Sometimes a light turns on!

[MichaelS]

This scots pine has always been a problem in that there was a vital from branch missing and it lacked depth.
Then as I was pulling old needles this morning it suddenly occurred to me that I may be able to split the upper trunk into two and use one part as a front branch by twisting it around. It already had a scar down the front where I had tried to reduce the bulky look of this upper part of the trunk. Don't have a before pic on this computer so the first pick is shortly after I started to carve and split.

I used hand carving tools and a saw to get to this stage. You can see there is no front branch all the way up.




A close up of the work so far.....




Some more wood removed so I could start the twisting as low as possible





Wrapped and wired. Obviously you need to wire in the direction you intend to twist.





Now I could easily pull it around to the front.

 

[MichaelS]

The left side view...





Right side.. It now has a front branch and some depth to it! From here it will be smooth sailing.





More work to do obviously such as detailed carving, ramification, reducing heavy areas etc. But all that is fairly standard now


.

 

[A Random User]

Nice tree...
And I think that introducing the split was a good idea.

My only critique, if I could offer up one?
Would be that the one foliage pad you set in front of the split... the one attached to the left portion that you bent and brought forward... is kind of hiding not only the split... and the deadwood feature you have created... which as a viewer I would probably prefer to see.. but is also blocking the really nice line of the continuation of the trunk going up to the apex on the right.

Perhaps a move with it back to the left?

Other than this... you might consider dropping the very lowest couple of pads on the right... under the apex of the tree, the ones coming off of the right hand side of the trunk, lower down.

I think both of these suggestions might just slightly clean up the image and add that shine.

Nice work!

 

[Smoke]

Why would you reduce your trunk "line" by half right in the middle of the tree for the sake of growing a branch in a couple seasons?

interesting stuff...

 

[MichaelS]

Why would you reduce your trunk "line" by half right in the middle of the tree for the sake of growing a branch in a couple seasons?

interesting stuff...

View attachment 142447 View attachment 142448

If I think what you are saying is right, you are asking why not just extend a branch and bring it round to the front?
Well I happen to intensely dislike the idea forcing a branch which grows from one side to the another. I had a bit of an disagreement about that with Mauro Steinberger when he was here.
This kind of thing....


Or do you mean something else?

 

[MichaelS]

Nice tree...
And I think that introducing the split was a good idea.

My only critique, if I could offer up one?
Would be that the one foliage pad you set in front of the split... the one attached to the left portion that you bent and brought forward... is kind of hiding not only the split... and the deadwood feature you have created... which as a viewer I would probably prefer to see.. but is also blocking the really nice line of the continuation of the trunk going up to the apex on the right.

Perhaps a move with it back to the left?

Other than this... you might consider dropping the very lowest couple of pads on the right... under the apex of the tree, the ones coming off of the right hand side of the trunk, lower down.

I think both of these suggestions might just slightly clean up the image and add that shine.

Nice work!

Thanks for taking the time to comment sawgrass.

Yes it is hiding the split but only partly. I think we need to be careful not to overly try to display these types of ''features'' because you can unwittingly give a contrived feeling. In other words if you go out of your way to show it, sometimes it becomes obvious that was the intention. Also, as the branches develop and lose their old needles, the view you see now will also probably change.
As for the right hand masses, these to will no doubt be adjusted in the future. The angle of planting has not really been determined yet and the branches are only up to there second ramification. The main thing was that a tree which was considered for the scrap heap at one time has had a fundamental flaw resolved....for now.

 

[Velodog2]

Well this isn't a studied critique but just a comment to say I really like this tree, regardless of the issues the split introduces. I love scots pine in general but I really like the trunk line on this one as well as the motion you have put into the branches. I suspect I'd have to see it in 3D to really have a valid opinion about your treatment, but I think once it begins to roll scar tissue over the edges it's possible it could be an attractive feature.

 

[Leo in N E Illinois]

I like the creative way of solving a problem, splitting a trunk or branch is something I need to keep on my list of possible solutions to problems.

I like the results, but I can't give a detailed artistic opinion, because I'm not much of an artist, and I'm only looking at 2 d photos, on my phone.

But I like the concept.