AusBonsai

Thanks ken, a kind gift. Let me know when you have arranged shipping and quarantine

An interesting discussion, no doubt
Personally, I can appreciate the skill, time, and technique in order to achieve such a heavily fused nebari. The girth of the trunk however distracts my eye as it doesnt seem to be in proportion. Yes, in years to come it will fill out, but as it seems to be in a nicely ramified state which will no doubt continue, it will be a long road? Perhaps a sacrifice branch below all current branches

But as Ken says, when we talk about 'proportions' to say this tree doesnt look right would also mean that the sumo shohin ficus look out of place, and many other examples... Art is art and at the end of the day it comes down to personal taste. There will always be a divide in what people consider mastery and what could do with a tweak here and there. The technical skill is there, and that is a sight to behold.

Do i like it? Not 100% at the moment.
Can I appreciate the dedication and skill of the artist? Most certainly.

Got an idea how this could be achieved in a short time span maybe 3yrs depending on growth hopefully all my chinese elms seeds come up ill have 100s then select the ones i want then weave them together like the picture below leaving 1-2 popping up in the middle the plant in the ground. Being tightly woven together they should fuse together quickly who knows it may just work