Total re-do..large Honeysuckle, Lonicera Fragrantissima

[Webos]

What happened to the snakey live vein in the front on the left? Dieback? Look forward to the branches on this tree thickening up. great future for this trunk.. One to watch

[Gerard]

DSCF3779b.jpg

The future tree might look a bit like this

[bodhidharma]

So, Huge decisions were made on this tree yesterday. I was fortunate enough to have some very wise Victorian Bonsai heads here for a visit to help me make this decision. I think it was 1) A radical decision 2) also a wise decision for the future of this tree. In my mind was that if we are to have WORLD class trees then these are the decisions we must make. My mind was a little numb from the night before which myself and a good friend drank a little to much wine but i certainly know now that this is a very positive change in the future of this tree. Feedback more than welcome. Beginner Bonsai people please take note of what is needed if we want to improve our trees. Would you, could you cut of so much of your hard work to improve your trees future.

[Gerard]

The part which was removed was beautifully wired but sometimes we need to see everything positioned before making the big decisions.

[MoGanic]

Still the best tree I've ever seen D. Good choice, looks much more elegant now.

[bodhidharma]

What happened to the snakey live vein in the front on the left? Dieback?

It has reduced its sap to a small live vein underneath the large one. Unusual but it lives on.

The future tree might look a bit like this

Gerard did you have inside info or are you psychic.

Still the best tree I've ever seen D. Good choice, looks much more elegant now.

Thanks Moganic. Now it needs serious branch development.

Great piece Bodhi !!! I love the back view too !!

Thanks Ant, we forge on to leave good trees to our children.

It is certainly several levels better than anything I own but I guess that's what you get with experience.

Thanks Sqizz, keep at it and it will come. There are a lot of better people than me out there and i hope you achieve that.

[Steven]

B E A U T I F U L

Nice work finding not only the smallest tree within but the best one also!

Nice virt too Gerard

Regards,
Steven

[Boics]

Epic.

Great work and I too concur that these decisions has markedly improved this tree.

Amazing tree!

[Bretts]

I had missed most of the work you did on this one. Went back through and I was very impressed, this tree has some great qualities. Until this last decision.
I will easily con cure the left branch was becoming too dominant for a branch but I don't think this line is the best for this tree.

All that was wrong was that the top needed to age/mature more. This would have meant huge reductions but not just to one side. We now have a C which is often best to avoid.
Play with it this way for a while by all means but I reckon you will go back to a more balance composition in the future. Or some one else will when you are gone

If the upper leader swept down from a lower point it would also be more convincing. But I think in the end it will need a new apex. From here I would head here.

DSCF3780.JPG

Think I meant this

DSCF3780.JPG

[bodhidharma]

All that was wrong was that the top needed to age/mature more. This would have meant huge reductions but not just to one side. We now have a C which is often best to avoid.

Thanks for the input Bretts. I understand where you are coming from and this was not an easy decision. A head will be developed and ramification will turn the branching into something special. There were eight well respected Bonsai aficionado's here on the day and the decision was mutual (although not their tree )but this is what i understand as to what is going on in my head. I always look at trees in the same light E.G a few side branches and a head or apex and i am trying to break that mold to come up with unique trees, not the standard approach. This means experimenting on my trees even if they would make decent trees in the way i originally designed them. I have seen some stunning "c" trees and i am now wanting to create trees that become a talking point and hold their own in any light. Hope you can understand the ramble but my way of looking at trees are changing and i have to go with it.

[Shannon]

Fantastic old material Bodhi and like your new design. I'm looking forward to the finished product and can "C" a bright future

[Bretts]

Yes never say never and a C tree can be a stunning tree but not always . The main issues I see here is the staight section. In a more upright plan this can be hidden to a large degree but as a wind swept it exagerates it? I also see the C shape as too limiting for such an interesting base.
Maybe the Bonsai aficionado's can explain/show thier long term plan.

[Gerard]

It is great that somebody was brave enough to disagree with Bodhi's decision. It is easy to say "niCe" but not so easy to Criticize. Thanks Brett's for having the Courage to speak up. I am sure there will be lots of different opinions.
This tree will beCome one of those trees which people will
Look at, wow!
DisCuss
Remember
And not always agree
I believe that is exaCtly what Bodhi the Creator hopes to aChieve.

One thing I especially like about this tree is the natural "C" swirl in the bark on the trunk.
I do not understand why it is often best to avoid a "C"
Perhaps avoid a long, slow, lazy bend if that is what you are trying to say. But I like "C"s
I love the way the tree has found a new direction.

[Bretts]

That's a nice thing to say Gerard
And yes I hope Bodi enjoys a little discussion on his tree.
Not sure where I picked up the discussion on avoiding C's in our designs. It may be covered some where in here

http://andyrutledge.com/book/contents/b ... hetics.htm

But my understanding at the moment is that it kinda creates an unbalance and leaves you no where to go to correct the unbalance. A good example I can give is a drawing by Robert Steven.
He actually uses this drawing to show that a tree that follows the rules can look "unnatural and disintegrated in harmony" but as soon as I saw it I thought it was not a great example as I saw several flaws or "rule breakers" that was causing the trouble. One was the big C section at the top. Even worse is that the C section was on top of a upright trunk.

0114.jpg

http://ofbonsai.org/techniques/styles-a ... -the-rules

[Webos]

Wouldn't most informal uprights have c shapes in them? Is an shape just a continuation of the c shape? If so, why wouLd there be nowhere to go after creating the c shape?

Is this tree in the link a c shaped tree? If so, is it bad? I like it.

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=bonsa ... 2rB_J2bgbM :

Adam