Mugo Pine from Pavel Slovák

Lee Brindley

Lee Brindley

Yamadori
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Location
Cheshire, UK
Last month Pavel Slovák visited the UK to take part in the annual Burrs Bonsai Workshop in Manchester which I was to attend. With him he brought a Mugo Pine for me that he collected in the mountains near his home in the Czech Republic four years ago. I am very pleased with the way the pine has turned out. Please feel free to comment on the styling or offer a pot suggestion.

For more info and photos from Burrs, plus a video of some of Pavel's work, visit my blog at http://yamadoriartuk.blogspot.co.uk/

Before...
enmt.png


Pavel at work...
w1nd.jpg


After...
mq35.jpg
 
Last edited:
Thanks for sharing.

I see a new "tool" addition to try...zip ties!!! :D
 
Lee Brindley said:
Last month Pavel Slovák visited the UK to take part in the annual Burrs Bonsai Workshop in Manchester which I was to attend. With him he brought a Mugo Pine for me that he collected in the mountains near his home in the Czech Republic four years ago. I am very pleased with the way the pine has turned out. Please feel free to comment on the styling or offer a pot suggestion.

For more info and photos from Burrs, plus a video of some of Pavel's work, visit my blog at http://yamadoriartuk.blogspot.co.uk/

Before...
enmt.png


Pavel at work...
w1nd.jpg


After...
mq35.jpg
Click to expand...

You are a lucky man; Pavel is a great artist and does some great work with Mugos. This one is particularly nice.
 
Poink88 said:
Thanks for sharing.

I see a new "tool" addition to try...zip ties!!! :D
Click to expand...

Hi Dario. Pavel used zip ties not only to help bend the branch and hold it in position, but also as protection against breakage during bending. The branch was bound tightly with raffia, then electrical tape and then a number of zip ties around the branch to help hold the wood fibres together and avoid splitting. Pavel is a true master at performing big bends on Pinus.
 
Lee Brindley said:
Hi Dario. Pavel used zip ties not only to help bend the branch and hold it in position, but also as protection against breakage during bending. The branch was bound tightly with raffia, then electrical tape and then a number of zip ties around the branch to help hold the wood fibres together and avoid splitting. Pavel is a true master at performing big bends on Pinus.
Click to expand...

Lee,

Yep...an idol of mine and I used to follow lots of his before and after styling progression in his blog. Not bad for a self taught guy ;) ...said in jest because lots of people seem to not believe Pavel can exist.

You are lucky to have this tree. :)

Thanks!
 
Very nice! Watched the video as well. Now I want to wire something!
 
Smoke said:
With watching this exercise with a mugo and limited branches.....what could be learned from this?
Click to expand...


I sense a challenge.

Seems to me that mugos are tougher and can handle more than some people give them credit for. I think Vance knows that though.

I still have to watch the video. I havent had a chance yet.

In any case, Pavel is very talented and has done some amazing things.
 
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Definitely one of the finest bonsai artists today.
 
I have seen progressions/before and afters where Pavel creates masterpieces from trees that have only one branch. I have actually followed his work for quite a while. Besides Kimura, Pavel is one of the most taleneted individuals when it comes to extreme bending.

Rob
 
october said:
I have seen progressions/before and afters where Pavel creates masterpieces from trees that have only one branch. I have actually followed his work for quite a while. Besides Kimura, Pavel is one of the most taleneted individuals when it comes to extreme bending.

Rob
Click to expand...

I agree Rob, the guy is almost magic.
 
Gotta admit that I didn't see that coming out of that first photo. Really marvelous result.
 
I just do not see it. Not trying to insult Pavel, and I am sure by the accolades in this thread he has a noteworthy resume, but this tree does nothing for me. It looks sparse yet not sparse enough to be a literati, it looks very unbalanced and one dimensional. After all I see here about perfect shapes and great shari-jin work this looks unfinished, like something a newbie would post here and everyone would rag on them about the lack of branching, the smooth dead wood work needing finished, lack of even a 2nd dimensional view etc. Also is he attempting a slant style or a semi-cascade? I only ask as I have been told repeatedly that the upright part and a cascading part just does not work.... and is not that upper branch too thick for the top area?
ed
 
woodguy said:
That quality wiring can do a lot with a little.
Click to expand...

Give that guy a cigar. People don't need to open them up and wait for more buds. They need to wire them and put the branches you have where you don't have branches and bring all of it down.
 
edprocoat said:
I just do not see it. Not trying to insult Pavel, and I am sure by the accolades in this thread he has a noteworthy resume, but this tree does nothing for me. It looks sparse yet not sparse enough to be a literati, it looks very unbalanced and one dimensional. After all I see here about perfect shapes and great shari-jin work this looks unfinished, like something a newbie would post here and everyone would rag on them about the lack of branching, the smooth dead wood work needing finished, lack of even a 2nd dimensional view etc. Also is he attempting a slant style or a semi-cascade? I only ask as I have been told repeatedly that the upright part and a cascading part just does not work.... and is not that upper branch too thick for the top area?
ed
Click to expand...

Good grief Ed, you certainly are entitled to your opinion but this was unexpected. For a first styling I think this tree is remarkable.
 
edprocoat said:
I just do not see it. Not trying to insult Pavel, and I am sure by the accolades in this thread he has a noteworthy resume, but this tree does nothing for me. It looks sparse yet not sparse enough to be a literati, it looks very unbalanced and one dimensional. After all I see here about perfect shapes and great shari-jin work this looks unfinished, like something a newbie would post here and everyone would rag on them about the lack of branching, the smooth dead wood work needing finished, lack of even a 2nd dimensional view etc. Also is he attempting a slant style or a semi-cascade? I only ask as I have been told repeatedly that the upright part and a cascading part just does not work.... and is not that upper branch too thick for the top area?
ed
Click to expand...

Ed, I think you're worrying too much about 'rules' &/or stylistic classifications and not looking enough at the tree.

Amazing work.
 
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