Styling advice- should I tell him?

[amcoffeegirl]

Let's try it this way. That Jim Smith ficus you recently purchased...I look at that group and it gives me the impression that almost no thought
was put into the design, or that it was neglected for years. The trunks don't seem to have any rhyme or reason, there are many straight sections,
trunks overlap each other, there are wire scars, bases and surface roots are bulky/lumpy. You even commented on "a lot of straight trunks".

If I provide a commentary like that, does it help if I also say "it's ugly"? Or if I just say "the trunks are ugly"? Obviously there was something about it
that appealed to you, or the things I find ugly don't appear that way to you.

It just doesn't help.

There are rules of bonsai- guidelines.
No crossing roots are right up there.

I did discuss this with my friend- he was receptive. He knows I admire his trees.
I just think his base is distracting from an overall nice tree. I didn’t call his tree ugly because I don’t think it is. When I spoke with him I told him my thoughts and not just that the crossing root was ugly- lol

As far as my ficus goes- Jim Smith was a legend to me. His bonsai are not for everyone’s taste. He used clip and grow techniques. I love this tree for its history.
As for my tree- We will see what can be done with it.

Edit- I am thinking of purchasing another similar forest- lol

 

[coh]

There are rules of bonsai- guidelines.

I just think his base is distracting from an overall nice tree. I didn’t call his tree ugly because I don’t think it is. When I spoke with him I told him my thoughts and not just that the crossing root was ugly- lol

OK, see...you didn't tell him his tree was ugly. You approached it the right way in my opinion. If you had come in guns a blazing with "that root is ugly"
or something similar you might have gotten a different response.

As far as my ficus goes- Jim Smith was a legend to me. His bonsai are not for everyone’s taste.

And that's exactly why I would normally never write or say what I did in my previous post. It was to prove a point. Jim was a legend to you, you saw something
you liked in the tree - that's good enough for me. So even though my immediate reaction when I saw the original photo was "why would you buy that", I didn't
say anything and wasn't going to.

As for my tree- We will see what can be done with it.

Edit- I am thinking of purchasing another similar forest- lol

As long as it gives you pleasure, that's all that matters! Enjoy. Will be watching to see what you do with it.

 

[0soyoung]

Start calling it your "Wishing Tree".
Eventually you'll be asked, and then you explain it is because it has its roots crossed, like keeping your fingers crossed, hoping.

Then you let him like it or do something about it while you quietly watch and say things about fragile men's egos are, silently in your head, and smile. Its the same routine as managing your boss at work. You know.

 

[Shima]

Gently entering from the side, as in, what do you think about the surface roots?

 

[Cable]

It can be helpful, for sure. When people criticize my trees (and rightfully so, I still have a lot to learn) I usually get defensive at first but I try to explain my reasoning. Sometimes it's because of personal preference.

Case in point, one of my bald cypress had a root that started higher on the trunk and crossed over the trunk down into the soil. I liked it and thought it gave a point of interest. Something different. Everyone else told me it should be removed but I didn't remove it. Until someone told me why it should be removed (trunk swelling into the root could harm the tree) that I finally gave in and removed it. I do like it better now (it looks more natural).

 

[Soldano666]

Perhaps beat around the bush about how nice the canopy is and too bad the base is wonky, shame cause otherwise it's a really nice tree. At least a elm layer will be a easy quick ordeal

 

[Lazylightningny]

Some people are naturally thin-skinned and sensitive. And that's fine. They can't help it, they're not malicious. It's just the way they are. So you have to know who you're talking to. In general, a more diplomatic approach is always best. I'm like Darlene, too direct, so I've been trying to learn to curb my opinions and be more indirect in how I approach someone. It's not easy to change, though.

 

[thumblessprimate1]

My bonsai friends have better trees than me. I offer them no advice. ?

 

[Smoke]

My bonsai friends have better trees than me. I offer them no advice. ?

Best reply so far.....

 

[amcoffeegirl]

I did find a tree that I like that has a crossing root. Then again I would probably still like it if it wasn’t there.

 

[Vance Wood]

Get him to post a picture of his tree on this forum and let this bunch of upstanding and brutally honest bone-heads tell him.

 

[Bonsai Nut]

I did find a tree that I like that has a crossing root. Then again I would probably still like it if it wasn’t there.

I have seen some crossing roots in my day, but I can't recall one as dramatic as that one! It truly draws the eye like a magnet. When I looked at the photo it is all I saw.

Sad thing is that it doesn't look too difficult to fix... but someone has been growing it like that for a looooong time.

My bonsai friends have better trees than me. I offer them no advice. ?

It is rare for me to receive constructive feedback on one of my trees where I am not already brutally aware of its short-comings. Usually the conversation is more around the various ways to "fix" the problem, rather than arguing whether the problem exists.

 

[Zach Smith]

One thing I've learned through the decades is everyone sees their trees differently than everyone else, and we all have different concepts of what looks good. Put another way, some folks are enamored with their doesn't-fit-any-accepted-bonsai-guidelines "masterpiece." There's nothing wrong with this if their tree pleases them. But, if they do seek advice I usually preface suggestions with, "If this were my tree I'd ...." It's something of a cop-out, but it's hard to know where someone is on their journey and the last thing I want to do is discourage them so much they give up. Everyone learns at their own pace, and when they ask you your opinion of an obvious flaw on their bonsai you can usually glean that they've come to understand it's a problem that must be fixed. So they learn at their own pace and in increments that keep them encouraged and learning. Like developing a bonsai, you develop the new bonsai enthusiast slowly enough that it doesn't kill either the tree or the enthusiasm.