American elm raft - pot opinions

BrianBay9

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I’ve been working on this for a couple of years and I’m starting to like it. What are your opinions on the pot size? I kinda like the way the tree spills over the edge of the pot. I’m thinking maybe the pot should be smaller. Opinions?
 

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Shinjuku

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My two cents -

I really like how the tree is spilling over the edge of the pot, and I think it would be a lot less interesting in a smaller pot. If it were in a smaller pot, it would be obvious why it’s spilling out of the pot - the pot is too small. Where’s the mystery in that?

But this pot has plenty of room, and the tree is still trying to get out. Why is that? It can’t be because of the lack of room in the pot. Is it trying to get away from something in the pot? Is the tree reaching toward something next to the pot? Is this one trunk trying to flee from the other trunks? If so, why is that? The larger pot creates space for more questions and a deeper story for the tree to tell, and that is interesting to me.

I wonder what the display would be like with a nice accent plant. Could that trunk be reaching out to connect with the accent plant?

Is it trying to escape that spacious pot because it’s reaching for a beer can next to the pot?

I like it.
 

amatbrewer

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I am far from qualified to judge but as I am trying to refine my ability at objectively viewing trees, I want to comment before being influenced by others opinions. Hope you don’t mind.
Based entirely on my own personal tastes and what I find pleasing to my eye, I like the size of the pot and placement. Having it hang only slightly over the edge adds a hint of drama that I don’t think a smaller pot would. Kind of the like the theatrical idea of “breaking the forth wall”. It can be wonderful when done carefully and/or as a surprise, but tedious when overdone.
I am on the fence about the color of the pot. On one hand I really like the pot a lot, and the colors seem to be in harmony with the tree. I can see why you chose it. On the other hand I find my eye repeatedly drawn to the pot making it hard to really appreciate the tree itself, not entirely sure why. It could be just the picture.

I know you did not ask about the structure of the tree, so at the risk over overstepping, to my eye the winter silhouette is a tad long (leggy?). Could it be just the picture? I would love to see it in foliage.
Finally I know you did not ask about this either, so it maybe something you are working on, but I am not fond of the blunt cut on the end of the dead wood. Are you planning to carve that, or maybe let it age into a more pleasing shape over time?

FYI this tree is better than anything I have in my collection…so you may not want to put any weight in my opinion. ;-)
 

TomB

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In my view it needs a shallower, wider pot than the current one. A slab would also work well. The current pot overpowers the slender trunk in terms of its visual weight, though the colour is OK.
 

WNC Bonsai

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Get yourself a rock slab or make one out of concrete. I think rafts look great sprawling across an open expanse of rock or slab. John Geanangel has a noce looking elm raft on a slab which you can see on his Youtube channel.
 

BrianBay9

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I am far from qualified to judge but as I am trying to refine my ability at objectively viewing trees, I want to comment before being influenced by others opinions. Hope you don’t mind.
Based entirely on my own personal tastes and what I find pleasing to my eye, I like the size of the pot and placement. Having it hang only slightly over the edge adds a hint of drama that I don’t think a smaller pot would. Kind of the like the theatrical idea of “breaking the forth wall”. It can be wonderful when done carefully and/or as a surprise, but tedious when overdone.
I am on the fence about the color of the pot. On one hand I really like the pot a lot, and the colors seem to be in harmony with the tree. I can see why you chose it. On the other hand I find my eye repeatedly drawn to the pot making it hard to really appreciate the tree itself, not entirely sure why. It could be just the picture.

I know you did not ask about the structure of the tree, so at the risk over overstepping, to my eye the winter silhouette is a tad long (leggy?). Could it be just the picture? I would love to see it in foliage.
Finally I know you did not ask about this either, so it maybe something you are working on, but I am not fond of the blunt cut on the end of the dead wood. Are you planning to carve that, or maybe let it age into a more pleasing shape over time?

FYI this tree is better than anything I have in my collection…so you may not want to put any weight in my opinion. ;-)

Yeah, the trunks still need development. I want it to be light, but not leggy in the final form. And yes, I'll do something with the blunt end of the raft eventually.
 

BrianBay9

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In my view it needs a shallower, wider pot than the current one. A slab would also work well. The current pot overpowers the slender trunk in terms of its visual weight, though the colour is OK.

I agree. A thinner pot or slab would look better. Thanks.
 
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