Attila Soos
Omono
I had a great time reading Andy Rutledge's comments at the recent AOB contest. Two things that Andy insisted upon, grabbed my attention. Andy recommends that :
1) Maples should NOT be designed with foliage pads.
2) A tree in the leafless state versus the same tree in full leaf should be displayed in pots of different color.
It is true that pine-tree-style pads are overused amongst the less-versatile bonsai hobbyists, and these pads tend to look too artificial on deciduous trees. On the other hand, a total lack of pads can lead to overcrowded and messy-looking foliage.
So, to look for answers, I grabbed one of the Kokufu-ten exhibit catalogues, and did a little research on the usage of pads on Kokufu-ten quality deciduous trees. I also paid special attention to the pot color on these trees.
Needless to say, all these deciduous trees were shown in a leafless state - the exhibit is held in February. Personally, it was a revelation to realize that after looking at the first 50 pages, not one single deciduous tree had any foliage pads. I saw maples, hornbeans, chinese quince, elms, etc. Azalea was the exception, they do have pads, but they are an entirely different category from the deciduous trees shown in leafless state.
I wonder whether the forum members here have noticed the lack of pads on these top Japanese deciduous trees, in light of all the talk about the "Japanese style" and how the "Japanese design everyting to look like pines".
I also happened to look at the picture history of Walter's trident maple shown in the AOB contest, and noticed that in the early stages Walter has built those pine style foliage pads, but on the most recent pictures, the tree has lost the pads, and instead, Walter transformed these pads into "foliage concentrations".
As far as the color of bonsai pots is concerned, I have not found any consistency in the Kokufu-ten catalog. Most of the pots containing the deciduous trees in leafless state were glazed ones, in a wide range of colors. Some pots were light, others were dark. Every color in the rainbow.
So, I am not sure what Andy meant by pot colors appropriate for leafless state. In the catalog, I saw yellow, cream, orange, brown, blue, and various darker earth colors. I am sure that I could instinctively point out examples where the pot color is wrong in a certain display (it did not happen in the Kokufu catalog) but it probably has to do with the color of the bark of the tree, and not because the existence of a general guideline in this regard.
May be someone here can point out any guideline or recommendation in this area.
1) Maples should NOT be designed with foliage pads.
2) A tree in the leafless state versus the same tree in full leaf should be displayed in pots of different color.
It is true that pine-tree-style pads are overused amongst the less-versatile bonsai hobbyists, and these pads tend to look too artificial on deciduous trees. On the other hand, a total lack of pads can lead to overcrowded and messy-looking foliage.
So, to look for answers, I grabbed one of the Kokufu-ten exhibit catalogues, and did a little research on the usage of pads on Kokufu-ten quality deciduous trees. I also paid special attention to the pot color on these trees.
Needless to say, all these deciduous trees were shown in a leafless state - the exhibit is held in February. Personally, it was a revelation to realize that after looking at the first 50 pages, not one single deciduous tree had any foliage pads. I saw maples, hornbeans, chinese quince, elms, etc. Azalea was the exception, they do have pads, but they are an entirely different category from the deciduous trees shown in leafless state.
I wonder whether the forum members here have noticed the lack of pads on these top Japanese deciduous trees, in light of all the talk about the "Japanese style" and how the "Japanese design everyting to look like pines".
I also happened to look at the picture history of Walter's trident maple shown in the AOB contest, and noticed that in the early stages Walter has built those pine style foliage pads, but on the most recent pictures, the tree has lost the pads, and instead, Walter transformed these pads into "foliage concentrations".
As far as the color of bonsai pots is concerned, I have not found any consistency in the Kokufu-ten catalog. Most of the pots containing the deciduous trees in leafless state were glazed ones, in a wide range of colors. Some pots were light, others were dark. Every color in the rainbow.
So, I am not sure what Andy meant by pot colors appropriate for leafless state. In the catalog, I saw yellow, cream, orange, brown, blue, and various darker earth colors. I am sure that I could instinctively point out examples where the pot color is wrong in a certain display (it did not happen in the Kokufu catalog) but it probably has to do with the color of the bark of the tree, and not because the existence of a general guideline in this regard.
May be someone here can point out any guideline or recommendation in this area.
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