Oval or rectangle? Cypress Forest

[edprocoat]

G3on5IA Guy, I like ovals on forest plantings better than rectangle but I think the slab planted ones are the best looking, almost like being there in nature with the forest.

The 4 tree's would work better in my opinion if the little tree was out front and towards the center. My Reason, it would look like you were approaching a stand of trees that had spread naturally, the seedlings fell away from the tree. In nature a little tree right under a big one would struggle for light and would have to grow away from the big one,seeking out light or die.

Nice trees by the way.

ed

 

[edprocoat]

This is what I think would be nice.

baldvirt by edsnapshot, on Flickr

ed

 

[fourteener]

Just my .02.

Back to the number of trees. The less trees used, the harder it is to get a natural feel. With four trees you'll always see 2 and 2. Then some one shows a forest with over 20 trees and wants us to count. At that point no one is counting and even odd doesn't matter anymore.

I would suggest two things, the biggest tree should be slightly in front of the others in such a small numbered group. It adds to perspective...trees smaller in the back. Then the other pair on the other half of the pot slightly behind the mid line. I would take out the fourth tree. It's not really adding anything and the matchy matchy nature of two and two freezes the eyes and keeps you from moving up and down the multiple heights. The real issue to me is that the height differential is more interesting than number of trunks.

Art is about movement. It's easy to understand with a single tree and that's why we like trunks with movement. The biggest problem with forest platings is that you have to create movement in different ways. One way to stop movement is to have two sets of two trunks, three sets of four, even three of three(9 odd #).

Movement in forests is front to back depth with multiple heights. Otherwise all you have is a bunch of trees mindlessly jammed into a pot. But don't plant them in a way that causes the eye to freeze at a point and forget the rest. The point of odd numbers is not the number itself, but the fact that our eyes rest when we find matches. Odd numbers cause tension which makes the eyes move.

It is a principle of art that goes beyond bonsai.

 

[daytona1911]

Maybe you don't like the placement of the small one BECAUSE of the even number? Just thinking out loud. Love the size btw

 

[fourteener]

Maybe you don't like the placement of the small one BECAUSE of the even number? Just thinking out loud. Love the size btw

No it's the art principle of odd equals tension. Tension equals movement. Movement equals excitement.

If an art teacher was teaching a class to draw or paint this they would say the same thing. It really is a principle of art, not just bonsai.

 

[fourteener]

The original question is about the pot. Most people have voted for the oval. I would always vote for an oval with a forest planting as well. Much for the same reason as the odd number. Forest plantings remind me of islands here in MN. No harsh edges, just pleasing rounded off shore lines.

The squared off edges of a rectangle feel like it takes this scene in nature and puts an abrupt square end to a gentle pleasing compostition. The gentle end makes me think there could be more to the story but this is all we get to see, so take it in.

Scenes are about making things look natural. I think the two trees that are together in this group are excellent. There is an interplay between them. I think the large tree could be a little closer to them. As someone already wrote, it seems like they have separated (told not to play with each other). To me all this interplay gets frozen having two here, two there. I love forest planting because it's all about how a bunch of individuals work together. Each individual part of a bigger whole. Sometimes forest plantings pull that off sometimes they don't. This is just my opinion, sorry I'll stop now.

 

[Schoolya]

In reference to you stating wanting a natural style(not being odd or even), when I go tree cruising for cypress, the smaller ones I am after are generally in a line, out in the deeper water. I find the bigger trees are usually around the shore, with the smaller, younger ones deeper, usally forming a almost line. Here is to pictures as an example. These are from a few days ago, 2 different locations(mile or so apart). The one picture I am standing kneed deep in water, looking out to the center of the lake. You can see the line of smaller trees. Second one I am in deeper water, looking into land, among the line of smaller trees. (which is pretty far away). I will be harvesting some of these tree for a forest(swamp?) I plan. Want 3 larger trees in a group, with several smaller in a semi line, NOT going around the larger trees. I think it has to do with the availability to light.

ps if you are wondering about all the grass, this lake just last year filled back up after 6 years of being empty. It is about a 180 acre peat bottom lake, private property.

pss adding a 3rd photo, of a map of the location of the first photo, and the direction i took it. You can kind of see the line of tree(the lake is the the "dry phase"). I know this is kind of off topic to the pot shape, but you where talking about natural looking setting, and this came to mind.

I vote for oval.

 

[xray360]

I feel like we are getting off topic here but..

ok Vance, how about 3 and 1...still 4 but no longer 2 and 2...does that still break your rules?

Personally I could careless about the 4 tree thing...I am not Japanese or a xenophile so the death connotation has no relevance. Admittedly it is more difficult to arrange 4 trees in a pleasing fashion but as long as the group works for me I am not to worried about how many trees are used. Something is going to change with this planting, I am just not sure what it will be yet. I would like to continue to use the smallest tree for perspective but its best location needs to be determined.

Perhaps if this pot was a rectangle there would be more room to arrange the trees...nah I will stick with the oval...I just wish it was 2" shallower.

John

I vote for oval, and I like the photoshop of the 1 - 3 composition. Even though it's even in the pot as a whole, the 1 big tree complements the 3 and vice versa. There is a nice balance without it being symmetric.

 

[BigDave]

I vote for oval, .

You might not care about cost ... but oval is usually easier to find and cheaper, a long rectangle with dead straight sides,
ewww, hard to make

heres one of mine with the opposite problem all very same in size