So, I dusted myself off, and did just that. Here's a pic just after carving:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Big fat Ilex.

 

[Eric Group]

Oh, they're always better in real life!

I was surprised last January when Boon told me he wanted to show it! I was thinking it was still a work in progress.

I carved it last November. Actually, I had stopped carving to get his opinion on the work so far, and when he stepped outside, he said, "Oh! You made a dragon!" I said, "Yeah". And then he said, "That's enough for now. Go inside and wire Black Pine!"

Lol!!!

So, I dusted myself off, and did just that. Here's a pic just after carving:

View attachment 114477

I see the Dragon! Pretty cool...
That Ilex is CHAWNKY @Brian Van Fleet
@AlainK you owe us a tree pic!

Most recently reported Azalea from the group I chopped on last year... Probably my favorite so far of the ones that have gone into Bonsai pots... This one or the Gumbi...
Edit: BTW... Sure do miss @cascade !!

 

[Vin]

Big fat Ilex.

I thought you sold that one.

Somewhat fat Ilex:

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

I thought you sold that one.

Nope, I could be talked into selling it...but not into shipping it! Kinda like this RMJ.
Yours is a good one!

 

[ghues]

Small shore pine (Pinus Contorta Contorta).....in grow pot for now. Wiring very loose and sloppy as I just wanted to gently hold the branch (which are very fragile) positions.

 

[Milly]

Just wanted to say how I enjoy this thread.

A little olive trunk I'm building branches on. About 6 inches tall.

 

[mattspinniken]

Great thread, this White Cedar is no show stopper but I enjoy it. first pic is spring 2014, second pic is today.

 

[BobbyLane]

Some great trees folks!

Here's the 'Windy' Birch i posted earlier, its since been slipped onto a slab and is improving all the time, the second smaller tree is an Alder, Alnus glutinosa very seldom used for bonsai, it came free with the Birch so why not
IMG_2187 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_2190 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_2181 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_2176 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
Alder is in fact part of the Birch family and who knows, maybe i could try these two together on a slab one day..

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

Fat little ficus. Getting shorter all the time. Never got around to repotting it this year, maybe next year.

 

[Adair M]

Some great trees folks!

Here's the 'Windy' Birch i posted earlier, its since been slipped onto a slab and is improving all the time, the second smaller tree is an Alder, Alnus glutinosa very seldom used for bonsai, it came free with the Birch so why not
IMG_2187 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_2190 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_2181 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
IMG_2176 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr
Alder is in fact part of the Birch family and who knows, maybe i could try these two together on a slab one day..

Bobby,

Your windswept is better than many that I've seen attempted. You can improve it, though. Shouldn't be too hard, you've got a good start.

Let's take your birch... The trunk relative to the branches is pretty heavy. So, for a trunk to lean that much due to wind, it has to be pretty strong! Which means that the wind would really be blowing the slender branches in the direction it is blowing, all in the same direction. Yet, I see some branches hanging down a bit, some up...

The way you want your branches is something like this:



See how they're all parallel?

There's really two kinds of windswepts. One type is where the tree is caught in a storm, and the wind is temporary:



And the other is a tree growing where the wind is constant:



To make an effective bonsai, you have to decide which type of windswept you're depicting!

 

[jriddell88]

@Adair M @BobbyLane there is a great article in bonsai today issue 97 page 26, there is much more than just constant wind and a caught In a storm, much more artistically

 

[thumblessprimate1]

A chojubai at Mr. Kobayashi's place. Trunk is as big as my thigh, which is as big as dome you yall's biceps.

I didn't get to see him, but I got a book autographed by the master. He's at the barber getting ready for another trip to Europe. He'd just gotten back. Busy man.

 

[BobbyLane]

Bobby,

Your windswept is better than many that I've seen attempted. You can improve it, though. Shouldn't be too hard, you've got a good start.

Let's take your birch... The trunk relative to the branches is pretty heavy. So, for a trunk to lean that much due to wind, it has to be pretty strong! Which means that the wind would really be blowing the slender branches in the direction it is blowing, all in the same direction. Yet, I see some branches hanging down a bit, some up...

The way you want your branches is something like this:

View attachment 115490

See how they're all parallel?

There's really two kinds of windswepts. One type is where the tree is caught in a storm, and the wind is temporary:

View attachment 115491

And the other is a tree growing where the wind is constant:

View attachment 115492

To make an effective bonsai, you have to decide which type of windswept you're depicting!

Hi Adair, thanks for your comments and advice....I understand the different concepts of a convincing windswept, i did initially attempt to design a slightly windy tree, but agree that the severe bend in the trunks warrants a more severe styling of the branches, however i dont think its that far off, i read somewhere about creating a sort of umbrella effect where some of the upper branches will tend to slightly rise up as the wind although severe, will also blow slightly upwards. anyway, the styling was done while in leaf, so in winter will assess properly and will likely tweak it in places...
this is the tree before, it already had some characteristics which prompted me to attempt this style
IMG_1550 by Bobby Lane, on Flickr

i read from a couple articles
http://bonsaibark.com/2013/03/23/mister-windswept-bonsai/

http://bonsaibark.com/2011/05/16/windswept-bonsai-critique/

heres one that kind of has the umbrella effect i spoke of

this one has a very severe bend but the upper branches tend to rise a little in the wind

think there are so many stories to be told re wind blown trees that maybe nothing is set in stone, but there are certain elements that need to be followed, but for example, a tree could of been blown by severe wind in the early stages of its life and as the wind has eased up in time, some of the branches dont depict the earlier severity. ill do a thread on this trees progress later in season..

 

[Giga]

going through some old pictures and I found a couple I like