Jan Culek Pitch Pine

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I just wanted to share this with the forum. This is a collected pitch pine (pinus rigida) that Jan Culek styled at our club meeting two weeks ago an Nature's Way Nursery.

An interesting note is that when he wires pines he always lets the wire on long enough to become about halfway embedded in the bark. Interesting technique!
 

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AlainK

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OK with the wire biting into the bark, pines can stand that.

So maybe you use thick wire to give the trunk more movement...

?
 

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He only really wired up the top 1/3 of the trunk on this one. It was mostly just the branches. It was a really great collected specimen. He barely took off any foliage at all.
 

Colorado

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Really nice material.

But what is going on with that bottom right branch? The arc is very distracting.

The upper branches come off the trunk, and down. The bottom branch should come down at the same angle, or at a more downward angle if you ask me. Should be an easy fix.

Awesome tree!
 

coh

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Really nice material.

But what is going on with that bottom right branch? The arc is very distracting.

The upper branches come off the trunk, and down. The bottom branch should come down at the same angle, or at a more downward angle if you ask me. Should be an easy fix.

Awesome tree!
I think that (bottom right) branch might be removable.

Edit to add...or perhaps shortened by half.

One issue I see is the three branches on the right side are pretty much equally spaced. Adding some asymmetry by either removing one of them or bringing that lowest branch down more might help.
 

CasAH

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He did a demo last week at Hidden Gardens here in Chicago on a big ponderosa pine, about 14” across the base. Did a nice job on it. Did not get any pics as I had to run right at the end.

If he is near you(PortlandBonsai club) he is well worth seeing, very good at answering questions and explaining what and how he does various techniques.
 

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He actually did two trees the day before for Nature's Way's open house. This picture was a ponderosa he did In the AM. I wasn't able to watch the whole thing though. But I saw this one the next day (should have took an after photo)
 

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I think that (bottom right) branch might be removable.

Edit to add...or perhaps shortened by half.

One issue I see is the three branches on the right side are pretty much equally spaced. Adding some asymmetry by either removing one of them or bringing that lowest branch down more might help.
He did make them different angles so maybe it's my photo angle.

He is not a traditional Japanese style guy but he sure is an artist.
 

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Mr. Culek is doing a proper tour across the US! On the 26th he is the Bonsai Society of Portland headliner.
He did mention he was going other places. That's great to hear. We need to make sure he enjoys his stay so he comes back!
 
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