First time styling -- thoughts on finishing touches on this juniper?

[andrewbels]

For the first time, I went and picked out a juniper from the garden center with the plan of paring it down into a bonsai.

I like the direction it's heading, but would like some advice on where to go from here.

 

[IzzyG]

Maybe start with sharing your initial thoughts/ideas on why you picked the design you chose. What were the decisions made and why. That’ll help frame replies on whether it’s a continuation of your initial design or a completely different primary structure.

 

[justBonsai]

For the first time, I went and picked out a juniper from the garden center with the plan of paring it down into a bonsai.

I like the direction it's heading, but would like some advice on where to go from here.

Welcome to the journey! Bonsai is a deep and can be incredibly enriching art. The first step is just to get started and work on material, so congrats on the making the move.

There is a lot involved in the makings of a bonsai. To simplify it we can break down bonsai art in 2 aspects.

1) Horticulture - A tree is alive so we are bound to the conditions that enable the tree to grow.
Think how work with the growth characteristics of a tree to create branches, maintain health, as well as how the tree responds to our work and the environment. If I cut a branch how will the tree respond? How will getting more or less sunlight on an area affect the growth? Working with the health of a tree and how a tree grows is the basis of all bonsai and the most important part, so it should always be the consideration behind all work.

2) Aesthetic - In general (omitting different styles or bonsai philosophies) people are generally attracted to bonsai in part from its ability to capture nature and to display it in a scaled down, but equally grandiose form. If we follow this motivation, we need elements in our bonsai that make it feel like a "big small" tree. Meaning our building blocks such as branches, movement, foliage pads that make up your design get proportionally smaller relative to a full size tree. Not necessarily saying that we are always emulating nature but framing these elements in smaller scale gives a small tree more impact.

Assessing your tree, you've opened up some branches and started to show some branch lines. This is a start and is means of showing directionality or movement in the tree. It feels "windswept" inspired, although I am not sure if that is your intention. The left trunks all move left with the foliage, but the right most trunk moves right. Generally we can set a theme or tell a story with our bonsai. Have you considered shortening the foliage on the right trunk while maintaining the length on the left trunks to give a net movement to the left and tell the story of windblown influence from right to left?

There are so many more layers, but it is kind of too much to discuss in the start. I will leave you with these questions for your own research.

- How can I create age in my bonsai?
- Can the work I put in now, be built upon in the future?
- What are trees/bonsai I am inspired by?

Some recommendations:

- Seek out a local bonsai nursery, club, or group in your area. Meeting other enthusiasts with more experience as well as physically seeing nicer quality trees can expedite your learning. A good habit is to look at trees you like and think about how it was made. Better yet if you can ask the creator directly who can give you insight into the tree building process.

 

[andrewbels]

Maybe start with sharing your initial thoughts/ideas on why you picked the design you chose. What were the decisions made and why. That’ll help frame replies on whether it’s a continuation of your initial design or a completely different primary structure

I liked the movement of the three trunks in the tree I picked, so I really just started by exposing them and then following their lines as smoothly as possible.

The branches seemed to move around in different directions, and some reaching forward while others reach backward. I liked the idea of this design being very three dimensional in that way.

And the original tree did have a good bit of a windswept look, so that is also seen in the new design, except the one branch goes right which I thought was interesting but maybe completing the windswept design would be more appealing.

 

[andrewbels]

Assessing your tree, you've opened up some branches and started to show some branch lines. This is a start and is means of showing directionality or movement in the tree. It feels "windswept" inspired, although I am not sure if that is your intention. The left trunks all move left with the foliage, but the right most trunk moves right. Generally we can set a theme or tell a story with our bonsai. Have you considered shortening the foliage on the right trunk while maintaining the length on the left trunks to give a net movement to the left and tell the story of windblown influence from right to left?

Thanks so much for your assessment, questions, and recommendations in your full response.

To the point above, yes I did feel the original tree had a windswept appearance which I allowed to come through. Nothing was super intentional with this first try, but the windswept look was a feature I immediately noticed with the original tree.

For this new design I've started, I like your suggestion to shorten the foliage on the rightmost branch to emphasize the right-to-left movement more.

I'm curious... Do you think removing the entire rightmost branch would improve the design?

 

[IzzyG]

I liked the movement of the three trunks in the tree I picked, so I really just started by exposing them and then following their lines as smoothly as possible.

The branches seemed to move around in different directions, and some reaching forward while others reach backward. I liked the idea of this design being very three dimensional in that way.

And the original tree did have a good bit of a windswept look, so that is also seen in the new design, except the one branch goes right which I thought was interesting but maybe completing the windswept design would be more appealing.

Out of all of the style options, windswept is probably the easiest “choice” but the hardest to execute. Easiest choice being you’re able to visualize most trees having a windswept look to them but actually executing that style convincingly requires very strong commitments in that direction. There’s characteristics(or as we all have become used to by now, “nuances”) that defines well executed windswept styling. Obviously similar direction of all foliage and trunk is one but a play on wind characteristics at different topography is another(among others). I have this Bristlecone which is similar in primary structure as yours and it plays off 2 elevations and off 2 primary trunks:




Despite the different elevations, there’s consistency in wind effect on foliage while contrasting the long slender/feminine(literati style) vs the heavier foliage/wider base/masculine(which adds depth to the primary windswept design)

Personally I’d look at either removing the furthest right trunk or involving it back into the same wind direction(while maintaining 3-dimensional spacing you initially talked about)

 

[justBonsai]

Thanks so much for your assessment, questions, and recommendations in your full response.

To the point above, yes I did feel the original tree had a windswept appearance which I allowed to come through. Nothing was super intentional with this first try, but the windswept look was a feature I immediately noticed with the original tree.

For this new design I've started, I like your suggestion to shorten the foliage on the rightmost branch to emphasize the right-to-left movement more.

I'm curious... Do you think removing the entire rightmost branch would improve the design?

Not necessarily, but you can shorten it or bend the branches of that trunk to the left as well which will suggest movement to the left.

 

[Potawatomi13]

If tree is rotated about 90 degrees clockwise would be easier to move all trunks in same direction IF determined to keep as windswept. If 3 main clouds of foliage and possibly keeping most upper(forth)one and redirecting it different style could be done easily.

 

[Potawatomi13]

Out of all of the style options, windswept is probably the easiest “choice” but the hardest to execute. Easiest choice being you’re able to visualize most trees having a windswept look to them but actually executing that style convincingly requires very strong commitments in that direction. There’s characteristics(or as we all have become used to by now, “nuances”) that defines well executed windswept styling. Obviously similar direction of all foliage and trunk is one but a play on wind characteristics at different topography is another(among others). I have this Bristlecone which is similar in primary structure as yours and it plays off 2 elevations and off 2 primary trunks:


View attachment 491311

Despite the different elevations, there’s consistency in wind effect on foliage while contrasting the long slender/feminine(literati style) vs the heavier foliage/wider base/masculine(which adds depth to the primary windswept design)

Personally I’d look at either removing the furthest right trunk or involving it back into the same wind direction(while maintaining 3-dimensional spacing you initially talked about)

Love your Bristlecone. Take good care of it please.