Orange Club Juniper

[Bretts]

At the first meeting I attended of the Orange Bonsai Club we started a 1 year long styling competition on some juniper cuttings that the club had been given. I was very confused as to what to do with the scraggly little tree I was given because I have ignored the conifers a lot in the 4 years I have been doing this. I feel that in the last few months I have had a few things start to make sense and feel I have taken the first steps to an understanding of styling conifers.
The instant styling of junipers has scared me some as I am used to the progressive nature of styling deciduous and even feel that suits my problem solving abilities better.
Any way I have left the branches long in places for horticultural reasons and there is a jin out to the right covering the branch behind it at the moment, I will probably shorten this later. What do you think!

orange juniper small.jpg

[Pup]

G,day Brett, First things first, at the point of the first branches 3 of them look like they are all coming from the same point!.
This is to be avoided as in all trees as it will produce inverse tapering and an unsightly bulge.
If it was mine I would shorten the branches by bending them. I would also put some movement in the lower part of the trunk.
The top has a bend that does not suit the rest of the tree at this point in time. JMHO Pup

[Bretts]

Of the three branches one has been stripped of foliage and is a future jin of a size to be worked out, it is almost an eye poker, it is actually a branch from the base of the left branch. The other two are about 15mm apart even though they look much the same so I am thinking horticulturaly they will be ok but I would be listening for advice on this. One of the things that has clicked recently with conifers is I realised that unlike deciduous, the branches don't look so out of place starting from the same point as the drastic down motion of the branches allows for them to easily finish at different heights. This was most apparent in Leongs juniper styling vid here
http://bonsaisouth.com.au/cms/content/view/61/75/
Have I got lost some where?
I will keep your suggestions about the movement in the trunk and branches in mind over the next year as I develope it and my understanding.

I have changed the top many times trying to solve the issue you state but have not found a solution yet. I am hoping a solution will present itself.
Thanks Kindly for your comments Pup.
ps I have lost one draft for the rules thread this morning when Danica turned the computer off Don't you hate that I will start again soon.