Two down, three to go, California junipers.

Smoke

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Just finished a restyle on this twin trunk California juniper dug in 2002. The full article can be read here
 

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trey

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I'll be there in a few hours to pick it up.

kidding, but I really like how this looks.
 

Smoke

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The picture does nothing for this piece. All the depth is missing and it is hard to see the drop branches and how they fill that space on the right. Tomorrow I am going to experiment with the bottom branch on the left crown and instead of it facing straight forward I will beand it to the right to mimic what is going on on the right crown.
 

sorce

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Nice. But what is that in the top right corner?
A tree? It is huge.

Sorce
 

Giga

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Nice. But what is that in the top right corner?
A tree? It is huge.

Sorce

I think those are old palm tree branches. Also you said you bare rooted the junipers-I was always under the impression that this was not a good practice with junipers?
 

Smoke

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I was looking out my patio door and this view showed the branching much better. More of a side view, but shows some of the depth that the front view does not capture.
 

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Smoke

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In fact the more I look at this view the better I like it. A little tweaking here and there and I could adjust the canopy to show better this way. The tree would be pretty deep this way though.
 

MACH5

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Al I also like this view better as well. It gives your image more depth.
 

Eric Group

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In fact the more I look at this view the better I like it. A little tweaking here and there and I could adjust the canopy to show better this way. The tree would be pretty deep this way though.

I really like this angle better Smoke- Great job on this one!
 

Brian Van Fleet

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Better angle...good to close up some of the space between the two, and the Shari on the smaller trunk is a bit more convincing. What if you tilted the composition by putting a wedge under the left side of the pot?
 

PaulH

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I like this view too. Funny how you can work on a tree and look at it every day and suddenly you see something new.
 

Vance Wood

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I like this view too. Funny how you can work on a tree and look at it every day and suddenly you see something new.

Been there done that more times than I like to admit. With me; it had almost become a given that I would work on a tree from one perceived front only to turn it around and discover the back was a better tree. I now work on the tree 360*. Now the tree sucks all the way around.

It is good to see Al posting his work again on the site. He does nice work and I wish he would share more of it.
 
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MACH5

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Been there done that more times than I like to admit. With me; it had almost become a given that I would work on a tree from one perceived front only to turn it around and discover the back was a better tree. I now work on the tree 360*. Now the tree sucks all the way around.

It is good to see Al posting his work again on the site. He does nice work and I wish he would share more of it.



Perhaps even worst yet is having a tree sitting around for 15 years with no idea what to do with it until inspiration (or something like that) strikes!
 

Vance Wood

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Perhaps even worst yet is having a tree sitting around for 15 years with no idea what to do with it until inspiration (or something like that) strikes!

Did my post sound condescending to Al? So why did you find it necessary to put an underhanded esoteric dig in my direction----if I read you correctly? If I said something wrong or untrue please let me know and I will try to correct the problem.
 

MACH5

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Did my post sound condescending to Al? So why did you find it necessary to put an underhanded esoteric dig in my direction----if I read you correctly? If I said something wrong or untrue please let me know and I will try to correct the problem.



Not at all Vance. Just meant that sometimes is probably even worse not knowing what to do with a tree for 15 years like in my case.

Please do not read more into my comment. I do not EVER engage in "digs" or "underhanded" comments here. I ALWAYS try and keep it positive, constructive and all about bonsai. Not more nor less.
 

Vance Wood

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Not at all Vance. Just meant that sometimes is probably even worse not knowing what to do with a tree for 15 years like in my case.

Please do not read more into my comment. I do not EVER engage in "digs" or "underhanded" comments here. I ALWAYS try and keep it positive, constructive and all about bonsai. Not more nor less.

My apologies for thinking other-wise.

I find it not so bad to wait for years to work a tree. I don't know how many times I have seen some really good material become garbage because the designer did not have a clue or vision really of what to do. That vision does not always become easy to find.
 
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sorce

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I just watched a good video....

http://ofbonsai.org/galleries/videos/colin-lewis-exhibit-critique-milwaukee-bonsai-society-show-2014

A couple of trees lost points due to wrong fronts.
This could have been one!

What a great chance look!

This tells a much deeper story too.
Cliff up on the back left, a mountainside rolling down to the front right, at the same pitch as the branches.
Jutting up for life, only to be met by the occasional avalanche, and summer slides.
Branches moving, as if seeking refuge, into the valley, naturally void of foilage until out of reach of the damage. Mothers protection just enough to keep the little one so full. Evidence of the old branches that, under harsh times past, tore the trunks violently.

No tweaking necessary. This does it for me. The story of the other...Al's playing with trees again.

Love it.

Sorce
 

coh

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When is a wrong front, a wrong front?

I just watched a good video....

http://ofbonsai.org/galleries/videos/colin-lewis-exhibit-critique-milwaukee-bonsai-society-show-2014

A couple of trees lost points due to wrong fronts.
This could have been one!
Yes but...if you pay attention to the discussion of the first tree, what you hear is that although Colin Lewis thought the displayed front was "wrong", the owner actually chose that front based on a suggestion by Kathy Shaner. So which one is right and which one is wrong? Sometimes there's going to be an obvious front that most would agree on, other times not so much.

Chris
 

Smoke

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It is good to see Al posting his work again on the site. He does nice work and I wish he would share more of it.

Perhaps even worst yet is having a tree sitting around for 15 years with no idea what to do with it until inspiration (or something like that) strikes!

...Al's playing with trees again.

Love it.

Sorce

Since the week before Thanksgiving I have had lots of blood in my urine. I have been at the hospital so much in the last five weeks they have named me a parking spot. Don't worry its not much of an honor, its titled "Loser".

CT scans with contrast, x-rays, camera probes up my who who, I can't
believe I have found the strength to do what I "have" done the past few weeks. Then it happened.....emergency surgery, twice in one day. One picture from 2 AM Friday the 19th and the other is 4PM waiting for a surgery room till 9PM. Must be something in the water, lots of kidney stones in this town...I passed a whopper! The big one was lasered internally.
 

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Smoke

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Here is a screen shot of the inside of by bladder after busting it up into 5 pieces. It was about the size of a pea. They extract it from there with a basket device and out through the uretha. Fun stuff!

Sorry, photo will not capture. Hospital protected. Must find patch through the Pentagon. I have Curt and Rod on this and they should have the feed fixed soon. These two are installing a pacemaker in me next month. They found a good one at a surplus store.
 
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