Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
This thread is for judging the intermediate entries in the 2015 Spring Box Store Challenge. Please refrain from commenting until judging is complete. Thanks everyone!
2015 Box Store Challenge Intermediate Entries
- Thread starter Vin
- Start date
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Entry from fraser67:
Weeping CALLISTEMON viminalis 'Little John' (Dwarf Bottlebrush)
Weeping CALLISTEMON viminalis 'Little John' (Dwarf Bottlebrush)
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Entry from Vin:
Weeping CALLISTEMON (Bottlebrush)
Weeping CALLISTEMON (Bottlebrush)
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Entry from thomas22:
Twin Trunk DURANTA (Duranta)
Twin Trunk DURANTA (Duranta)
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Entry from Paradox:
Informal Upright ILEX crenata (Japanese Holly)
Informal Upright ILEX crenata (Japanese Holly)
Vin
Imperial Masterpiece
Entry from michaelj:
Informal Upright PYRACANTHA fortuneana 'Graberi' (Graber Chinese Firethorn)
Informal Upright PYRACANTHA fortuneana 'Graberi' (Graber Chinese Firethorn)
Walter Pall
Masterpiece
material: good choice, this is good to very good for bonsai. It is already developed nicely with very good ramification. Good for 'instant' bonsai.
Result: nice, looks like an old tree already, rather natural, a bit weeping, which fine and not contived.
Critique: If you do a weeping tree it should weep everywhere. The lower branches on the left and right are not weeping as far as I can see. The very top I am not so happy with. You could have placed one or two upright branches there.
Virtual: this is what you could have done right away, I think. This cold be the future.
Ranking: second best in intermediate group – number 2
Result: nice, looks like an old tree already, rather natural, a bit weeping, which fine and not contived.
Critique: If you do a weeping tree it should weep everywhere. The lower branches on the left and right are not weeping as far as I can see. The very top I am not so happy with. You could have placed one or two upright branches there.
Virtual: this is what you could have done right away, I think. This cold be the future.
Ranking: second best in intermediate group – number 2
Attachments
Walter Pall
Masterpiece
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2) Callistemon
material: very nice, well developed bush with lots of possibilities. Good choice for instant bonsai
result: very nice looking, almost 'finished ' look - also due to the excellent photograph (Folks, while as judge I should ignore the quality of the photograph, I cannot. It is of extreme importance to make the very best kind of photograph in such a contest. It is photographic contest!!!) This tree in a good pot could go an a club show possibly already as soon as in a pot.
Critique: nice weeping, no correction there. Jin a bit too large and not enough taper. Take off half of it. Trunk unfortunately no taper. At least cut off the edge on the left at the end. In the right pot this will be very nice. Unfortunately that's it. It will not change much in the future.
Virtual: small corrections made
Ranking: Best result in intermediate group. - number 1
2) Callistemon
material: very nice, well developed bush with lots of possibilities. Good choice for instant bonsai
result: very nice looking, almost 'finished ' look - also due to the excellent photograph (Folks, while as judge I should ignore the quality of the photograph, I cannot. It is of extreme importance to make the very best kind of photograph in such a contest. It is photographic contest!!!) This tree in a good pot could go an a club show possibly already as soon as in a pot.
Critique: nice weeping, no correction there. Jin a bit too large and not enough taper. Take off half of it. Trunk unfortunately no taper. At least cut off the edge on the left at the end. In the right pot this will be very nice. Unfortunately that's it. It will not change much in the future.
Virtual: small corrections made
Ranking: Best result in intermediate group. - number 1
Attachments
Walter Pall
Masterpiece
3) Duranta
material: good choice, this kind of material can be formed into a n instant bonsai.
Result: nice, good potential. This would be a professional way of treating it. You don't care about present beauty, only future quality counts.
Critique: This tree however, could have been looking good right away with this kind of material, without giving up future quality. I have the feeling that it was tried to make 'bonsai branches', horizontal with 'pads'. This kind of material should never be styled into a standard bonsai form. It always should have a natural broadleaved form. Typically the informal broom form would look good.
Virtual; this you could have made immediately, I believe.
Ranking: number 3 together with others
material: good choice, this kind of material can be formed into a n instant bonsai.
Result: nice, good potential. This would be a professional way of treating it. You don't care about present beauty, only future quality counts.
