Tsukumo Cypress *pink face*

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Just a couple photos to show progress... unfortunately I don't have photos of the original stock material apparently. I got this tree at the PNBCA 2009 in a workshop with Tak Yamaura. He introduced this species to North America in the 70s apparently. It has spectacularly fine foliage, and grows very slowly. This tree is about 20 years old.

There were ways in which I wasted a good opportunity. I went in with the notion that I was taking the workshop to get the material... which is fairly expensive in it's own right. Tak is a good teacher I have no doubt, but I got so focused in on what I wanted to do with the material I failed to ask questions of him. And because I had no questions on how to approach the material, he sort of passed me over in favor of other people who didn't know what to do. His only comment was a remark of surprise that I put deadwood in the crown. So I paid about $350 for a great piece of material worth a good chunk of that, and missed out on an opportunity to have an experience with a good teacher. Silly rabbit....

Next time I'll fake it... even if I know what I want to do... there's something to be gleaned from THAT much experience, and I blew it. Oh well... I still love the tree.

The pot is a very fine, signed tokoname... not a conventional choice, but I like it very much.

Photo was taken right after it was potted this year. The tree was much thinner than this when I originally got done styling it.

Photo from this weekend... it's about as full as it's going to get. I'll thin and shape it more in the spring, but it's a very pleasing form at this point. Very 'oak style' in a way...

Enjoy,

Victrinia

 

[rockm]

VERY nice tree, Ms Vic. You've done well with it. Needs another pot though... Everyone's a critic...

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

That's ok brother... I always respect your opinions. I'm glad you like the tree.. I knew the pot would raise brows.

V

 

[Joedes3]

Great tree! How long have you been in the bonsai hobby?

 

[rockm]

I don't really dislike the pot. It's nice too--great matte white glaze. It's distracting with this tree, to me at least. It has too much contrast with the tree's coloring and its straight lines are too rigid for the trunk.

What about something like these?:
http://www.albrightpots.com/stock_15.htm
http://www.albrightpots.com/stock_14.htm
http://www.albrightpots.com/stock_13.htm
http://www.hhpots.com/Schale1009.html

 

[Attila Soos]

Great little tree, Vic.

I also purchased a very similar Tsukonomo from Tak, it was exactly ten years ago. I paid around $75 for it. Subsequently, I imported it to California, but the tree died a year later. It was probably because climate reasons, but I will never know for sure.

I think the pot is too formal for this playful tree that seems to come out of the "100 Aker Wood". It needs something that Winnie the Pooh would gladly use as decoration for his den.

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Great tree! How long have you been in the bonsai hobby?

6 years... which isn't much in bonsai terms... but I have spent all but the first as a student and friend of Daniel Robinson, which is like being thrown by a catapult (learning wise)... ready or not. lol

Glad you like the tree...

V

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

I don't really dislike the pot. It's nice too--great matte white glaze. It's distracting with this tree, to me at least. It has too much contrast with the tree's coloring and its straight lines are too rigid for the trunk.

What about something like these?:
http://www.albrightpots.com/stock_15.htm
http://www.albrightpots.com/stock_14.htm
http://www.albrightpots.com/stock_13.htm
http://www.hhpots.com/Schale1009.html

Damn you man... I'm now dieing for #2 & #3.... pfft... now I have to go spend my husband's hard earned money. I'll be sure to tell him it was your fault. lol

Srsly... beautiful choices... totally worthy and the right size. Dang your good. If I had had either of those pots along with the white, I would have saved the white for something else... though I totally agree... the matte finish on the white glaze is divine.

Thanks brother... V

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Great little tree, Vic.

I think the pot is too formal for this playful tree that seems to come out of the "100 Aker Wood". It needs something that Winnie the Pooh would gladly use as decoration for his den.

Oh Attila... stop making sense would you. *hugs*

V

 

[Attila Soos]

Oh Attila... stop making sense would you. *hugs*

V

Well, the Kung Fu Panda, on the other hand, would gladly use your white pot, if you know what I mean..

 

[rockm]

"Damn you man"

Sorry... I feel your pain. I just bought two custom ovals from Ron Lang last month. I believe my wife uttered the same curse when I brought them home...

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Only if it had a bunch of dumplings in it.

Good job... now I'm hungry... I'm going to lunch. lol

V

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

"Damn you man"

Sorry... I feel your pain. I just bought two custom ovals from Ron Lang last month. I believe my wife uttered the same curse when I brought them home...

*chuckling* Yah... well that's where I'm lucky.... the worst I'll get is.... "ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" followed by a lot of contented mumbling. lol It's marvelous doing this at times expensive, and very intensive hobby with one's spouse.

V

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

Now Mark... would you feel the same way about it if I stripped the outter bark off and showed off that surreal reddish colored trunk that Tsukonomo's can have? I was thinking it would be striking with that pot. My husband is firmly against me doing it... but that's not to say I never will.

V

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

October, in his infinite kindness, let me know I speeled the species name wrong.

It's actually Tsukumo Cypress, not the nonsense I posted. lol

V

 

[rockm]

"Now Mark... would you feel the same way about it if I stripped the outter bark off and showed off that surreal reddish colored trunk that Tsukonomo's can have?"

DON'T do that. It is great without tearing off that great bark.

 

[Ang3lfir3]

*chuckling* Yah... well that's where I'm lucky.... the worst I'll get is.... "ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo" followed by a lot of contented mumbling. lol It's marvelous doing this at times expensive, and very intensive hobby with one's spouse.

V

Or I will comment that I get my OTHER pot you stole back sadly however I have no trees that would fit it....

@Mark -- she keeps wanting to remove the bark.... and i keep telling her NO.... and I happen to like the pot its in ... ya'll are weird ...

 

[jason biggs]

why's it called pink face??

 

[Goon Salo]

because the person that discovered the variety experienced a "pinking" of the face when he came in contact with the tree therefore he called it pink face.

why's it called pink face??

 

[Victrinia Ridgeway]

because the person that discovered the variety experienced a "pinking" of the face when he came in contact with the tree therefore he called it pink face.

Nah... it was Bnut taking a request literally. I was indicating embarressment over getting the name all bunged up... so when I asked him to correct it... he added in the *pink face* which was an expression of that embarressment. It's all good... there's no such thing as a sub species of cypress called 'pink face'.

lol

Yours in amusement,

Victrinia