Initial styling of Juniper

[GroveBonsai]

I did an initial styling on this Juniper tonight. I didn’t want to push this tree much further. It has just started growing green tips for this season. It’s been a little slow to recover from last falls repotting from nursery stock. I know that junipers rely on their foliage for health so I stopped here. I’m sure I’ll refine it more in the future. I think i heard a quote once in bonsai that went something like “either it lives or it dies”..........hope it lives. Haha . Open to suggestions.

@the_grove_bonsai

 

[GroveBonsai]

Tweaked the apex to go to the left. That made way more sense to me.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

Right now things are a bit messy and leggy, but I understand that can be the case with early styling of junipers. A couple of comments:

First, a little deadwood goes a long way. Watch your jins if they are dead straight, because they tend to draw the eye away from the design. Additionally, they will look out of character with the tree if you wire interesting movement into your branches and leave a bunch of straight jins.

Second, make sure you wire interesting movement into your branches Your apex has two sections that, even if the lines are in the right place, are made up of two dead straight sections. Try to always give your branches a little movement, because that is what you would expect to see in nature in an old tree viewed from a distance. Straight growth is a sign of young growth.

 

[GroveBonsai]

Right now things are a bit messy and leggy, but I understand that can be the case with early styling of junipers. A couple of comments:

First, a little deadwood goes a long way. Watch your jins if they are dead straight, because they tend to draw the eye away from the design. Additionally, they will look out of character with the tree if you wire interesting movement into your branches and leave a bunch of straight jins.

Second, make sure you wire interesting movement into your branches Your apex has two sections that, even if the lines are in the right place, are made up of two dead straight sections. Try to always give your branches a little movement, because that is what you would expect to see in nature in an old tree viewed from a distance. Straight growth is a sign of young growth.

Thank you! Those are all great pointers

 

[PeaceLoveBonsai]

The lower part of the tree has some interest. How about taking all that foliage off the bottom? Or did you have a different plan for that?
The second suggestion I would have is to style it completely. It may feel like you are pushing the tree, but it’s actually not. Further, by styling the tree completely you begin to form the ramification process. Finally, it takes practice to become good at it and this is the type of tree that would be great practice.
Good luck and keep us posted!!

 

[SeanS]

I find the tree to be very busy. There are a lot of branches, jins, foliage. Battling to really see the tree or get a definite image of what the trees is or what it’s been through. Could you lose some of the branches and simplify the design?

 

[GroveBonsai]

I tried to clean it up and simplify this tree this afternoon

 

[River's Edge]

Just to throw out a suggestion! I would simplify the base losing the two distracting trunks. Shorten the tree, retaining the best movement and natural taper with a branch coming off near the possible front. Then allow to grow out and develop from the four remaining branches, wiring them to complement design. The cut back will undoubtably create many other branch opportunities! Note: I am generally opposed to straight sections on junipers.

 

[GroveBonsai]

That’s something i had never considered. Thank you. I’ll settle on this for now but if it never feels right I’ll definitely explore that option!