Critique: This tree however, could have been looking good right away with this kind of material, without giving up future quality. I have the feeling that it was tried to make 'bonsai branches', horizontal with 'pads'. This kind of material should never be styled into a standard bonsai form. It always should have a natural broadleaved form. Typically the informal broom form would look good.
Virtual; this you could have made immediately, I believe.
Ranking: number 3 together with others
Attachments
Walter Pall
Masterpiece
4) Ilex
material: very good choice with lots of potential. Very good for instant bonsai.
Result: interesting and surprising. Out of a born broom form you made a slanting tree. This has a good future and could be something special eventually.
Critique: The way you chose may not have been the best for this challenge. An informal broom form would have been more impressive and was quite possible. The chosen slanting style is also fine, however. But you could have finished the styling. Why stop wiring. EVERYTHING should have been wired for such a challenge. You try to make something looking good right away for a competition. Why not do it if it is so easy?
Virtual: both possibilities. I would have done the broom.
Ranking: number 3 together with others
material: very good choice with lots of potential. Very good for instant bonsai.
Result: interesting and surprising. Out of a born broom form you made a slanting tree. This has a good future and could be something special eventually.
Critique: The way you chose may not have been the best for this challenge. An informal broom form would have been more impressive and was quite possible. The chosen slanting style is also fine, however. But you could have finished the styling. Why stop wiring. EVERYTHING should have been wired for such a challenge. You try to make something looking good right away for a competition. Why not do it if it is so easy?
Virtual: both possibilities. I would have done the broom.
Ranking: number 3 together with others
Attachments
Walter Pall
Masterpiece
5) Pyracantha
material: good choice, but not as good as the others. This is difficult for instant bonsai. It has a lot of green, but way up and you would cut off 95 % of it anyway. The straight trunk is not really bendable and will always be problematic.
Result: nice, a bit formal, triangular, graphically pleasing.
Critique: for my taste was too much 'bonsai ' and too little 'tree'- It has some future like this and will look much better in time. But forever it will look like a 'bonsai' and not like a tree. A broadleaved tree should not be styled to look like a pine. Some will criticize the kink in the branches. This id OK though, as long as you repeat it in all or most branches. You should have wired and styled EVERYTHING for this challenge. Also the smaller branches should be wired if you make such a contrived form it must be contrived everywhere.
Virtual: showing what you possibly could have done right away.. Or at least what will be possible in the near future.
Ranking: number 3 together with others.
material: good choice, but not as good as the others. This is difficult for instant bonsai. It has a lot of green, but way up and you would cut off 95 % of it anyway. The straight trunk is not really bendable and will always be problematic.
Result: nice, a bit formal, triangular, graphically pleasing.
Critique: for my taste was too much 'bonsai ' and too little 'tree'- It has some future like this and will look much better in time. But forever it will look like a 'bonsai' and not like a tree. A broadleaved tree should not be styled to look like a pine. Some will criticize the kink in the branches. This id OK though, as long as you repeat it in all or most branches. You should have wired and styled EVERYTHING for this challenge. Also the smaller branches should be wired if you make such a contrived form it must be contrived everywhere.
Virtual: showing what you possibly could have done right away.. Or at least what will be possible in the near future.
Ranking: number 3 together with others.
Attachments
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Congratulations on winning Vin, and thank you for taking the time to put this on!
Paradox
Imperial Masterpiece
Thank you for the comments, the constructive criticism and the virtual pics Walter.
I guess I didnt see the broom option in my tree, probably because I am not attracted to them as much as other forms.
I guess I didnt see the broom option in my tree, probably because I am not attracted to them as much as other forms.
michaelj
Chumono
Well, I certainly learned how much I still have to learn. I'm hoping that this tree will have vigorous growth this summer and next spring, and I plan to take this advice to heart as I prepare the tree for review in September 2016. Thank you Vin and Walter for taking the time to make this very good exercise come together.
j evans
Omono
Thanks to everyone that entered and Walter for judging. I think that it helps us all to hear critiques of trees especially when we can see the before and after.
fraser67
Shohin
Congrats Vin!! You did a great job with that tree...I like it!! Thanks again for all your hard work putting this together.
Thanks also to Walter!!! I agree with the critique and look forward to taking this tree further down the road
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Thanks also to Walter!!! I agree with the critique and look forward to taking this tree further down the road
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