Roadside elm..

[fviljoen963]

So I used the tree for a demo... first demo ever at a main event no less- multiple clubs attending for a convention day type thing. Aaand then I did another a week later at our own club, safe to I've had my trial by fire hahahaha
I haven't found a picture from the appropriate front viewing angle (designated by the stick in the pot) and I'll only be getting the tree this Sat as we carpooled and there was no space on the motorbike for a tree that size
I think the carving went quite well for the first round, I really got in there
the main bulk of the deadwood I will have to try and preserve to prevent the tree becoming top heavy, but I'll tackle that as we progress

 

[fviljoen963]

The angled pot photo is from the approximate front, I want the left lower branch to sweep to the level of the table

 

[fviljoen963]

No ideas or advice or even opinions? Is BonsaiNut dead?

 

[BobbyLane]

I liked it like this

what was the thinking behind the complete hollowing there? the bark quality looked very good. or was most of the bark their dead?

 

[Djtommy]

Agree with the above, I think you overdid it with the hollowing.

 

[fviljoen963]

Agree with the above, I think you overdid it with the hollowing.

Too deep ? I left about an inch or a little over an inch in the wall thickness everywhere, Its started to bud back just about everywhere too
Too much for the tree health or too much aesthetically?

 

[fviljoen963]

I liked it like this


what was the thinking behind the complete hollowing there? the bark quality looked very good. or was most of the bark their dead?

Just a hollow tree design, its elm so it would have rotted out anyway and the sections of deadwood had already started crumbling. I had to reduce the top by 4inches and create taper by removing bulk. You cant have deadwood on deciduous so hollow we go

 

[Djtommy]

Too deep ? I left about an inch or a little over an inch in the wall thickness everywhere, Its started to bud back just about everywhere too
Too much for the tree health or too much aesthetically?

I meant aestethically. It looks to clean hollowed out, maybe it’ll be better when time passes though.