Mel Rhaphiophylla

[hugh grant]

New year, Old trees, New designs.
Melaleuca Rhaphiophyla i have just recently redesigned after a 12 month regrow process and resurrection.

Would love to hear what you think!

_MG_8026.jpg

[Max]

amazing how a trunk that big fits into a pot that small...loving the design and a pleasure to view....A+ from me

[wattynine]

Hi Hugh, I gotta say I don't feel quite right about critiquing one of your trees and this is gorgeous.
The styling for me is a little too "penjing" and I'm not even sure if I have that right and whilst I REALLY like it, I'm not sure if it's Australian, (am I saying this right).
I would like to see the lower left hand branch get some height, and this is just me of course and I am commonly a long way from right, but it is a little "bar" looking. From the photo it seems to be a "borrowed" branch swinging from the branch on the right?
with an apology I post a very bodgy virt to see if I can say what I am saying.

_MG_8026.1.jpg

[Kevin]

Just brilliant Hugh,

Great photography too.

Kevin

[bodhidharma]

Yep, it's a thumbs up from me Hugh. Great branch placement, especially the lower right hand group. Also love the photo, good skills, except the table, hate the table. it looks like you are in the kitchen. Come on Hugh, with all that money you are earning as a Bonsai Artist you can afford a display table

[EdwardH]

I really like the trunk but I'm not sold on the branches. The branches all look to be the same diameter with little to no taper. It may just be the photo as trees often look very different in the bark.

[Thymetraveller]

That's gorgeous!!!

[Jag001]

Different Styles appeal to different eyes!

Personally , I love it.

cheers,

Jeff

[hugh grant]

Cheers for the comments all!

Hi Hugh, I gotta say I don't feel quite right about critiquing one of your trees and this is gorgeous.
The styling for me is a little too "penjing" and I'm not even sure if I have that right and whilst I REALLY like it, I'm not sure if it's Australian, (am I saying this right).
I would like to see the lower left hand branch get some height, and this is just me of course and I am commonly a long way from right, but it is a little "bar" looking. From the photo it seems to be a "borrowed" branch swinging from the branch on the right?
with an apology I post a very bodgy virt to see if I can say what I am saying.

_MG_8026.1.jpg

Hey man
like your thinking buddy! my placement of the branches is basically due to what is available to work with. My philosophy when making trees is always to just use whats available, i dont like trying to grow branches in perfect places etc just dosnt seem true to form to me nor an expression of the material if i force what is not here to be. makes for a more interesting image in the present and forward. your virt looks Rad! and is perfectly plausible as a reiteration of this tree, great eye for design mate!!!

I really like the trunk but I'm not sold on the branches. The branches all look to be the same diameter with little to no taper. It may just be the photo as trees often look very different in the bark.

Its all a game of time mate, cant get branching happening without any branches, its all a process. also radical taper on branching is never going to look good, long elegant branching for a soft elegant tree i say

[hugh grant]

Yep, it's a thumbs up from me Hugh. Great branch placement, especially the lower right hand group. Also love the photo, good skills, except the table, hate the table. it looks like you are in the kitchen. Come on Hugh, with all that money you are earning as a Bonsai Artist you can afford a display table

haha minimalist my friend aka kitchen style, love it haha. built and designed that table myself! maybe i shall call it the elevated cheese board !

[Akhi]

Beautiful tree Hugh I love how the branches seem to flow elegantly downwards

[treeman]

Just my opinion Hugh, but to me you seem to be rushing to make an image with very thin wispy branches which really have nowhere to go from here and will probably end up being cut off and re-made in the future. Branches should be built slowly. It should take at least 3 or 4 years before you reach the outline you have now. Then you may have a more substantial foundation from which to proceed.
Also I would personally see a more angular structure fitting more naturally with these natives. This of course cannot be done with wire and takes time.

I know I've said it before and I will repeat to anyone who cares to consider it.
We need to stop using other bonsai as subjects for our work. Doing that just creates more and more dilution with each generation of bonsai trees.
Use the real thing instead.

melraph.JPG

[hugh grant]

Hi Mate!

always an interesting topic this isnt it!
so this is how i build trees, unless it is deciduous and even so this can work for deciduous too. This tree has been in preparation for design for about 18 months or so now, growing some foliage and length in branches, a few prunes etc etc. now i have taken that growth, reduced excess pieces and then formed the frame wok from which to now develop from. if i were to chop each branch back to the length and grow and chop again etc etc i would not be moving towards a solid direction. laying the ranches out allows me to define the structure and design, creating a scaffold to then fill. This isnt a big tree and iv taken the essentials characteristics of mel raph and condensed them down to bare base characteristics within the structure ive created here. a few angular bends in key places, downward twisting branches, but not a lot because the design of course needs to be simple to be consumable. ive insinuated the direction of the design and solidified primary lines. From here i will let the tree grow strong for at least 6 - 12 months, develop lots of interior branching through the simplicity of free growth and then repeat this process done recently, the tree will then be much fuller, some places will be reduced yes, or even removed as branches develop. but because i have set a solid design and structure i can work to perceive an image now and later to work within. not only that, there is a lot of flexibility to work within when this happens than if i were constantly pruning, new branching, pruning, new branching etc.

yes this is not the 'final' tree its a stage in its construction, but i ask why cannot a tree be made to look at its very best every time it is touched, thats one of my philosophies.

[bodhidharma]

yes this is not the 'final' tree its a stage in its construction, but i ask why cannot a tree be made to look at its very best every time it is touched, thats one of my philosophies.

I also think like this, that you should always make the tree look it's best. While the branches are growing the trunk is also and making the tree always "Look it's best" sets the scene for it's future.

[morrie]

would it be fair to say the "final tree" would be dead