AusBonsai

Went on a nursery crawl with my equally addicted friend who saw this tree but, as we both have 'too many trees' it went back in the stock. Two days later I did the 3 hour round trip to see if it was still there [yes] and bring it home [YES].

A close inspection at the nursery and it had a lot going for it... possibly good nebari, nice kink in the trunk, plenty of branching, an apex that had its faults but had possibilities and the wonderful bark already corking well. And the price was unexpectedly low for its potential. Once home I did an absolutely minimal root disturbance but underground it was wonderful other than an ugly surface root and a few very small roots that had to go. Then I started removing branches including the thick branch on the left [partially hidden by the apex] because it was out of scale to the rest of the branches. Discovered that this tree needs heavier wire than one would think to hold the springy branches in place but definitely a bonsai start worth getting and well worth the 3 hour round trip. The apical branch isn't bad and once there is more foliage will be quite pleasing.

Looks like a great start.

Keep us posted on your progress!

MelaQuin, nice find and well done on the first styling.
If I may, now that you have wired the branches down don't forget branches are three dimensional and could use some side to side movement,( ) this will also assist in bring the foliage in closer to the trunk.
Just an amateurs opinion of course,

enjoy

Watty

Watty9, your opinion is quite right and I have done that... it just doesn't show, in the same way the pesky high branch on the right doesn't stick out that way when you look at the tree - which is why it wasn't wired before the photo. I plan on letting the branches extend a bit to thicken and then cutting back greatly once there is a bit more thickness to encourage back budding closer to the trunk. I don't think squiggly branches would go on this very stout trunk, best to give them movement but in keeping with the solid feel of the tree.