Foemina, Mt. Pine Style

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foe5.jpg

Doing some work today on a Foemina Juniper that was about almost 8 ft tall when I started this morning. Was looking for a Mountain Pine look...

So, got to work applying raffia and bending...

foe4.jpg




foe3.jpg




foe2.jpg


Just set main branching and a couple of secondary branches. I will be taking a lot off this tree, and for now, not looking to do a complete style. Do not want to remove even more foliage than I will be doing refining stuff. Just want to begin to set it on its path... then allow it to grow for a while.

Then got really busy removing stuff !

foe1.jpg

Finished image for now.
Oh, sorry about my finger in the last image... was blocking the light from one of my clamp on lights.
 
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foe1virt.jpg

Was playing around tonight in Photoshop and put together this quick virt to kinda show a path forward as the tree develops...

I like the shortened jin top, makes the whole design feel more compact. I knew I wanted to bring this feature down, but was uncertain exactly where, so I just left it... I like where I have stopping in this virt, so tomorrow will quickly reduce it.

Also, because of the nature of the design of the tree... I will be establishing much looser padding, opting for more of a natural feel, but the virt does show whats possible with the exact branch construction, I have currently set up.
 

aml1014

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There's a tulerosa juniper at my work that I wanted to do something similar with, but not as nice haha good work!

Aaron
 
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There's a tulerosa juniper at my work that I wanted to do something similar with, but not as nice haha good work!

Aaron
Oh, come now... you can do nice work as well! Just takes practice!
 

wireme

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View attachment 118100

Was playing around tonight in Photoshop and put together this quick virt to kinda show a path forward as the tree develops...

I like the shortened jin top, makes the whole design feel more compact. I knew I wanted to bring this feature down, but was uncertain exactly where, so I just left it... I like where I have stopping in this virt, so tomorrow will quickly reduce it.

Also, because of the nature of the design of the tree... I will be establishing much looser padding, opting for more of a natural feel, but the virt does show whats possible with the exact branch construction, I have currently set up.

Nice, I can't help but to feel that I would like it better if a similar canopy was built from the lowest branch only over time. Thoughts on that?image.jpg

Also, did you have to notch the branches at the trunk to get the angle?
 
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Nice, I can't help but to feel that I would like it better if a similar canopy was built from the lowest branch only over time. Thoughts on that?View attachment 118137

Also, did you have to notch the branches at the trunk to get the angle?
You most certainly could establish an apex coming off the first branch and eliminate the upper branch altogether... and perhaps over time as the tree develops, this might end up being the way to go...

At this point leaving the upper branch gives the option of using it, or removing it. It works, and can help accomplish the style that we are going for. Which is that everything else on the tree died, and now the tree is shooting up another apex on the stuff that is still alive, and trying to grow tall again.

Notching wasn't needed here... the branches were just wrapped with raffia, wire was wrapped as well to introduce movement, seeing the branches were not just brought straight down. Guy wires were used to hold the position.
 
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whats the nebari development like on these fomina's?
In this case... I am sure it will be a pain in the ass! This is a tree I am working on for a local bonsai nursery... that obtained it from an "expert", that never heard of developing his stock along the way... while growing it out.

So, his stuff is always a pain to work on! I am sure this tree has sat the past 20 years in this pot. So, it will be a disaster, and will take many years to get it down into a very shallow pot.

But, Foemina can over time allow for a very shallow root base.
 
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I like the direction your going with this. The virt is really nice. I refer to your threads all the time. You do have a creative eye.
Thanks, I appreciate it!

Sometimes it isn't always easy to come up with a solution to the problem of what to do with a particular piece of material. Especially since a lot of the material I work on is rough and has not been developed yet as bonsai stock. But, that's all part of the challenge...
 

M. Frary

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a lot of the material I work on is rough and has not been developed yet as bonsai stock.
When I look at something uninteresting at a nursery I actually try to think what Sawgrass would do with it.
You can take a piece of crap and turn it into something most people really like.
I still put most back. But reading your threads and seeing what can be done with just about any piece you work really helps me decide.
Thank you Stacy.
 
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I like most of your work but the two pieces feel detached.
Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it!

By two pieces are you referring to the trunk and the composition of foliage/branches and how they work together as a unit?
The two branches?
Or the padding going up and padding going down?

Not quite sure, I understand what you feel is detached.
Thanks in advance, let me know and I would be more than happy to discuss it!
 

drew33998

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The trunk and the foliage. It just seems like two different compositions. But art is subjective right?
 
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The trunk and the foliage. It just seems like two different compositions. But art is subjective right?
I understand what you are saying... Often the problem when styling a tree such as this is that you are working with what is there. And in some cases, there is nothing there. So, you have to just begin to set the tree in Motion to have a jumping off point.

Looking back at the virt I created, that I originally liked when I did it and posted it up... I now don't like it! It looses all of the trees natural feel. I also don't like the shortening of the dead trunk... it looses it curve back to the left, which kinda centers the tree and gives it stability.

So, I think the tree and its design most certainly still need work and figured out. This is for sure!

Often, what I find solves this is just backing away from it for a while, allowing what is there to grow out, and assessing at that point in time whats available.
It always seems to work its way out!
 

herzausstahl

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@sawgrass I've read on here a lot that junipers don't like losing a lot of foliage at a time. I'm still new to working on trees, can you explain why you weren't afraid to remove what looks like 50-75%? Does the time of year factor into it? By that I mean that if I'm correct the tree should already have transferred a good amount of energy to the roots in preparation for winter. Am I off the mark with that? Thanks!
 

Wilson

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I would love to see this tree in the future, real nice design! It reminds me of so many trees I have seen in the mountains, like @M. Frary said, you got the eye for this stuff!
 
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