Ponderosa styling critique

[Jaberwky17]

I need to preface this post by saying that this is my first complete tree wiring and style. First image is as purchased from Andy Smith last year. The tree is growing very well and pushing good new growth at all tips. The main idea is to reposition the pot at its next repotting and place the trunk a little more vertical. As the foliage thickens over time the canopy will fill out. As I’m sure all of you have done, after looking at the styling for a few days I see some immediate changes that I feel are necessary.

The virt shows two main changes – the small branch growing out of the far top right apex of the “elbow” is distracting and needs to either go or be wired into a position that it doesn’t compete with the crook of the trunk direction change. Not sure this is possible. The other change is to bring the lowest branch up much further and get that foliage into the rest of the mass to create a more unified canopy. This branch is actually the farthest back when looking at this “front”, so moving it up should be easy.

One more thing I didn’t virt is that I think I can continue to tighten that guy wire and get the trunk direction reversal a lot tighter, Upper branches will have to be adjusted to keep needle tips up. Finally, I see some areas where my wiring could be a lot tighter. Some of the loose wire happened after I started tightening the guy wire.

Comments and critiques welcome.

 

[Vin]

One more thing I didn’t virt is that I think I can continue to tighten that guy wire and get the trunk direction reversal a lot tighter, Upper branches will have to be adjusted to keep needle tips up. Finally, I see some areas where my wiring could be a lot tighter. Some of the loose wire happened after I started tightening the guy wire.

Comments and critiques welcome.

I like it and agree with bringing upper trunk in tighter and maybe even lower. However, this is where I'm "stuck" right now in my journey into bonsai - styling. I'm sure more qualified Nutters will chime in and give some great critiques. I'll be watching to see if they agree with what I see. Great job!

 

[Poink88]

... this is where I'm "stuck" right now in my journey into bonsai - styling. ...

This is true for most of us and sadly, most of us may never move much farther than where we are now w/o "proper" training.

If we work hard by ourselves, I am sure we can inch up over the years...

Here is a recent post by Pavel Slovak in facebook. He is a self taught artist (I admire).

After 3 years... (and he is not done yet).

 

[Vance Wood]

This is true for most of us and sadly, most of us may never move much farther than where we are now w/o "proper" training.

If we work hard by ourselves, I am sure we can inch up over the years...

Here is a recent post by Pavel Slovak in facebook. He is a self taught artist (I admire).

After 3 years... (and he is not done yet).

Could you post a link? I hope Pavel is not posting only to Facegook exclusively now, I don't do facebook.

 

[Poink88]

Could you post a link? I hope Pavel is not posting only to Facegook exclusively now, I don't do facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=738177256220551&set=pcb.738177462887197&type=1&theater

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=738177286220548&set=pcb.738177462887197&type=1&theater

 

[Vin]

This is true for most of us and sadly, most of us may never move much farther than where we are now w/o "proper" training.

If we work hard by ourselves, I am sure we can inch up over the years...

Here is a recent post by Pavel Slovak in facebook. He is a self taught artist (I admire).

Damn that's beautiful! I want to call Pavel a bad name - in jest of course

 

[Poink88]

Jaberwky17, sorry, didn't mean to hi-jack your thread.

 

[october]

Could you post a link? I hope Pavel is not posting only to Facegook exclusively now, I don't do facebook.

Vance, here is Pavel's website. Also, you will need to translate the pages. I don't have facebook either.

Rob

http://www.bonsaivigi.cz/

 

[october]

I need to preface this post by saying that this is my first complete tree wiring and style. First image is as purchased from Andy Smith last year. The tree is growing very well and pushing good new growth at all tips. The main idea is to reposition the pot at its next repotting and place the trunk a little more vertical. As the foliage thickens over time the canopy will fill out. As I’m sure all of you have done, after looking at the styling for a few days I see some immediate changes that I feel are necessary.

The virt shows two main changes – the small branch growing out of the far top right apex of the “elbow” is distracting and needs to either go or be wired into a position that it doesn’t compete with the crook of the trunk direction change. Not sure this is possible. The other change is to bring the lowest branch up much further and get that foliage into the rest of the mass to create a more unified canopy. This branch is actually the farthest back when looking at this “front”, so moving it up should be easy.

One more thing I didn’t virt is that I think I can continue to tighten that guy wire and get the trunk direction reversal a lot tighter, Upper branches will have to be adjusted to keep needle tips up. Finally, I see some areas where my wiring could be a lot tighter. Some of the loose wire happened after I started tightening the guy wire.

Comments and critiques welcome.

The third pic is the virt? So the tree actually looks like pic 2?

Rob

 

[Jaberwky17]

The third pic is the virt? So the tree actually looks like pic 2?

Rob

Correct. The 3rd pic is the virt.

 

[Dav4]

If this were mine, I'd be shooting for a literati style. I would want to pull the cascading branch down further and closer to the trunk. Then, I'd reduce the foliage by 50% and create the canopy from maybe 2 branches. Nice stock by the way.

As far as the wiring is concerned, it is a bit sloppy, but not a bad job at all, particularly with copper. I don't think you need to redo it if that was your concern.

 

[Dav4]

Tried to find and image...kinda like this

 

[Rose Mary]

Nice pondy and well on the way to a nice literati..look forward to seeing this tree as the foliage develops.
I have some collected pondys but the bark isn't nice like yours. How old is is the tree?

Rose

 

[october]

Correct. The 3rd pic is the virt.

I like Dav4's suggested image. Even if you don't have foliage pads in the front of the trunk, but close, I think it will be a nice tree. Also, your virt is nice. I think it just needs to be pulled in closer to the trunk.

Rob

 

[Jaberwky17]

Bingo

Tried to find and image...kinda like this

Almost exactly what I was talking about. Let the trunk be the feature and the foliage is an accent. Right now my foliage design takes over. thanks

 

[Stan Kengai]

Does the top branchlet, the larger on that is going against the movement of the whole branch, not bother anyone else? I would remove it. I would bring the lower branch up to the rear to form depth, put more movement in the branches (if you can) to compact them, and bring the whole branch down and closer to the trunk.

Of course, don't do any of this now, unless you want to remove something. Bending a branch one way and then re-bending it in another can separate the bark from the xylem and kill the the branch.

 

[Jaberwky17]

Nice pondy and well on the way to a nice literati..look forward to seeing this tree as the foliage develops.
I have some collected pondys but the bark isn't nice like yours. How old is is the tree?

Rose

Andy estimates about 60 years old.

 

[johng]

Bending a branch one way and then re-bending it in another can separate the bark from the xylem and kill the the branch.

I once saw a very famous and respected American master, many years in Japan as an apprentice, say and demonstrate just the opposite. This person took what I think was a pretty nice mugo and totally freed the cambium and bark layer from the wood underneath so a major branch could be twisted around drastically. Most of us were floored...the person claims to have previous success with the technique. The work was done in the fall, the tree was not repotted, and was dead in months...I don't know what the official cause was...do we ever?? But, I certainly have my suspicions...juniper maybe...pine????!

Mr. Jaberwocky... I like Dav4's image alot...I think it is doable with the correct technique and timing....I am sure there are others more experienced with PP that can provide that info. For me, this type of tree always looks best when the foliage breaks the sight line of the trunk.

John